Category Science & Technology
Depression saps endurance of the brain’s reward circuitry
A new study at the University of Wisconsin–Madison suggests that depressed patients are unable to sustain activity in brain areas related to positive emotion. Read More
Stellar mosh pit, complete with crashing stars, resolves a mystery
For almost 50 years, astronomers have puzzled over the youthful appearance of stars known as blue stragglers. Read More
Dental delight! Tooth of sea urchin shows formation of biominerals
Some of the most common minerals in biology, including those in bones and shells, have a mysterious structure: Their crystals are positioned in the same orientation, making them behave as one giant crystal, even though they do not look like a faceted crystal. Read More
Surveying bird biodiversity from space?
A fundamental rule of wildlife ecology says that diverse habitats foster greater biodiversity: The Amazon has far more species than Greenland. But how do habitat and biodiversity relate in a state like Wisconsin, with its range of farms, forests, wetlands, cities, suburbs and highways? Read More
Fighting the Grinch who stole Wisconsin’s Christmas trees
An entomology research team from UW–Madison aims to squash a grub that plagues as many as one-third of Wisconsin’s approximately 1,100 Christmas tree farms. Read More
Interactive animations give science students a boost
For a generation of students raised and nurtured at the computer keyboard, it seems like a no-brainer that computer-assisted learning would have a prominent role in the college science classroom. Read More
New structure could produce efficient semiconductor laser sources
University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have achieved a nanoscale laser structure they anticipate will produce semiconductor lasers in the next two years that are more than twice as efficient as current continuous-wave lasers emitting in the mid-infrared. Read More
UW-Madison, Beloit partnership produces water-run scooter
At first glance, a 50-cc Vespa scooter and a squad car may not appear to have much in common. Read More
Greenhouse gas carbon dioxide ramps up aspen growth
The rising level of atmospheric carbon dioxide may be fueling more than climate change. It could also be making some trees grow like crazy. Read More
Rocks, crystals, fossils headline sale at Geology Museum
Unique gifts for people fascinated by the beauty of nature will be on sale at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Geology Museum for one day only, Friday, Dec. 4. Read More
Giant collider back in gear, sets record for collision intensity
On Nov. 30, the world's largest scientific instrument, the Large Hadron Collider, set a record when it smashed one stream of protons against another and then accelerated the beams to 1.18 trillion electron volts, exceeding the record held by Fermilab in Illinois since 2001. Read More
Curiosities: Is it true that laughing is good for your health?
Indeed, says Robert McGrath, a clinical psychologist specializing in mind/body wellness at University Health Services at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and for many reasons. “Humor… Read More
Exhibit explores state of science at time of Darwin’s book
“Science Circa 1859: On the Eve of Darwin’s Origin of Species,” opening Monday, Nov. 23, in the Department of Special Collections at Memorial Library, explores the state of science before Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking book arrived on the scene 150 years ago. Read More
Like humans, ants use bacteria to make their gardens grow
Leaf-cutter ants, which cultivate fungus for food, have many remarkable qualities. Read More
Sweet corn story begins in UW–Madison lab
This week, scientists are revealing the genetic instructions inside corn, one of the big three cereal crops. Corn, or maize, has one of the most complex sequences of DNA ever analyzed, says University of Wisconsin–Madison genomicist David Schwartz, who was one of more than 100 authors in the article in the journal Science. Read More
After mastodons and mammoths, a transformed landscape
Roughly 15,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, North America's vast assemblage of large animals - including such iconic creatures as mammoths, mastodons, camels, horses, ground sloths and giant beavers - began their precipitous slide to extinction. Read More
Evolution institute named for pioneering UW–Madison geneticist
A few days before the 150th anniversary of the "Origin of Species," Charles Darwin's epochal book on evolution, plans for a new evolution institute moved closer to final approval at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Read More
UW-Madison receives $9.5 million Gates Foundation grant
The University of Wisconsin–Madison has received a five-year, $9.5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to identify virus mutations that would serve as early warnings of potential pandemic influenza viruses. Read More
Warmer means windier on world’s biggest lake
Rising water temperatures are kicking up more powerful winds on Lake Superior, with consequences for currents, biological cycles, pollution and more on the world's largest lake and its smaller brethren. Read More
Study: Can meditation sharpen our attention?
A new study at the University of Wisconsin–Madison suggests that people can train their minds to stay focused. Read More