University of Wisconsin–Madison

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Slideshow: Pieces of UW-Madison astronomy history off to the nation’s attic

While cleaning out Sterling Hall cabinets that hadn’t been opened in decades, UW-Madison Space Place Director Jim Lattis and colleagues in the Astronomy Department struck historical gold: a collection of old photodiode and photomultiplier tubes dating to the earliest days of photoelectric astronomy. The university is donating 20 of the vintage photo detectors to the Smithsonian Institution for its permanent collection of astronomical instruments.

Recent sightings: The Wonders of Physics

Dressed in a black-and-white-striped prisoner costume, Physics Professor Emeritus Julien “Clint” Sprott runs across the stage as part of an opening skit for the 32nd annual The Wonders of Physics Show at Chamberlin Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Feb. 8, 2015. This year’s science-education outreach event was based on the theme of Sprott being on trial for breaking the laws of physics, an accusation that the show’s many guest presenters proceed to debunk.

Long live the CD? UW grads’ business brings disc collections to the cloud

Is there a life for compact discs in the age of the cloud? No, and yes, is the answer from Murfie, a Madison business founded by two UW-Madison alumni that is now in its fourth year of operation. No: It’s a hassle to juggle discs. Yes: Ownership of the disc gives you the right to play its music through a cloud-connected device in your car, home, office or pocket.

Darwin Day celebration focuses on islands, isolation

What do Madagascar and Jurassic Park have in common? Both are island-based evolutionary “experiments” that will be highlighted in this year’s Darwin Day celebrations, sponsored by the J.F. Crow Institute for the Study of Evolution at UW-Madison and its partners. “Darwin Day 2015: Islands and Isolation” will run all day Thursday, Feb. 12, and focus on the unique opportunity that islands provide to witness evolution and the diversity of life.

Slideshow: Battle for Bascom snowball fight

On Sunday, Feb. 8, hundreds of students engaged in the “Battle for Bascom 2K15,” an epic snowball fight held on Bascom Hill. In what is becoming an annual tradition, the spirited battle pits members of the Lakeshore residence halls against those from the Southeast residence halls. The Lakeshore team claimed victory this year, yet fun seemed to be had by all.

Security alert issued for Outlook mobile app

This message details a security concern involving about 170 campus users of the Microsoft Outlook mobile app. In short, the app is using a login method involving a cloud service. This means login information may be stored in the cloud service, which is not overseen by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This clearly poses a security risk, and the …