Category Science & Technology
Isolated forest patches lose species, diversity
Failing to see the forest for the trees may be causing us to overlook the declining health of Wisconsin's forest ecosystems.
‘Galileo Under Wisconsin Skies’ to celebrate astronomy at UW–Madison
"Galileo Under Wisconsin Skies," a series of special events presented by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Astronomy July 19-22, will commemorate the 400th anniversary of Galileo's telescope, the International Year of Astronomy and the renovation of Washburn Observatory at UW–Madison.
Looking for alien life at the ballpark
On Friday, June 5, UW–Madison researchers are taking science to the ballpark to share their work with the crowd at the Madison Mallards' first Friday night game of the season.
UW-Madison researchers study salt’s potential to store energy
At UW–Madison, researchers see potential for storing heat in a mineral found on kitchen counters and restaurant tables worldwide. They're studying salt.
Culture, not biology, underpins math gender gap
For more than a century, the notion that females are innately less capable than males at doing mathematics, especially at the highest levels, has persisted in even the loftiest circles.
Curiosities: Why do the blue eyes of babies often turn brown?
Melanin is the pigment that makes body parts dark, said Burton Kushner, professor of ophthalmology at the School of Medicine and Public…
Recent sightings: Steel Bridge Team
The UW–Madison Steel Bridge Team assembles its bridge entry during a timed practice in the foyer of the Engineering Centers Building on May 13, 2009.
Special protein helps maintain an efficient brain
The instruction manual for maintaining an efficient brain may soon include a section on synaptotagmin-IV (Syt-IV), a protein known to influence learning and memory, thanks to a study by University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers.
Early Alzheimer’s diagnosis offers large social, fiscal benefits
Early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease could save millions or even billions of dollars while simultaneously improving care, according to new work by University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers.
Buffering Wisconsin’s water quality with science
Spring in Wisconsin heralds a new growing season. But the warming temperatures also bring heavier runoff from farm fields, carrying pollution and contaminants into the state’s lakes and streams.
Cancer researcher wins Shaw Award
University of Wisconsin–Madison cancer researcher Jing Zhang received a Shaw Scientist Award last week from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation to support her novel research on the roles cancer stem cells may play in the causes and treatment of cancer.
Graduate student recognized for biofuels advance
In recognition of the earth-friendly biofuel technology he helped develop, a University of Wisconsin–Madison graduate student has been selected to receive a prestigious national award from the American Chemical Society.
UW-Madison nuclear research and development earns major DOE support
With more than $5 million in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding, University of Wisconsin–Madison engineers are leading 10 cutting-edge research projects that will advance next-generation nuclear energy technologies.
Songs raise awareness about aquatic invasive species
A new initiative at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is using music to raise public awareness about aquatic invasive species in the state.
Planet Trek offers chance to bike or walk through scaled-down solar system
Dane County residents have a new way to appreciate the solar system, thanks to Planet Trek Dane County, which offers pedestrians and bikers a chance to discover the 11 biggest objects in the solar system at the correct scale of size and distance.
Thirty-plus medical inventions debut at undergraduate design competition
On Friday, May 1, some 150 University of Wisconsin–Madison biomedical engineering students will showcase 34 novel devices that address myriad real-world medical challenges.
Lecture explains the science behind ‘Angels and Demons’
Physics professor Wesley Smith will discuss the science behind the movie in a public lecture titled “Angels and Demons of the Large Hadron Collider” at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 4, in 2103 Chamberlin Hall.
Researchers explore the broad-reaching effects of a pandemic in Wisconsin
If a pandemic hit Madison, canceling a football game at the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Camp Randall would protect thousands from exposure to illness. However, the economic cost would be substantial for stadium workers and employees at nearby restaurants and businesses if widespread, prolonged illness forced officials to call off an entire season of Badger football.
UW-Madison physicist elected to National Academy of Sciences
Susan N. Coppersmith, a University of Wisconsin–Madison professor of physics, was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences today (April 28), in recognition of her "distinguished and continuing achievements in original research."
As ticks expand, new areas may become prone to Lyme disease
Last summer, after returning home from a walk in Madison's Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood, Susan Paskewitz was astonished to find a deer tick crawling up her dog's hind leg. It was the first time Paskewitz, a University of Wisconsin–Madison entomologist, had collected a tick in the city. Within the month, she learned of two other such cases.