Category Science & Technology
More homes built near wild lands leading to greater wildfire risk
New research out of the University of Wisconsin–Madison shows that a flurry of homebuilding near wild areas since 1990 has greatly increased the number of homes at risk from wildfires while increasing the costs associated with fighting those fires in increasingly dense developments.
Ingersoll Physics Museum celebrates 100 years of hands-on education
Last year, more than 14,000 visitors came to the free museum to spin bicycle-wheel gyroscopes, crank electrical generators, and yank on pulleys.
Better solvents = better biomass conversion for biofuels and bioproducts
UW-Madison researchers are pushing for a broader understanding of solvents used to convert non-food biomass to biofuels and bioproducts, which would help them to optimize biomass conversion reactions.
New ed-tech platform recognizes professors’ contributions to higher education
A social work professor has created "Prof2Prof," where academics can store and share work such as curricula, quizzes, assignment sheets and studies.
Former UW–Madison Chancellor Irving Shain dies at 92
Shain, who advanced the university’s interests in China and established University Research Park, died peacefully in Madison after a brief illness. He was 92.
UW–Madison serial innovator Jack Ma cites collaboration as key to his success
Engineering Professor Jack Ma has more than 40 patents, more than 470 published papers and a half-dozen national professional fellowships.
Advance could enable novel high-performance materials
An engineering physics professor has created new materials that behave in an unusual way that defies the standard theory engineers use for designing things like buildings, airplanes, bridges and electronic devices.
Green spaces in cities help control floods, store carbon
A new study finds that urban green spaces like backyards, city parks and golf courses contribute substantially to the ecological fabric of our cities — and the wider landscape — and should be included in ecological data.
Forecasting antibiotic resistance with a ‘weather map’ of local data
To help physicians choose the best antibiotic first, researchers in the School of Pharmacy and the State Cartographer's Office are drawing inspiration from the weather.
Pulling needles out of haystacks: With computation, researchers identify promising solid oxide fuel cell materials
Using advanced computational methods, UW–Madison materials scientists have discovered new materials that could bring widespread commercial use of solid oxide fuel cells closer to reality.
GreenHouse program coordinator blends sustainability, student life
The learning community, one of 10 organized by University Housing, lets students explore sustainability and agricultural systems through seminars and hands-on experiences that are integrated with residential life.
Kohler, college of engineering to unveil Kohler visualization studio
In addition to donating $1 million to renovate the space, Kohler has committed ongoing involvement from its associates to ensure students gain an innovative mindset and technical knowledge.
Chat tool simplifies tricky online privacy policies
A UW–Madison researcher has helped develop a unique online chatbot that can answer, in simple language, questions about specific privacy policies without requiring users themselves to weed through all of the fine print.
UW-Madison to aid NASA’s push to measure Arctic’s radiant energy
Questions abound about conditions in the Arctic and its role in regulating Earth’s climate. Now, a UW–Madison-led research program aims to answer some of them.
UW startup’s invention featured at Paris fashion-tech show
The wearable system developed by Torq Labs is designed to help runners avoid injury by tracking leg movement with wireless sensors that transmit data to a smartphone app.
Beyond silicon: researchers solve a materials mystery key to next-generation electronic devices
UW-Madison researchers have provided evidence of a hole gas coexisting with two-dimensional electron gas, a key discovery for oxide electronics.
Researchers assess impact of lock failure on Upper Mississippi River freight
They say the cost to invest in maintaining the locks and dams should be weighed against the cost of seeing them fail and their cargo being diverted from the river onto highways.
Freely shared satellite data improves weather forecasting
UW–Madison scientists specialize in receiving and processing data from satellites for use by everyone from other researchers and meteorologists to the general public.
Remembering astronaut Laurel Clark, 15 years after Columbia tragedy
Clark, a UW–Madison graduate, was killed along with six other crew members when the space shuttle disintegrated upon re-entering Earth's atmosphere.
From fungi to humans, ‘smart valves’ assist communication within, between cells
Trees. Fungi. Monkeys. Fish. Your aunt and uncle. Without fusion pores built of SNARE proteins, they can't exist.