University of Wisconsin–Madison

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UW mascot Bucky Badger is namesake for newly discovered yeast

When you discover a new organism, you get to name it – but not for yourself. There are rules to the naming business in biology. You can, however, name it for the sponsor of your research. When Chris Hittinger and his group of yeast researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found a rather aggressive yeast, it was natural to name it for the fierce carnivore that is the mascot of his home institution: Bucky Badger.

Report: Transgender students need better support in Wisconsin schools

Transgender and gender nonconforming students report experiencing abusive, dismissive and disruptive treatment in the halls, classrooms and bathrooms of Wisconsin high schools. But good experiences are not outside the norm, according to a first-of-its-kind report, “School Experiences of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Students in Wisconsin,” released recently by Madison-based nonprofit GSAFE and a pair of University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers.

Move over Mozart: Study shows cats prefer their own beat

As more animal shelters, primate centers and zoos start to play music for their charges, it’s still not clear whether and how human music affects animals. Now, a study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that while cats ignore our music, they are highly responsive to “music” written especially for them. The study is online at Applied Animal Behaviour Science.