Category Science & Technology

Invasive shrubs increase spread of tick-borne disease

October 11, 2010

For a hungry tick, bush honeysuckle is as good as a drive-through.

Team receives funds to advance development of production method for medical isotopes

October 4, 2010

An acute shortage of a medical isotope needed by tens of thousands of medical patients daily will be addressed through a federal funding agreement reached Sept. 30 to advance pioneering technology developed at a Middleton, Wis., company and the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Bioenergy choices could dramatically change Midwest bird diversity

October 4, 2010

Ambitious plans to expand acreage of bioenergy crops could have a major impact on birds in the Upper Midwest, according to a study published today (Oct. 4) in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

For first time, monkeys recognize themselves in the mirror, indicating self-awareness

September 29, 2010

Typically, monkeys don't know what to make of a mirror. They may ignore it or interpret their reflection as another, invading monkey, but they don't recognize the reflection as their own image. Chimpanzees and people pass this "mark" test - they obviously recognize their own reflection and make funny faces, look at a temporary mark that the scientists have placed on their face or wonder how they got so old and grey.

Report casts world’s rivers in ‘crisis state’

September 29, 2010

The world's rivers, the single largest renewable water resource for humans and a crucible of aquatic biodiversity, are in a crisis of ominous proportions, according to a new global analysis.

UW-Madison receives grant for superconducting electron gun

September 24, 2010

The University of Wisconsin–Madison has received a $4.5 million grant from the United States Department of Energy Basic Energy Sciences office. The award will fund a research and development project focusing on the fabrication and testing of what is called an electron gun for a free electron laser (FEL) - a several-football-fields-long light source, an immense instrument whose light would be used by researchers across a range of disciplines for their experiments.

Researchers discover less-expensive low-temperature catalyst for hydrogen purification

September 23, 2010

Engineering researchers from Tufts University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Harvard University have demonstrated the low-temperature efficacy of an atomically dispersed platinum catalyst, which could be suitable for on-board hydrogen production in fuel-cell-powered vehicles of the future.

Curiosities: Are “baby” carrots really … baby carrots?

September 20, 2010

Sadly, not really. “There’s something very convenient about (baby carrots), and kids seem to enjoy it. It means more people eating vegetables, and I…

Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center hires chief operating officer

September 20, 2010

Anchored in the basic research of academia and charged with generating new biofuels technologies, the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) is a bit of a hybrid.

Hold your noses: Titan Arum is poised to bloom

September 16, 2010

UW-Madison undergrads to design a room that’s literally out of this world

September 15, 2010

Think of it as a high-tech screened porch for astronauts.

Go Big Read kicks off another year with events

September 13, 2010

The campus community has many opportunities to participate in the second year of the Go Big Read common-reading program, which this year will feature “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot.

Court puts stem cell researchers back to work, for now

September 9, 2010

A panel of appellate judges removed barriers to embryonic stem cell research funded by federal grants in a decision Thursday, Sept. 9 reversing a suspension of funding ordered in August by another federal judge.

New director takes over at Primate Center

September 8, 2010

It is not likely, by a long shot, to be his biggest challenge, but reorienting his collegiate athletic allegiances and keeping peace in the family will be one pressing priority for neurophysiologist Jon Levine, the Northwestern University researcher who takes the reins of the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC) this month.

Curiosities: Why are yellow jackets most noticeable in late summer?

September 7, 2010

Often mistaken for bees, German yellow jackets are social wasps that cooperate to build their nests and support their queen, and they…

Fellowship a boost for budding energy researchers

September 2, 2010

A pair of young fusion researchers will be working with the support of the Department of Energy as they work on graduate degrees at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Curiosities: Why do sharks have to swim constantly?

August 30, 2010

For two reasons, says James Kitchell, professor of zoology at UW–Madison. First, sharks lack the swim bladder that most fish use to adjust their buoyancy.

Plants give up some deep secrets of drought resistance

August 23, 2010

In a study that promises to fill in the fine details of the plant world's blueprint for surviving drought, a team of Wisconsin researchers has identified in living plants the set of proteins that help them withstand water stress.

Renewed partnership keeps $60 million satellite center in Madison

August 20, 2010

It was a deep history in satellite meteorology that first got the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration interested in Madison in the 1970s.

Long collaboration with sewer district helps city, university

August 19, 2010

The passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972 ushered in a revolution in sewage treatment. Faced with tightening restrictions on the water and solids it must release after treatment, the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) turned to experts at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for advice.