Category Science & Technology
UW scientist sniffs out possible new tick species
In June 2012, Tony Goldberg returned from one of his frequent trips to Kibale National Park, an almost 500-square-mile forest in western Uganda where he studies how infectious diseases spread and evolve in the wild. But he didn’t return alone. Read More
Zinc discovery may shed light on Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have made a discovery that, if replicated in humans, suggests a shortage of zinc may contribute to diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which have been linked to defective proteins clumping together in the brain. Read More
UW-Madison chemist named ‘Friend of Education’
Bassam Shakhashiri, known far and wide for his annual holiday season exhibitions of chemistry, has been named a "Friend of Education" by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Read More
UW veterinarians Nordlund, McGuirk win high honors from dairy industry
Early in October, the massive World Dairy Expo, perhaps the world’s largest trade show for dairy farmers, will make its 47th annual appearance in Wisconsin’s capital city — a clear indication of the state’s preeminence in the industry. Read More
Students game the system, train computer to play Angry Birds
Angry Birds sounds simple: Just slingshot a digital bird at a pile of evil pigs. You could teach a child to play. But could you teach a computer? Read More
Observations reveal critical interplay of interstellar dust, hydrogen
For astrophysicists, the interplay of hydrogen - the most common molecule in the universe - and the vast clouds of dust that fill the voids of interstellar space has been an intractable puzzle of stellar evolution. Read More
John Hawks explores how celiac disease evolved
Celiac disease is an evolutionary paradox, says University of Wisconsin–Madison anthropologist John Hawks. Read More
A shot of anxiety and the world stinks
Researchers using powerful new brain imaging technologies are revealing how anxiety or stress can rewire the brain, linking centers of emotion and olfactory processing, to make typically benign smells malodorous. Read More
Marginal land in demand: researchers explore farmer willingness to grow energy crops
In their quest to make cellulosic biofuel a viable energy option, many researchers are looking to marginal lands - those unsuitable for growing food - as potential real estate for bioenergy crops. However, few people have asked: how do farmers feel about using their marginal lands for fuel production? Read More
Wisconsin Science Festival features Nobel, Pulitzer Prize winners and NPR host
The Wisconsin Science Festival starts Sept. 26 with four jam-packed days, inviting people of all ages and interests to unleash their curiosity. Read More
Decades on, bacterium’s discovery feted as paragon of basic science
Over time, the esoteric and sometimes downright strange quests of science have proven easy targets for politicians and others looking for perceived examples of waste in government - and a cheap headline. Read More
Brain pathways tie together mental maps
To find its way in the world, your brain has to decipher a set of directions muddled by different points of view. Read More
Researchers capture speedy chemical reaction in mid-stride
In synthetic chemistry, making the best possible use of the needed ingredients is key to optimizing high-quality production at the lowest possible cost. Read More
UW-Madison alumnus wins major award for exploring chemistry of the nervous system
Richard Scheller, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a B.S. in biochemistry in 1974, has shared the 2013 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research for work explaining how messenger chemicals move between nerve cells. Read More
Weather: More data + more computers = better forecasts
Been beefing about weather forecasts? Did the “experts” miss a thunderstorm, botch the rainfall prediction, mistake cloudy for sunny or windy for calm? You’re not alone. Forecasts of weather are already way better than forecasts of, say, unemployment or grain harvests, but that doesn’t lead us to predict that the caterwauling over weather forecasts will dampen. Read More
In whole-lake experiment, have invasive crayfish met their match?
Four years ago, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers wrapped up a multi-year effort to dramatically reduce the population of a destructive invasive species in a northern Wisconsin lake. Read More
Improved computing provides a better look at the cosmos
Building a neutrino telescope - a unique instrument that detects extremely small, high energy particles - out of 5,000 optical sensors embedded in a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice, a tremendous engineering feat, was just the first challenge. Read More
Retired Dow exec joins UW, will focus on innovation
An industry executive who has spent his entire career translating inventions into products that are both profitable and beneficial to society has joined the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Read More
Massive storm pulls water and ammonia ices from Saturn’s depths
Now, thanks to near-infrared spectral measurements taken by NASA’s Cassini orbiter and analysis of near-infrared color signatures by researchers at UW–Madison, Saturn’s superstorm is helping scientists flesh out a picture of the composition of the planet’s atmosphere at depths typically obscured by a thick high-altitude haze. Read More