Category Science & Technology
Expanding croplands chipping away at world’s carbon stocks
Nature's capacity to store carbon, the element at the heart of global climate woes, is steadily eroding as the world's farmers expand croplands at the expense of native ecosystem such as forests.
Curiosities: Why do stars appear to twinkle in the night sky?
Courtesy European Space Agency (ESA/Hubble). Stars twinkle because we view them through our atmosphere, says James Lattis, director of University of Wisconsin–Madison…
Chemists concoct new agents to easily study critical cell proteins
They are the portals to the cell, gateways through which critical signals and chemicals are exchanged between living cells and their environments.
Jahn to step down as UW–Madison ag and life sciences dean
University of Wisconsin–Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin and Provost Paul M. DeLuca Jr. today (Oct. 28) announced that Molly Jahn, who has led UW–Madison's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences since 2006, will step down as dean of the college, effective Jan. 1.
New technique shows 50-year history of toxic algae in Lake Wingra
As public health officials worry about rising concentrations of cyanobacteria - often called blue-green algae - in lakes, scientists are concerned that a warming climate will stimulate the growth of cyanobacteria.
Study: Mountain vegetation impacted by climate change
Climate change has had a significant effect on mountain vegetation at low elevations in the past 60 years, according to a study done by the University of California at Davis, the University of Wisconsin–Madison and U.S. Geological Survey.
Common anxiety disorders make it tougher to quit cigarettes
Researchers may have pinpointed a reason many smokers struggle to quit.
Peace of mind closes health gap for less educated
Psychological well-being is powerful enough to counteract the pull of socioeconomic status on the long-term health of the disadvantaged, according to a study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Wildlife health-reporting tools may help prevent human illness
Two new tools that enable the public to report sick or dead wild animals could also lead to the detection and containment of wildlife disease outbreaks that may pose a health risk to people.
Symposium addresses ethics, standards, beneficiaries of research
Drawing on issues raised by this year’s Go Big Read selection, a fall symposium will address responsible conduct and ethical decision-making in research.
New nano techniques integrate electron gas-producing oxides with silicon
In cold weather, many children can't resist breathing onto a window and writing in the condensation. Now imagine the window as an electronic device platform, the condensation as a special conductive gas, and the letters as lines of nanowires.
Go Big Read gets a fast start on campus; author to visit on Oct. 25
Go Big Read, UW–Madison's common reading program, is off to a vigorous start. Some 5,000 copies of "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," by Rebecca Skloot, were given away in September at the Chancellor's Convocation for New Students.
Plant family tree may help identify species vulnerable to invaders, climate change
Change has been the norm for Wisconsin's forests over the last 50 years, and the next 50 are unlikely to pass quietly.
Curiosities: Why do some planets have rings?
Saturn imaged by the Cassini Orbiter. Image: courtesy Jet Propulsion Lab Planetary ring systems are complicated, notes UW Space Place…
Invasive shrubs increase spread of tick-borne disease
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
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
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).