Category Science & Technology
Bridging the gap: Teaching bridge safety to next generation of railroaders
After taking an Engineering Professional Development class at UW–Madison, these professionals will be in a better position to ensure safety on rails that carry passengers, freight and flammable or toxic chemicals. Read More
Broad genome analysis shows yeasts evolving by subtraction
An analysis of the way yeasts evolved individual appetites for particular food sources may be a boon to biofuels research. Read More
Woodland hawks flock to urban buffet
A team of Wisconsin researchers documents that woodland hawks — once in precipitous decline — have become firmly established in urban environments, thriving primarily on a diet of backyard birds. Read More
Randolph Ashton named SCRMC associate director
Ashton, a leading UW–Madison stem cell scientist whose lab develops novel tissue engineering methods to derive brain and spinal cord tissues from human pluripotent stem cells, will assume a leadership position with the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center. Read More
New master’s in quantum computing offers training for a growing field
In a single calendar year, the program will catch students up on the fundamentals of quantum physics, cover the theory behind quantum computing, and teach students laboratory skills to construct the devices. Read More
Professor takes on climate change by promoting science literacy through music, art, comics
A UW–Madison geoscience professor has come up with new ways to teach science to non-science undergraduate students, in hopes of awakening their "inner scientists." Read More
Food processors, UW collaborate to remove guesswork from wastewater disposal
The results of a three-year study offer some support for the belief that much of the nitrogen in the wastewater from cheese-making and vegetable processing leaves the soil and harmlessly enters the atmosphere. Read More
Twenty years on, measuring the impact of human stem cells
Beginning with just five cell lines derived from surplus embryos donated by patients who had finished undergoing fertility treatments, human stem cell science has mushroomed from just a few isolated labs to a burgeoning global industry and launched the new field of regenerative medicine. Read More
Center for Trustworthy Machine Learning established with $10 million NSF grant
UW-Madison is part of a consortium that received a $10 million NSF grant that will work toward understanding the risks inherent to machine learning, and developing the tools, metrics and methods to manage and mitigate these risks. Read More
A splash of silver turns diamond films shades of green, blue or purple
A UW–Madison researcher has succeeded in creating an array of colorful thin diamond films, which will help explore light-powered chemical reactions catalyzed by diamond. Read More
Washington Post’s Helmuth is UW Science Writer in Residence
Laura Helmuth, the newspaper's health, science and environment editor, will spend a week visiting classes, working with students and faculty, and exploring the UW–Madison research landscape. Read More
Science-A-Thon celebrates a day in the life of a scientist
Scientists from around the world will share photos of a typical day for the social media campaign, designed to exhibit and promote diversity in science and raise funds for scientific mentoring. Participating scientists will post 12 photos over 12 hours on social media, an hour-by-hour snapshot of a day in the lab, field or classroom, using the hashtag #dayofscience. Read More
Red-hued yeasts hold clues to producing better biofuels
The work is a key step toward large-scale production of isobutanol, which has has a higher energy content, blends better with gasoline, causes less corrosion, and is more compatible with existing engine technology, than ethanol. Read More
Tracking dragonflies, citizen scientists gain insight to Arboretum’s wetlands
This past summer, volunteers began the Arboretum’s first-ever effort to systematically track dragonfly populations, in hopes of gaining insight into the many waterways the Arboretum is charged with protecting. Read More
Faculty awarded funding for high-risk, high-reward research
Darcie Moore, Nasia Safdar (above) and Srivatsan “Vatsan” Raman will receive more than $6.8 million from the National Institutes of Health for high-risk, high-reward studies in the medical field. And Jan Huisken received one of 10 Transformative Research Awards from NIH. Read More
Go Big Read author will share appreciation of, and concern for, Great Lakes
Dan Egan's full-time beat covering the Great Lakes for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has evolved into a book, “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes,” which is this year's selection for UW–Madison’s common-reading program. Read More
Researcher wins “high risk, high reward” NIH grant
Jan Huisken is part of an ambitious project to develop a complete cellular blueprint of zebrafish development, from the first ball of cells to an adult fish. The project could have great benefit to regenerative biology. Read More
Successful mouse couples talk out infidelity in calm tones
The quality of their conversations between pairs of California mice after one partner has been unfaithful can help predict which mouse pairs will successfully produce a litter of mouse pups and which males are good fathers, according to a new UW–Madison study. Read More
Addressing our biggest challenges — and mysteries — at the Wisconsin Science Festival
Among the hundreds of events offered around the state during the Wisconsin Science Festival, which runs Oct. 11 – 14, are four in-depth discussions in Madison on some of the most significant challenges science is addressing — and universal questions science is answering. Read More
New fuel cell concept brings biological design to better electricity generation
A new approach addresses the high cost of fuel cells, which is one reason that there are only a few thousand vehicles running on hydrogen fuel currently on U.S. roads. Read More