Category Science & Technology

Study: Mountain vegetation impacted by climate change

October 25, 2010

Climate change has had a significant effect on mountain vegetation at low elevations in the past 60 years, according to a study done by the University of California at Davis, the University of Wisconsin–Madison and U.S. Geological Survey.

Common anxiety disorders make it tougher to quit cigarettes

October 25, 2010

Researchers may have pinpointed a reason many smokers struggle to quit.

Peace of mind closes health gap for less educated

October 25, 2010

Psychological well-being is powerful enough to counteract the pull of socioeconomic status on the long-term health of the disadvantaged, according to a study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Wildlife health-reporting tools may help prevent human illness

October 25, 2010

Two new tools that enable the public to report sick or dead wild animals could also lead to the detection and containment of wildlife disease outbreaks that may pose a health risk to people.

Entrepreneur translates research into health solutions

October 21, 2010

David Beebe’s quest is innovation, both in the laboratory and the marketplace. David Beebe, an electrical engineer turned cancer researcher, says the…

Symposium addresses ethics, standards, beneficiaries of research

October 20, 2010

Drawing on issues raised by this year’s Go Big Read selection, a fall symposium will address responsible conduct and ethical decision-making in research.

New nano techniques integrate electron gas-producing oxides with silicon

October 19, 2010

In cold weather, many children can't resist breathing onto a window and writing in the condensation. Now imagine the window as an electronic device platform, the condensation as a special conductive gas, and the letters as lines of nanowires.

Go Big Read gets a fast start on campus; author to visit on Oct. 25

October 19, 2010

Go Big Read, UW–Madison's common reading program, is off to a vigorous start. Some 5,000 copies of "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," by Rebecca Skloot, were given away in September at the Chancellor's Convocation for New Students.

Plant family tree may help identify species vulnerable to invaders, climate change

October 18, 2010

Change has been the norm for Wisconsin's forests over the last 50 years, and the next 50 are unlikely to pass quietly.

Curiosities: Why do some planets have rings?

October 18, 2010

Saturn imaged by the Cassini Orbiter. Image: courtesy Jet Propulsion Lab Planetary ring systems are complicated, notes UW Space Place…

University Research Park has an $825 million annual impact, study says

October 12, 2010

Invasive shrubs increase spread of tick-borne disease

October 11, 2010

For a hungry tick, bush honeysuckle is as good as a drive-through.

Team receives funds to advance development of production method for medical isotopes

October 4, 2010

An acute shortage of a medical isotope needed by tens of thousands of medical patients daily will be addressed through a federal funding agreement reached Sept. 30 to advance pioneering technology developed at a Middleton, Wis., company and the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Bioenergy choices could dramatically change Midwest bird diversity

October 4, 2010

Ambitious plans to expand acreage of bioenergy crops could have a major impact on birds in the Upper Midwest, according to a study published today (Oct. 4) in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

For first time, monkeys recognize themselves in the mirror, indicating self-awareness

September 29, 2010

Typically, monkeys don't know what to make of a mirror. They may ignore it or interpret their reflection as another, invading monkey, but they don't recognize the reflection as their own image. Chimpanzees and people pass this "mark" test - they obviously recognize their own reflection and make funny faces, look at a temporary mark that the scientists have placed on their face or wonder how they got so old and grey.

Report casts world’s rivers in ‘crisis state’

September 29, 2010

The world's rivers, the single largest renewable water resource for humans and a crucible of aquatic biodiversity, are in a crisis of ominous proportions, according to a new global analysis.

UW-Madison receives grant for superconducting electron gun

September 24, 2010

The University of Wisconsin–Madison has received a $4.5 million grant from the United States Department of Energy Basic Energy Sciences office. The award will fund a research and development project focusing on the fabrication and testing of what is called an electron gun for a free electron laser (FEL) - a several-football-fields-long light source, an immense instrument whose light would be used by researchers across a range of disciplines for their experiments.

Researchers discover less-expensive low-temperature catalyst for hydrogen purification

September 23, 2010

Engineering researchers from Tufts University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Harvard University have demonstrated the low-temperature efficacy of an atomically dispersed platinum catalyst, which could be suitable for on-board hydrogen production in fuel-cell-powered vehicles of the future.

Curiosities: Are “baby” carrots really … baby carrots?

September 20, 2010

Sadly, not really. “There’s something very convenient about (baby carrots), and kids seem to enjoy it. It means more people eating vegetables, and I…

Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center hires chief operating officer

September 20, 2010

Anchored in the basic research of academia and charged with generating new biofuels technologies, the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) is a bit of a hybrid.