Category Science & Technology
Science Expeditions welcomes public to campus April 6–8
For three days this weekend, you can dive beneath the waves to explore shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, search for ghostly particles using a billion tons of ice and discover how we might grow food on Mars.
Is there life adrift in the clouds of Venus?
An international team of researchers led by planetary scientist Sanjay Limaye of UW–Madison’s Space Science and Engineering Center lays out a case for the atmosphere of Venus as a possible niche for extraterrestrial microbial life.
UW Sea Grant Institute awards $2.8 million in research grants
The University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute—which is dedicated to the sustainable use of Great Lakes resources through research, education and outreach — has announced the award of $2.8 million in research dollars for 2018-20.
Spiders and scorpions have co-opted leg genes to build their heads
New research shows that the common house spider and its arachnid relatives have dispensed with a gene involved in creating segmented heads, instead recycling leg genes to accomplish the task.
Decades of research identify source of galaxy-sized stream of gas
The answer will help astronomers understand how galaxies, including the Milky Way, form and change over time.
Liquid-to-glass transition process gains clarity
While a combination of trial and error and scientific research helped refine glassmaking processes over time, controlling the creation of metallic glasses at the atomic level remains an inexact endeavor. “Our job,” says Paul Voyles, “is to build fundamental understanding by adding more data.”
When communicating with color, balance can be a path to accuracy
UW-Madison Researchers found that the best colors to use for waste bins are shades of white for paper, red for plastic, pale blue-green for glass, dark grey for metal, dark green for compost, and black for trash.
UW professor leads national study on effectiveness of mentoring in STEMM
The National Academy of Sciences study focuses on undergraduate and graduate mentoring of individuals traditionally marginalized in STEMM.
UW-Madison expands GIS professional programs to meet workforce needs
With demand spiking for GIS experts, the University of Wisconsin–Madison is significantly expanding its flexible and accelerated GIS programs for busy working professionals.
‘Free-range scientist’ Steve Carpenter remains inspired, inspiring — even in retirement
It’s been nearly six months since he officially stepped down as director of the UW–Madison Center for Limnology, but there's still much science left to do.
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.