Category Science & Technology
Even or odd: no easy feat for the mind
Even scientists are fond of thinking of the human brain as a computer, following sets of rules to communicate, make decisions and find a meal.
Documentary connects multiple sclerosis, Vikings and Nordic skiing
Multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological disease that affects more than 400,000 Americans, attacks the nervous system and causes many symptoms, including difficulty moving. But many who suffer from the disease defy its effects by maintaining an active lifestyle.
Poverty influences children’s early brain development
Poverty may have direct implications for important, early steps in the development of the brain, saddling children of low-income families with slower rates of growth in two key brain structures, according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Wisconsin engineer honored for ongoing innovation
Corn may be a dietary staple for humans and animals around the world, but in Jim Dumesic's eyes, the plant "waste" left after the harvest holds even more potential as a renewable bio-based source of fuels and important chemicals. On Dec. 10, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) named Dumesic, the Steenbock professor and Michel Boudart professor of chemical and biological engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, among 143 leading innovators elected to its 2013 class of fellows.
Anthropologist, ‘underground astronaut’ strike fossil gold in South Africa dig
Squeezing through a gap called the International Postbox and climbing the jagged Dragon's Back were not in Alia Gurtov's plans for the fall semester, but she made an exception in order to participate in a wildly successful archaeological expedition into a South African cave.
Fledgling supernova remnant reveals neutron star’s secrets
With the help of NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Australia Telescope Compact Array, an international team of astronomers has identified the glowing wreck of a star that exploded a mere 2,500 years ago — the blink of an eye in astronomical terms.
Estrogen: Not just produced by the ovaries
A University of Wisconsin–Madison research team reports today that the brain can produce and release estrogen - a discovery that may lead to a better understanding of hormonal changes observed from before birth throughout the entire aging process.
Despite flat spending, UW–Madison inches up in research rankings
Despite flat research expenditures nationwide, the University of Wisconsin–Madison research enterprise grew by a tad more than 5 percent in 2012 and inched up to number three in the rankings among all U.S. universities, according to statistics released by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Perennial energy crops could provide environmental benefits
Rows of corn and soybeans cover rolling hills, stitched together by creeks and woodlands that compose southwest Wisconsin's agricultural patchwork. These complex landscapes provide clean water, wildlife habitat and climate benefits, yet, historically their value has been measured in just one way: bushels per acre.
Four UW–Madison professors named AAAS fellows
Four members of the University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty are among 338 individuals elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), it was announced today (Monday, Nov. 25).
UW-Madison senior wins Rhodes Scholarship
University of Wisconsin–Madison senior Drew Birrenkott has been awarded a 2014 Rhodes Scholarship. He joins an elite group of students that have received one of the top honors in higher education.
Dairy science in spotlight as field advances
Dairy science is no longer the field of straw hats and bib overalls. The UW’s future is as thoroughly milk-soaked as its past.
Hancock ag station partners with industry to boost vegetable growers
The research advances at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Hancock Agricultural Research Station are keeping vegetable growers on the cutting edge of the industry, producers told Chancellor Rebecca Blank during a tour of the facility Tuesday.
Rare disease yields clues about broader brain pathology
Alexander disease is a devastating brain disease that almost nobody has heard of — unless someone in the family is afflicted with it. Alexander disease strikes young or old, and in children destroys white matter in the front of the brain. Many patients, especially those with early onset, have significant intellectual disabilities.
New technology could help food crops thrive in crowded fields
With the global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, the world's farmers are going to need to produce a lot more food - but without using much more farmland, as the vast majority of the world's arable land is already being used for agriculture.
Engineers explore ways to understand, outwit blood-brain barrier
MADISON — With support from the New Frontier Science group of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., University of Wisconsin–Madison engineers are conducting innovative research that could open…
Impulsivity, rewards and Ritalin: monkey study shows tighter link
Even as the rate of diagnosis has reached 11 percent among American children aged 4 to 17, neuroscientists are still trying to understand attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One classic symptom is impulsivity — the tendency to act before thinking.