Category Science & Technology

Noted ethanol critic to lecture

September 25, 2006

Tad Patzek, a professor of civil engineering at the University of California- Berkeley who is distinguished both for his research on oil field peaking and depletion and for his often controversial, outspoken opposition to corn-based ethanol as a replacement for oil, will give the talk, “The environmental impacts of the corn-ethanol cycle,”on the UW–Madison campus Oct. 5.

EcoHealth One conference to explore global health, environment

September 25, 2006

Nearly 300 people from around the world will gather October 6-10 at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for the program "EcoHealth One," the first international conference of a newly expanded consortium of human and wildlife health experts, ecologists, conservation biologists, and social scientists exploring the links between ecology and our health.

Technology helps foster ‘democratization of cartography’

September 20, 2006

Mark Harrower recalls a raging debate in his field in the 1970s, when some geographers worried that commercial map-making software would trigger the demise of cartography. But rather than sully the field, Harrower says the new technology — combined with the explosion of availability of geospatial information — is fueling one of the most exciting eras in his profession.

Architects chosen to design Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery

September 20, 2006

Uihlein Wilson Architects of Milwaukee, together with Ballinger of Philadelphia, will design the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and the Morgridge Institute for Research on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, officials announced today.

National stem cell bank announces addition of new cell lines

September 19, 2006

The National Stem Cell Bank has expanded its offering of human embryonic stem cell lines to include cells from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), it announced today (Sept. 19). With the addition of the UCSF lines, the National Stem Cell Bank will soon have on deposit 13 of the 21 cell lines on the federal registry.

Conference to advise businesses on pandemic preparation

September 14, 2006

A University of Wisconsin–Madison conference on Thursday, Oct. 12, "Surviving the Pandemic," is designed to help representatives from small- and medium-sized companies and nonprofit organizations assess their levels of preparedness and begin to develop their own company-specific plans.

Chinese scholars meet to examine environmental health issues

September 8, 2006

More than 25 Chinese scholars studying in the United States will convene in Madison next week to study ways to attack global environmental problems.

Anticipation plays a powerful role in human memory

September 5, 2006

Psychologists have long known that memories of disturbing emotional events — such as an act of violence or the unexpected death of a loved one — are more vivid and deeply imprinted in the brain than mundane recollections of everyday matters. Probing deeper into how such memories form, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have found that the mere anticipation of a fearful situation can fire up two memory-forming regions of the brain — even before the event has occurred.

New book examines science of the paranormal

August 24, 2006

Stories about paranormal experiences don't surprise Deborah Blum, a professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Blum recently published the book "Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death.

Mercury pollution threatens health worldwide, scientists say

August 11, 2006

Mercury pollution can threaten the health of people, fish and wildlife everywhere, from industrial sites to remote corners of the planet, but reducing mercury use and emissions would lessen those threats, according to a declaration ratified today (Aug. 11) at an international conference on mercury pollution.

Genetic snooze button governs timing of spring flowers

August 9, 2006

University of Wisconsin–Madison researcher Richard Amasino has revealed studies that have begun to peel back some of the mystery of how plants pace the seasons to bloom at the optimal time of year.

Seltzer named interim director of Wisconsin Institute for Discovery

August 8, 2006

Marsha Mailick Seltzer, director of the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Waisman Center and an internationally recognized scholar of developmental disabilities, has been named interim director of the new Wisconsin Institute for Discovery

MATC, UW collaborate on biodiesel fuel reactor

August 7, 2006

Madison Area Technical College today dedicated its new biodiesel reactor, built in partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, to produce motor fuel blended from waste vegetable oil and methanol.

Gabriela Cezar’s stem cell research targets birth defects and cancer

August 4, 2006

After conducting research at Scotland's Roslin Institute (birthplace of Dolly the cloned sheep) and creating in-vitro models of obesity and Parkinson's Disease for the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, Gabriela Cezar has returned to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Urban Horticultural Field Day planned for Aug. 19

August 4, 2006

A bit of food prehistory will come back to life at this year's Urban Horticultural Field Day. As part of the Renew America Food Traditions program, visitors will be able to view vegetables grown from seeds discovered in prehistoric Anasazi ruins located in the nation's Southwest region.

ResearchChannel programs available to Charter Digital Cable subscribers

August 2, 2006

Subscribers to Charter Digital Cable now have access to University of Wisconsin–Madison programming on ResearchChannel as video on demand.

UW studies challenge national asthma guidelines

August 2, 2006

Antibiotics should not be used routinely when asthma patients have attacks, according to national asthma-treatment guidelines. But two new studies—one in adults and one in children—at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health will test these current recommendations by analyzing whether using antibiotics for patients with uncontrolled asthma symptoms improves their condition.

Undergraduates delve into big science across campus

August 1, 2006

The University of Wisconsin–Madison has become a summertime magnet for undergraduate students looking to gain hands-on research experience.

Study shows hope for ridding lakes of clawed invader

July 31, 2006

A University of Wisconsin–Madison study shows that the rusty crayfish, long seen as a bully in Wisconsin lakes, may be vulnerable to a "double whammy" of intensive trapping and predator fish manipulation to the point where it may be possible to rid lakes of the animal that has vexed scientists, anglers and conservation agencies alike for decades.

New MRI technique quickly builds 3-D images of knees

July 25, 2006

A faster magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data-acquisition technique, developed at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, will cut the time many patients spend in a cramped magnetic resonance scanner, yet deliver more precise 3-D images of their bodies.