Category Science & Technology
From stained glass to stem cells, science shines
UW–Madison will offer a science smorgasbord to the public at the sixth annual Science Expeditions on Saturday, April 5.
WARF, UW–Madison influenza researcher, Lentigen agree to donate technology
The University of Wisconsin–Madison has received a $1.3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support research aimed at understanding the molecular features that lead to influenza pandemics. UW–Madison will collaborate with Maryland-based Lentigen Corp. on the project.
Study shows compassion meditation changes the brain
Cultivating compassion and kindness through meditation affects brain regions that can make a person more empathetic to other peoples' mental states, say researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
For stem cell scientist James Thomson, discovery trumps fame
The UW scientist who first brought stem cells into the scientific spotlight — a discovery that sparked a volatile debate of political and medical ethics — doesn’t seek fame for himself. So when you are the go-to guy for everybody who wants access to James Thomson, a man who’d much rather be in the lab than in the media’s glare, you learn to say no more often than you’d like.
Technology to predict strain gets a perfect model: Michelangelo’s ‘David’
For statues, stress injuries come from standing in place for hundreds of years. Using a novel technique, researchers have now developed a way to predict such fracturing, applying the procedure to Michelangelo's famous statue "David" in an analysis that proved simpler, faster and more accurate than previous methods.
New nanoparticle catalyst brings fuel-cell cars closer to showroom
A University of Wisconsin–Madison and University of Maryland (UM) team has developed a new nanotechnology-driven chemical catalyst that paves the way for more efficient hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.
Chancellor search
UW-Madison is currently conducting a national search for a successor to Chancellor John D. Wiley, who will step down in September 2008.
UW–Madison biochemist elected to National Academy of Sciences
Judith Kimble, a professor of biochemistry and genetics and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, has been elected to a three-year term as councilor for the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
Office upholds remaining WARF stem cell patents
The United States Patent and Trademark Office again has upheld the claims of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) by making determinations on…
UW-Madison ‘Gaia Project’ creates environmental learning, action project for faculty and staff
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Gaia Project, a program devoted to helping faculty and staff get involved in topics related to climate, energy and sustainability, has launched this semester with more than 100 subscribers already on board.
Curiosities: Why do we dream?
Submitted by Rachel Furlow, 7th grade, Cherokee Middle School
Stem cell summit to convene in Madison
Researchers, business representatives, philanthropists, bioethicists and educators from around the world will be invited to Madison for the World Stem Cell Summit at the Alliant Energy Center on Sept. 22-23, 2008.
Fund for late professor lifts Engineers Without Borders into the black
Katie Simon had a lot to be nervous about in March 2007 when she became the president of the University of Wisconsin–Madison chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB), an organization that applies the knowledge of engineers to improving the quality of life for developing communities.
Increased ethanol production to worsen Gulf of Mexico ‘dead zone’
The rush in the United States to produce corn-based ethanol as an alternative fuel will likely worsen pollution in the Gulf of Mexico and expand the annual "dead zone" that kills fish and other aquatic life, according to new research.
WID established as Graduate School center
In fall 2007, the proposal (1.5 Mb PDF) for the public Wisconsin Institute for Discovery was approved by the University Academic Planning Council, establishing the institute as a center within the Graduate School.
Lowly Icelandic midges reveal ecosystem’s tipping points
A UW–Madison zoologist describes in the journal Nature an ecosystem population dynamics model built on the flies of Iceland’s Lake Myvatn, showing how even slight human-induced changes can irreversibly alter the balance of nature.