Category Science & Technology
Curiosities: If we think the continents were at some point all connected, how did they separate?
Question submitted by Abbie Stroup, seventh grader at Sennett Middle School.
Meditation may fine-tune control over attention
Everyday experience and psychology research both indicate that paying close attention to one thing can keep you from noticing something else.
Changing the face of science education
Through the UW–Madison Delta Program in Research, Teaching and Learning, new faculty and graduate students can find instructional resources and support that help them transition from full-time graduate researcher to faculty member.
Curiosities: What are teeth made of?
Built for crunching and chewing, teeth mostly consist of hard, inorganic minerals like calcium. But they also contain nerves, blood vessels and specialized cells…
New technique dissects stem cells’ picky likes, dislikes
Whether their goal is to create therapies or simply investigate how organisms develop, stem cell researchers face what is perhaps one of biological science's toughest assignments: keeping their tiny research subjects under control.
Resident bacteria may help clean phosphorous from lakes
UW-Madison engineer Katherine McMahon is integrating her expertise in wastewater engineering and in biological systems to study the bacterial community in different eutrophied lakes — two in Madison and one in China — to learn more about how those bacteria affect phosphorus cycling in the lakes.
Survey examines Americans’ trust in science
When it comes to forming opinions on controversial scientific issues, Americans show a strong deference to the views of the scientific community, according to a study co-authored by a University of Wisconsin–Madison researcher.
Arming the fight against resistant bacteria
In 1928, Alexander Fleming opened the door to treating bacterial infections when he stumbled upon the first known antibiotic in a Penicillium mold growing in a discarded experiment.
Curiosities: How do fish gills work?
Question submitted by Matthew Burns, 7th Grade, Sennett Middle School.
Healing chronic wounds through use of nanoscale surfaces
It’s both costly and frustrating when doctors are unable to heal persistent wounds, such as diabetic ulcers or pressure sores in patients with limited mobility. Traditional treatments are often less than satisfactory. But thanks to funding from the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery seed grant program, UW–Madison researchers have been freed to explore a novel and revolutionary approach to coaxing persistent wounds to heal.
Team seeks to add advanced microlenses to technology
Most of us peer through lenses every day, but the “microlenses” devised by engineering professors Hongrui Jiang and Dave Beebe aren’t nearly so ordinary. Made of liquid and designed to be self-adjusting, these tiny lenses are a breed apart from their counterparts in eyeglasses and cameras.
U.S. chemistry forecast: ‘Partly cloudy, chance of showers’
A report released this month by the National Academy of Sciences concludes that although the United States currently leads the world in most aspects of chemistry research, increasing international competition makes that position far from secure.
Curiosities: Can dogs be trained not to bark?
"Yes, absolutely," said canine authority and UW–Madison adjunct associate professor of zoology Patricia McConnell. When confronting the natural tendency of our…