Category Science & Technology

Community forum to focus on fracking and sand mining

October 24, 2012

Fracking, the controversial technology for opening natural gas deposits, will be the focus of a three-part Community Environmental Forum series beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 5:30 p.m. in room 1106 of the Mechanical Engineering Building.

Scientists begin effort to stir up a cosmic dynamo in the lab

October 24, 2012

For scientists trying to understand the subtleties of cosmic dynamos - the magnetic field-inducing phenomena at the hearts of planets, stars and galaxies - the physics, for the most part, must be done at vast distances.

New biorenewables technology moves closer to marketplace

October 23, 2012

A licensing agreement for a novel renewable chemical and biofuel production method between Hyrax Energy and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation promises to accelerate commercial development of the technology and lead to high-quality U.S. jobs.

Keck observations bring weather of Uranus into sharp focus

October 17, 2012

In 1986, when Voyager swept past Uranus, the probe's portraits of the planet were "notoriously bland," disappointing scientists, yielding few new details of the planet and its atmosphere, and giving it a reputation as a bore of the solar system.

Study looks at why students leave STEM majors

October 16, 2012

The good news: Jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) continue to grow and offer better pay than non-STEM jobs.

Nobel Prize winner to deliver 2012 Rennebohm Lectures

October 16, 2012

Mario Capecchi, winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, will deliver the 2012 Rennebohm Lectures at UW–Madison on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 22 and 23.

Center gets small to study nanoparticles in environment

October 15, 2012

Our understanding of the creation and use of nanomaterials is growing, but so much about our long-term relationship with their tiny component particles remains little understood.

UW-led project will help growers and processors show sustainable production

October 12, 2012

UW-Madison researchers are leading a new $2.1 million, USDA-funded project designed to help vegetable producers and processors get rewarded in the marketplace for producing their products in a sustainable manner.

Tailored breast cancer screening model developed

October 11, 2012

How early and how often should women have mammograms? In theory, it's, "Annually, beginning at age 40." As of late, however, that answer has been up for debate - in part because of the risk of false positives, unnecessary biopsies, and the fear and anxiety that go along with such a diagnosis - and the answer has shifted to a more ambiguous, "It depends."

Unusual genetic structure confers major disease resistance trait in soybean

October 11, 2012

Scientists have identified three neighboring genes that make soybeans resistant to the most damaging disease of soybean. The genes exist side-by-side on a stretch of chromosome, but only give resistance when that stretch is duplicated several times in the plant.

NSF deputy director receives WAA’s Distinguished Alumni Award

October 10, 2012

The University of Wisconsin–Madison welcomed Cora Marrett, deputy director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), back to campus Oct. 5-6 as the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) presented her with the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award.

UW study proposes “swimways” to help save migratory fish

October 10, 2012

A University of Wisconsin–Madison researcher says states should be looking to the skies in order to save fish.

Energy from Wisconsin cow manure could replace a coal plant

October 9, 2012

According to a recent Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative (WBI) study, Wisconsin can be a national leader in bioenergy production using waste from the state's prosperous agriculture and food processing sectors.

Knox, research pioneer in streams and soils, dies

October 9, 2012

Jim Knox, Evjue-Bascom Professor Emeritus of Geography at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, died at his home in Madison on Saturday, Oct. 6.

Engineering dean finalists announced

October 5, 2012

The University of Wisconsin–Madison today named four finalists for the deanship of the College of Engineering.

Smaller estrogen doses improve mood without memory loss

October 4, 2012

New research by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health suggests that estrogen given in smaller doses to younger women just entering menopause does not worsen memory and improves mood and symptoms of depression.

Five Questions with Kevin Niemi

October 4, 2012

Inside UW recently asked Kevin Niemi about the current status of K-12 science education.

New approach will analyze important, poorly studied areas of human genome

October 2, 2012

Each year, more and more pieces of the human genome puzzle fall into place, but large holes still remain. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison hope to fill in many more pieces with a new $1.1 million grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute.

Hydrogeologist appointed to federal nuclear waste board

September 27, 2012

University of Wisconsin–Madison hydrogeologist Jean Bahr has been appointed by President Obama to the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board.

NSF funds UW sustainability project studying the human component of green buildings

September 27, 2012

Designing a "green" building involves considering a multitude of variables - everything from electrical efficiency to airflow controls to natural sources of light, heat and energy. But engineering more efficient building control systems is only part of the picture; for a building to be truly green, the occupants living and working within it need to know how to behave in a sustainable way as well.