Category Science & Technology
UW-Madison cloud computing research moves into new phase
UW-Madison is part of a team of campuses receiving nearly $10 million, collectively, from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to further develop cloud computing infrastructure and enable high-level research by scientists around the country.
UW’s influential sleep researchers get ideas during walks in woods
UW-Madison's Chiara Cirelli and Giulio Tononi are at the forefront of the world's sleep research, and many of their ideas emanate from walks at their woodsy Dane County home.
Decades-past logging still threatens spotted owls in national forests
Researchers say despite protections put in place in the 1990s, owls may still be paying an “extinction debt” that was created by historical logging of large trees.
Gambling against the odds on life’s risks more common after childhood stress
Trouble reading the signs that a loss or punishment is looming can lead to situations that risk avoidable problems.
Virtual reality users must learn to use what they see
The study found that when most people put on a virtual reality headset, they still treat what they see like it’s happening on any run-of-the-mill TV screen.
Increased vegetation boosts rainfall in the Sahel, researchers find
The large semiarid region of Africa just south of the Sahara routinely experiences pronounced droughts that can last decades, threatening food security in the area.
Designer molecule points to treatment for diseases caused by DNA repeats
“Most young people with Friedreich’s ataxia develop severe heart problems and are wheelchair-bound," says researcher Aseem Ansari, "but the disease is so rare that few drug companies invest in it."
‘Magnetoelectric’ material shows promise as memory for electronics
Devices tend to store that information in two ways: through electric fields or magnetic fields. In the future, electronics could benefit from the best of each.
Veterinary students work with endangered cranes
Each year, a group of Veterinary Medicine students perform health checks on the captive flock residing at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin. These critical check-ups are essential for providing the best care possible, and the experience also provides a unique opportunity to get firsthand experience working with an endangered species. Video by Craig Wild/University Communications
Optoelectronics origami: An easy-to-make, double-duty curved image sensor
The advance by a UW–Madison engineering team could lead to cameras with features such as infinite depth of field, wider view angle, low aberrations, and vastly increased pixel density.
All-in-one repair kit makes CRISPR gene editing more precise
Error rates as high as 50 percent are a problem when the goal is to correct typos in the DNA that cause genetic disease. Now, a team of researchers has made the fix less mistake-prone.
Icebound detector reveals how ghostly neutrinos are stopped cold
An international team of researchers at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory has made a critical measurement that may one day help predict new physics beyond the Standard Model, which seeks to explain the fundamental forces of the universe.
100-hour challenge winners blend creativity, utility
The challenge was to build useful or creative products based on objects donated by the University’s recycling system, called SWAP, and to do the whole shebang in 100 hours.
Five UW–Madison professors named AAAS Fellows
They join 391 other fellows who have been recognized by their peers for significant contributions to their fields and the scientific endeavor as a whole.
Mapping cropland: UW–Madison plays critical role in worldwide map
A UW–Madison researcher was part of a global collaboration has just released a satellite-based map of world croplands that “found” 625 million to 875 million acres that were not known to national agricultural authorities.
WARF program leader: Sale marks success for UW–Madison research prowess, creativity
The Accelerator Program represents a broadening of WARF’s original role, as it as recognized the need to guide and encourage start-up companies, and invest in them.
Valuable potato specimens transferred to Wisconsin State Herbarium
A large collection of potato specimens have been transferred from the U.S. Potato Genebank in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, to the Wisconsin State Herbarium at UW–Madison, which has 1.3 million specimens.
Images of strange solar system visitor peel away some of the mystery
A strange visitor, either asteroid or comet, zipping through our solar system at a high rate of speed is giving astronomers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to examine up close an object from somewhere else in our galaxy.
Unique driverless vehicle on display Nov. 15-18 in Madison
At an event Nov. 17 and 18 on the University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Engineering campus, visitors will have the opportunity to check out an autonomous car.
New Arboretum director continues legacy of restoration, teaching
As fall slowly hardens to winter in Madison, part of Karen Oberhauser’s new job is to walk the trails of the UW–Madison Arboretum, getting a sense not just for the geography, but for the land itself. That’s because the land Oberhauser walks is now under her care.