Category Science & Technology
Wisconsin Science Festival 2013 announces dates, call for presenters
After more than tripling attendance last year, the Wisconsin Science Festival is coming back for year three with plans for more activities at more sites that reach more people. The organizers announced today the 2013 festival will be held September 26-29 and issued an open call for presenters, communities, organizations and sponsors to get involved. Read More
Energy institute fueling innovation in new facility
Gazing out at the roughly 60,000 cars that cross the intersection at the Wisconsin Energy Institute’s (WEI’s) doorstep, the reason the building exists is clear — energy consumption and dependence on fossil fuels — and WEI’s research is poised to address the problem. Read More
Engineering students win 2013 Clean Snowmobile Challenge
A group of UW–Madison College of Engineering students took first place in the internal combustion division of the SAE 2013 Clean Snowmobile Challenge, their fifth time doing so in the 14-year history of the competition. Read More
Dalai Lama to lead ‘Change your Mind Change the World 2013’ event May 15
Event organizers today announced that the Dalai Lama will visit Madison on May 15, 2013, to lead "Change your Mind Change the World 2013," a series of panel discussions with thought leaders from a variety of fields, including neuroscience, economics and sustainability, moderated by Arianna Huffington and Daniel Goleman. Read More
Adaptive ski project gives people with disabilities a new chance to participate
Back in 2005, "sit-skis" for cross-country skiers with disabilities were expensive, uncomfortable and largely unavailable - except to a handful of Paralympic athletes, at price tags of more than $2,000. Today, more than 300 sitting-position skis, with an adaptable, user-friendly design, enable a much wider group of people with lower-body limitations to participate in the popular winter sport, at a cost of only about $250 per ski. Read More
Small differences in how a technology is defined can make a big difference in how the public feels about it
Even small tweaks in how scientists describe scientific breakthroughs can significantly change how the public perceives their work, a new study indicates. Read More
‘Ninja parasites’ elude immune response through molecular mimicry
In feudal-age Japan, cunning, unorthodox mercenaries known as ninjas were notorious for using disguise, deception, and stealth to infiltrate enemy fortifications. In the world of modern parasites, certain organisms - dubbed "ninja parasites" by Professor Timothy Yoshino - use similar tactics, in a biological and chemical sense, to trick their way past the immune systems of their hosts. Read More
Speakeasy Science: Space Place tees up science for grown-ups
Line up your baby sitter for the evening of Friday, March 8, and lift off for a night of fun and science at UW–Madison’s Space Place for the first edition of Speakeasy Science. Read More
Man-made material pushes the bounds of superconductivity
A multi-university team of researchers has artificially engineered a unique multilayer material that could lead to breakthroughs in both superconductivity research and in real-world applications. Read More
Analytical trick may accelerate cancer diagnosis
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have found a new way to accelerate a workhorse instrument that identifies proteins. The high-speed technique could help diagnose cancer sooner and point to new drugs for treating a wide range of conditions. Read More
Science + art exhibit focuses on the beauty of a cure
An unusual exhibit focusing on cancer recovery through the lens of art and science will open Feb. 22 in the Biochemistry Department on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. Read More
Secrets of Wisconsin meteorite revealed
As Russian scientists scramble to collect and analyze the remains of the historic meteorite that injured an estimated 1,200 people in Chelyabinsk on Feb. 15, scientists in Wisconsin are set to publish their analysis of a smaller meteorite that struck southwest Wisconsin on April 14, 2010. Read More
Production process doubles speed and efficiency of flexible electronics
Stretched-out clothing might not be a great practice for laundry day, but in the case of microprocessor manufacture, stretching out the atomic structure of the silicon in the critical components of a device can be a good way to increase a processor's performance. Read More
Donohue elected president of American Society for Microbiology
University of Wisconsin–Madison bacteriology professor Timothy J. Donohue has been elected president of the American Society for Microbiology. Read More
Trolls win: Rude comments dim the allure of science online
The trolls are winning. Pick a story about some aspect of science, any story, scroll down to the blog comments and let the bashing begin: Read More
Value of modified corn is more in reducing losses than boosting yields
While there's no end of robust and heated conversation about genetically modified foods, there are strikingly few comprehensive studies that put a numeric value on the costs and benefits. Read More
Physics Fair at UW–Madison this Saturday
The sixth annual UW–Madison Physics Fair will offer physical delights and pain-free education free to all comers on Saturday, Feb. 16 on the UW–Madison campus. Read More
UW Hospital hits major milestone with 2,000th liver transplant
Scott A. Vanderloop of Appleton, Wis. received a second chance at life recently after becoming the 2,000th patient to receive a liver transplant at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison. Read More
UW’s veterinary medical school adopts wildlife health project
Outbreaks of disease in wildlife may seem remote and, for most humans, inconsequential. But disease events that arise in wild animal populations can be far-reaching and can even pose a threat to humans and domestic animals far removed from the source of animal affliction. Read More