Category Science & Technology
Learn about science in Spanish at Explorando las Ciencias
Explorando las Ciencias, a popular Spanish-language science outreach event, will take place from 2 to 10 p.m. on Friday, June 22, at Warner Park in the Community Recreation Center and shelter at Warner Park, 1625 Northport Drive, and with the help of “Amigos en Azul,” a Madison police organization aimed at building partnerships in the city’s Hispanic community. Read More
Probe seeking life on Saturn’s moon earns student team a spot at international space conference
Somewhere beneath as much as 30 miles of ice on the surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, extraterrestrial life could be waiting to be discovered under a subglacial ocean. And a team of University of Wisconsin–Madison engineering mechanics and astronautics students want to be the people who find it. For their senior design course, Alex Gonring, Capri Pearson, Samantha Robinson, Jake Rohrig and Tyler Van Fossen designed a mission that would take a probe from Earth to deep below Enceladus’ icy surface, where an array of science instruments would look for carbon-based life. Read More
“Science is Fun Summer Extravaganza” scheduled with noted science educator
Chemistry professor Bassam Shakhashiri, whose “Science is Fun” demonstrations have been a tradition in Madison for 42 years, will present a “Summer Extravaganza” on campus June 25. Read More
Red-tailed hawks go from egg to flight
On the afternoon of June 7 — about seven weeks and more than a million prying eyes after it hatched — the last red-tailed hawk chick raised on a Weeks Hall window ledge threw caution to the wind and flapped away from home. Read More
Stress may delay brain development in early years
Stress may affect brain development in children - altering growth of a specific piece of the brain and abilities associated with it - according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Read More
Wisconsin team reveals way to treat drug-resistant brain tumor cells
New research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison explains why the incurable brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is highly resistant to current chemotherapies. Read More
Morgridge Institute presents panel on H5N1 influenza research
The Morgridge Institute for Research will launch its Ethics@Discovery program on Thursday, May 31, at 2 p.m. with “Campus Conversation: Biomedical Research and National Security—Learning from the H5N1 Influenza Story.” Read More
New stem cell technique promises abundance of key heart cells
Cardiomyocytes, the workhorse cells that make up the beating heart, can now be made cheaply and abundantly in the laboratory. Read More
High-speed method to aid search for solar energy storage catalysts
Eons ago, nature solved the problem of converting solar energy to fuels by inventing the process of photosynthesis. Read More
Geology student drills into Tohoku quake source
For the past eight weeks, geoscience graduate student Tamara Jeppson has traded her usual commute, from her Madison apartment to Weeks Hall on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, for a single flight of stairs. Read More
Clinical trial: More evidence that cancer drug treats macular degeneration
The second year of data from a nationwide, federally funded trial continues to show that the cancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab) is an effective and economical treatment for age-related macular degeneration. Read More
Sleep apnea associated with higher mortality from cancer
Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), commonly known as sleep apnea, is associated with an increased risk of cancer mortality, according to a new study. Read More
Science communication under the microscope
The process of science is not complete until the results of research are communicated. For a long time and for many researchers, the act of communicating research was geared primarily to other scientists. Read More
Educational games to train middle schoolers’ attention, empathy
Two years ago, at a meeting on science and education, Richard Davidson challenged video game manufacturers to develop games that emphasize kindness and compassion instead of violence and aggression. Read More
UW plant breeders develop an even heart-healthier oat
University of Wisconsin–Madison plant breeders have developed a new oat variety that's significantly higher in the compound that makes this grain so cardio-friendly. Read More
Forest ecologist receives distinguished award
David Mladenoff, the Beers-Bascom Professor in Conservation in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, has received the 2012 Distinguished Landscape Ecologist Award. Read More
Washburn telescope optics get 130-year checkup, cleaning
Bit by bit over the last two decades, the University of Wisconsin–Madison's iconic Washburn Observatory has been restored to its original sheen. Read More