Category Science & Technology
Genome study places modern humans in the evolutionary fast lane
Countering a common theory that human evolution has slowed to a crawl or even stopped in modern humans, a new study by UW–Madison researchers examining data from an international genomics project describes the past 40,000 years as a time of supercharged evolutionary change.
John D. Wiley to step down as UW–Madison chancellor
Chancellor John D. Wiley, who has earned a reputation as a campus builder and a farsighted leader since becoming the University of Wisconsin–Madison's chief executive in 2001, announced today that he will step down in September 2008.
Stem cells show power to predict disease, drug toxicity
For the first time, scientists have used human embryonic stem cells to predict the toxic effects of drugs and provide chemical clues to diagnosing disease.
DuPont fellowship funds address plant breeder shortage
In 2008, DuPont’s Pioneer Hi-Bred seed business will provide the plant breeding and plant genetics program with a $60,000 grant, renewable annually for five years, to support two new graduate fellowships.
Settlement prompts heating plant improvements
A legal settlement between the state and an environmental group will result in less coal being burned at the Charter Street Heating Plant and sets the stage for major improvements at the facility.
Family, memories at core of anthropologist’s new book
A UW–Madison anthropologist first decided to write a book about her family when she was 10 years old, a decision she made while growing up in Bombay, the child of an American mother and an Indian father.
Stem-cell discovery a global media force
When a scientific advance is hailed as “the biological equivalent of the Wright Brothers’ first airplane,” it stands to reason that the work will grab worldwide attentionn
Prof guides future generations of female scientists
When Jean Bahr believes in something, she doesn’t hesitate to act.
Waistline growth on high-carb diets linked to liver gene
Experts have been warning for years that foods loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and other processed carbohydrates are making us fatter. Now, a University of Wisconsin–Madison study has uncovered the genetic basis for why this is so.
What lies beneath: Growth of root cells remarkably dynamic, study finds
A new UW–Madison study, publishing online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has found that certain plant cells pulse as they grow.
New Antarctica research season kicks off
The approach of winter in the northern hemisphere means that summer is coming to Antarctica - still bitterly cold, but just warm enough to let scientists make progress on ongoing studies. A number of UW–Madison researchers are awaiting the call.
Wisconsin Public Utility Institute, energy engineers to promote efficiency
On Wednesday, Dec. 5, the Wisconsin Public Utility Institute (WPUI) and the Wisconsin Association of Energy Engineers (WAEE) will present a program on how to encourage more efficiency from the motor industry.
Recipe for a storm: The ingredients for more powerful Atlantic hurricanes
As the world warms, the interaction between the Atlantic Ocean and atmosphere may be the recipe for stronger, more frequent hurricanes.
Virent CEO to speak on green business at WARF’s Gilson Discovery Series
Eric Apfelbach, president and CEO of Virent Energy Systems, will present "Building a Business around Green Technology" on Thursday, Dec. 6 at the Fluno Center, 601 University Avenue. The event, part of the Gilson Discovery Series sponsored by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), is free and open to the public.
Nanotech’s health, environment impacts worry scientists
The unknown human health and environmental impacts of nanotechnology are a bigger worry for scientists than for the public, according to a new report published Nov. 25 in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
The Science of Cheese
UW-Madison cheese researcher Carol Chen explains the physics, chemistry and biology of cheese on Sicentific American’s Science Talk podcast.
UW-Madison scientists guide human skin cells to embryonic state
In a paper to be published Nov. 22 in the online edition of the journal Science, a team of University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers reports the genetic reprogramming of human skin cells to create cells indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells.
Reprogramming the debate: stem-cell finding alters ethical controversy
When University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers succeeded in reprogramming skin cells to behave like embryonic stem cells, they also began to redefine the political and ethical dynamics of the stem-cell debate, a leading bioethicist says.