Category Science & Technology
Dramatic new portrait helps define Milky Way’s shape, contents
Using more than 2 million images collected by NASA’s orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope, a team of Wisconsin scientists has stitched together a dramatic 360-degree portrait of the Milky Way, providing new details of our galaxy’s structure and contents.
Startup focuses on reliable, efficient cooling for computer servers
In a dark, windy room on the top floor of Engineering Hall on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, racks of computers are processing information for a college that relies, like all technical fields, on massive computing power. The noise comes from multiple fans located inside each computer case and from the large air conditioner that drives currents through the room to remove waste heat from the processors.
In the lab, scientists coax E. coli to resist radiation damage
Capitalizing on the ability of an organism to evolve in response to punishment from a hostile environment, scientists have coaxed the model bacterium Escherichia coli to dramatically resist ionizing radiation and, in the process, reveal the genetic mechanisms that make the feat possible.
Study suggests potential association between soy formula and seizures in children with autism
A University of Wisconsin–Madison researcher has detected a higher rate of seizures among children with autism who were fed infant formula containing soy protein rather than milk protein.
Small scale, large potential: An expert weighs in on the future of microfluidics
More than a decade ago, David Beebe wrote that the field of microfluidics had the potential to significantly change modern biology. Now Beebe, an expert in the field, has written a high-level perspective on the state of microfluidics for the journal Nature.
Stem cell advance yields mature heart muscle cells
A team of University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers has induced human embryonic stem cells (hESC) to differentiate toward pure-population, mature heart muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes.
Sardis dig yields enigmatic trove: ritual egg in a pot
Sardis has given up another treasure in the form of two enigmatic ritual deposits, which are proving more difficult to fathom than the coins for which the city was famous.
UW-Madison a partner in national effort to retool U.S. manufacturing
Contributing expertise in such areas as advanced manufacturing, controls and high-performance computing, the University of Wisconsin–Madison will play a key role a $320 million initiative to create and apply cutting-edge technologies to advance U.S. global competitiveness in manufacturing.
‘Greener’ aerogel technology holds potential for oil and chemical clean-up
Cleaning up oil spills and metal contaminates in a low-impact, sustainable and inexpensive manner remains a challenge for companies and governments globally. But a group of researchers at UW–Madison is examining alternative materials that can be modified to absorb oil and chemicals.
Seed dispersal gets a test in carved-out ‘habitat corridors’
Field ecologists go to great lengths to get data: radio collars and automatic video cameras are only two of their creative techniques for documenting the natural world. So when a group of ecologists set out to see how wind moves seeds through isolated patches of habitat carved into a longleaf pine plantation in South Carolina, they twisted colored yarn to create mock seeds that would drift with the wind much like native seeds.
New, inexpensive production materials boost promise of hydrogen fuel
Generating electricity is not the only way to turn sunlight into energy we can use on demand. The sun can also drive reactions to create chemical fuels, such as hydrogen, that can in turn power cars, trucks and trains.
‘Cabinet of curiosities’ captures nature through work of artists and scientists
Of all the places Sierra Swenson expected to end up during her first semester at college, precious few were lined with jars full of preserved reptiles.
Vibration energy the secret to self-powered electronics
A multi-university team of engineers has developed what could be a promising solution for charging smartphone batteries on the go - without the need for an electrical cord.
Author, journalist Williams named Science Writer in Residence
Florence Williams, a prolific, award-winning author and science journalist, has been named the spring 2014 Science Writer in Residence for the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Experienced executive LaBelle to lead Office of Corporate Relations
Susan LaBelle, a veteran private sector executive and economic development leader who has taught in the UW–Madison master's in biotechnology program, has been selected to head the university's Office of Corporate Relations (OCR).
For athletes, Beyond the Game opens doors to science
Badger football player Melvin Gordon knows something about testing the laws of physics. On a football Saturday, Gordon, a star running back, can be seen squeezing through an impossibly small hole for a first down, or launching himself into the end zone with a gravity-defying leap.
Innovation Days marks 20 years of undergrad entrepreneurship Feb. 13-14
University of Wisconsin–Madison undergraduates are greeting the 20th anniversary of the Innovation Days competition with inventions that range from healthcare to agriculture to exercise for amputees.
Prolific chemistry student wins Churchill Scholarship
As a child, Joshua Shutter's introduction to chemistry came through library books, learning to make rock candy and bottle rockets.
UW-Madison flu expert recognized for research excellence
Yoshihiro Kawaoka, a professor of virology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine known for his groundbreaking work on influenza, has received the 2014 Excellence in Research Award from the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC).