Tag Research
Study: Second cochlear implant can restore two important facets of binaural hearing
Cochlear implants are electronic devices that stimulate auditory nerves directly, bypassing damage in the inner ear, and thus restoring some hearing. Although cochlear implants have revolutionized the treatment of deafness, many users have trouble understanding speech, particularly in crowds. Read More
Property tax increases drive few elderly to move out of their homes
Few elderly homeowners are forced to move from their homes because of property tax increases, according to a new study from a University of Wisconsin–Madison public affairs researcher and economists at the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Read More
Conservation areas threatened nationally by housing development
Conservationists have long known that lines on a map are not sufficient to protect nature because what happens outside those boundaries can affect what happens within. Now, a study by two University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists in the department of forest and wildlife ecology measures the threat of housing development around protected areas in the United States. Read More
Compound found to safely counter deadly bird flu
The specter of a drug-resistant form of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza is a nightmare to keep public-health officials awake at night. Read More
Depression saps endurance of the brain’s reward circuitry
A new study at the University of Wisconsin–Madison suggests that depressed patients are unable to sustain activity in brain areas related to positive emotion. Read More
Stellar mosh pit, complete with crashing stars, resolves a mystery
For almost 50 years, astronomers have puzzled over the youthful appearance of stars known as blue stragglers. Read More
Dental delight! Tooth of sea urchin shows formation of biominerals
Some of the most common minerals in biology, including those in bones and shells, have a mysterious structure: Their crystals are positioned in the same orientation, making them behave as one giant crystal, even though they do not look like a faceted crystal. Read More
Surveying bird biodiversity from space?
A fundamental rule of wildlife ecology says that diverse habitats foster greater biodiversity: The Amazon has far more species than Greenland. But how do habitat and biodiversity relate in a state like Wisconsin, with its range of farms, forests, wetlands, cities, suburbs and highways? Read More
New process leads to smaller estimate for global urban area
Urbanization is one of the most important trends of the 21st century, yet we don't have a good idea of how much land cities occupy. Read More
Fighting the Grinch who stole Wisconsin’s Christmas trees
An entomology research team from UW–Madison aims to squash a grub that plagues as many as one-third of Wisconsin’s approximately 1,100 Christmas tree farms. Read More
Interactive animations give science students a boost
For a generation of students raised and nurtured at the computer keyboard, it seems like a no-brainer that computer-assisted learning would have a prominent role in the college science classroom. Read More
New structure could produce efficient semiconductor laser sources
University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have achieved a nanoscale laser structure they anticipate will produce semiconductor lasers in the next two years that are more than twice as efficient as current continuous-wave lasers emitting in the mid-infrared. Read More
Greenhouse gas carbon dioxide ramps up aspen growth
The rising level of atmospheric carbon dioxide may be fueling more than climate change. It could also be making some trees grow like crazy. Read More
Giant collider back in gear, sets record for collision intensity
On Nov. 30, the world's largest scientific instrument, the Large Hadron Collider, set a record when it smashed one stream of protons against another and then accelerated the beams to 1.18 trillion electron volts, exceeding the record held by Fermilab in Illinois since 2001. Read More
Exhibit explores state of science at time of Darwin’s book
“Science Circa 1859: On the Eve of Darwin’s Origin of Species,” opening Monday, Nov. 23, in the Department of Special Collections at Memorial Library, explores the state of science before Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking book arrived on the scene 150 years ago. Read More
Like humans, ants use bacteria to make their gardens grow
Leaf-cutter ants, which cultivate fungus for food, have many remarkable qualities. Read More