Category Science & Technology
Forum focuses on storing spent nuclear fuel
Not all of the fallout from last March's disaster at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was radioactive. There was also considerable policy fallout, as the crisis caused many to rethink the safety of nuclear power.
UW professors honored by American Chemical Society
Four University of Wisconsin–Madison professors have won awards from the American Chemical Society (ACS) in recognition of research excellence. They will be honored at a ceremony next March at the society’s 243rd national meeting in San Diego.
UW study will explore anemia
To say a pregnant woman is eating for two leaves out a few guests at the table - trillions of them, according to Christopher Coe, a University of Wisconsin–Madison psychology professor who will soon begin studying anemia with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Two named to receive 2011 Champion Awards
Douglass Henderson and Margaret Harrigan have been selected as winners of the 2011 Champion Awards, presented by the Women's Philanthropy Council (WPC) of the University of Wisconsin Foundation at the council's biennial forum on Nov. 2.
Climate change and the oxymoron of sustainable growth
Climate change, often viewed as a burden for future generations, is, in fact, a problem at hand, and a significant one, contends Rudy M. Baum, editor-in-chief of Chemical & Engineering News.
Study evaluates bat deaths near wind turbines
It's something of an ecological murder mystery - countless numbers of bats are turning up dead near wind farms. But what is killing them?
Launch of new satellite will sharpen weather observations
From a launching pad at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base our newest weather satellite rose into orbit this morning, buoyed by know-how from the University of Wisconsin–Madison's atmospheric and space science community.
Microscope will give UW researchers powerful view of molecular structures
A successful campus-wide partnership will bring to the University of Wisconsin–Madison a powerful new electron microscope equipped to produce high-resolution, three-dimensional images of a wide range of biological samples.
Fungus causes deadly bat disease: last doubts removed
Scientists have proven that the fungus Geomyces destructans causes white-nose syndrome, a fast-spreading and highly lethal disease of bats.
Treasured campus murals conserved for future generations
Art conservators are painstakingly preserving a set of historic, wall-size John Steuart Curry works surrounded by the gutted and rebuilt Biochemistry Building on Henry Mall.
Deaf children: Study shows significant language progress after two cochlear implants
An ongoing study of 45 deaf children who had two cochlear implants finds that their language skills are within the normal range. Cochlear implants replace the eardrum by delivering an electric signal from a microphone to the auditory nerves located in the cochlea in the inner ear.
Rennie to be science writer in residence
John Rennie, a veteran science journalist, blogger and editor, has been named the Fall 2011 University of Wisconsin–Madison Science Writer in Residence.
Science writer in residence assesses science publishing
John Rennie is the fall, 2011 UW–Madison science writer in residence. He will be on campus the week of Oct. 23 and will give a public lecture on the "tumultuous state of science publishing" at 4 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Memorial Union.
Astronomers discover how mysterious blue straggler stars stay young
Mysterious "blue stragglers" are old stars that appear younger than they should be: they burn hot and blue. Several theories have attempted to explain why they don't show their age, but, until now, scientists have lacked the crucial observations with which to test each hypothesis.
Patience paying off for long-term diabetes project
A decade of research in any field presents challenges, but for Alan Attie's lab group, years of persistence have opened up a new avenue to understanding diabetes.
Slide show: Northwoods partners
The complex interplay between the earth's climate on global and local levels drives UW–Madison atmospheric and oceanic sciences professor Ankur Desai's research. In September, students from the soils and waters course at the College of the Menominee Nation in Keshena, Wis., joined Desai's team to get a look at the high-tech methods researchers use to monitor carbon flux — the movement of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in and out of plants, water and soil.
UW-Madison global fishery expert wins prestigious fellowship
Peter McIntyre, an assistant professor of zoology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has won an $850,000, five-year Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
Medical foods for PKU diet enter phase II clinical trials
Mealtimes aren't quite as enjoyable for people with phenylketonuria (PKU) as they are for the rest of us. Those with this genetic disorder have to get their protein by drinking a foul-tasting amino acid "formula." At the same time, they must avoid natural proteins - eschewing burgers, ice cream and even regular bread - because they lack the enzyme needed to process phenylalanine, one of the 19 amino acids that comprise protein.
Bird song app identifies feathered friends by tweets
Squinting into wind-blown trees and bushes is for the birds, especially if it’s the birds you're looking for.