Category Science & Technology
Puzzle of how spiral galaxies get their arms comes into focus
April 2, 2013Despite their common morphology, how galaxies like ours get and maintain their characteristic arms has proved to be an enduring puzzle in astrophysics. How do the arms of spiral galaxies arise? Do they change or come and go over time?
Ten winning pictures at the intersection of art and science
April 2, 2013Drawn from a record number of entries, 10 pictures at the intersection of art and science have been chosen as winners of the 2013 UW–Madison Cool Science Image contest.
Céline Cousteau to speak at Earth Day conference
March 28, 2013Marine conservation advocate and filmmaker Céline Cousteau will be a featured speaker at the seventh annual Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference on Monday, April 15.
Researchers discover the brain origins of variation in pathological anxiety
March 26, 2013New findings from nonhuman primates suggest that an overactive core circuit in the brain, and its interaction with other specialized circuits, accounts for the variability in symptoms shown by patients with severe anxiety.
School of Veterinary Medicine, UW Veterinary Care to hold open house
March 25, 2013The UW School of Veterinary Medicine and UW Veterinary Care, the school's veterinary medical teaching hospital, will host an open house on Sunday, April 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
With 400th Ph.D. grad, UW–Madison celebrates a half century of fusion energy
March 25, 2013In the 1930s and '40s, many researchers studied ways to use fusion, the reaction in which atomic nuclei collide, fuse and release energy, to develop atomic weapons. Later, those same brilliant minds began to focus on beneficial applications of fusion, including developing plants that would produce electrical energy for society.
Research uses muscle activity to move virtual objects
March 21, 2013A team at UW–Madison says it has developed, for the first time, a way to move virtual objects in an immersive virtual reality environment through the use of muscle activity.
Expanded Science Expeditions opens doors to UW–Madison research
March 21, 2013Ana Garic spends her days in a University of Wisconsin–Madison lab studying a public health problem with real impact in Wisconsin communities — which is why it feels so good to invite the public onto her turf for the campus’ annual Science Expeditions open house to be held April 5-7.
Wisconsin Science Festival 2013 announces dates, call for presenters
March 19, 2013After more than tripling attendance last year, the Wisconsin Science Festival is coming back for year three with plans for more activities at more sites that reach more people. The organizers announced today the 2013 festival will be held September 26-29 and issued an open call for presenters, communities, organizations and sponsors to get involved.
Energy institute fueling innovation in new facility
March 19, 2013Gazing out at the roughly 60,000 cars that cross the intersection at the Wisconsin Energy Institute’s (WEI’s) doorstep, the reason the building exists is clear — energy consumption and dependence on fossil fuels — and WEI’s research is poised to address the problem.
Engineering students win 2013 Clean Snowmobile Challenge
March 12, 2013A group of UW–Madison College of Engineering students took first place in the internal combustion division of the SAE 2013 Clean Snowmobile Challenge, their fifth time doing so in the 14-year history of the competition.
Dalai Lama to lead ‘Change your Mind Change the World 2013’ event May 15
March 12, 2013Event organizers today announced that the Dalai Lama will visit Madison on May 15, 2013, to lead "Change your Mind Change the World 2013," a series of panel discussions with thought leaders from a variety of fields, including neuroscience, economics and sustainability, moderated by Arianna Huffington and Daniel Goleman.
Adaptive ski project gives people with disabilities a new chance to participate
March 8, 2013Back in 2005, "sit-skis" for cross-country skiers with disabilities were expensive, uncomfortable and largely unavailable - except to a handful of Paralympic athletes, at price tags of more than $2,000. Today, more than 300 sitting-position skis, with an adaptable, user-friendly design, enable a much wider group of people with lower-body limitations to participate in the popular winter sport, at a cost of only about $250 per ski.
Small differences in how a technology is defined can make a big difference in how the public feels about it
March 8, 2013Even small tweaks in how scientists describe scientific breakthroughs can significantly change how the public perceives their work, a new study indicates.
‘Ninja parasites’ elude immune response through molecular mimicry
March 7, 2013In feudal-age Japan, cunning, unorthodox mercenaries known as ninjas were notorious for using disguise, deception, and stealth to infiltrate enemy fortifications. In the world of modern parasites, certain organisms - dubbed "ninja parasites" by Professor Timothy Yoshino - use similar tactics, in a biological and chemical sense, to trick their way past the immune systems of their hosts.
Speakeasy Science: Space Place tees up science for grown-ups
March 5, 2013Line up your baby sitter for the evening of Friday, March 8, and lift off for a night of fun and science at UW–Madison’s Space Place for the first edition of Speakeasy Science.
Man-made material pushes the bounds of superconductivity
March 3, 2013A multi-university team of researchers has artificially engineered a unique multilayer material that could lead to breakthroughs in both superconductivity research and in real-world applications.
Flu transmission studies could resume soon
February 26, 2013After a voluntary hiatus of more than a year, avian influenza transmission studies may soon resume at UW–Madison’s Influenza Research Institute (IRI) as the National Institutes of Heath (NIH) last week issued a new framework for vetting such experiments.
Analytical trick may accelerate cancer diagnosis
February 24, 2013Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have found a new way to accelerate a workhorse instrument that identifies proteins. The high-speed technique could help diagnose cancer sooner and point to new drugs for treating a wide range of conditions.
Science + art exhibit focuses on the beauty of a cure
February 20, 2013An unusual exhibit focusing on cancer recovery through the lens of art and science will open Feb. 22 in the Biochemistry Department on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus.