Category Science & Technology
Nations that sow food crops for biofuels may reap less than previously thought
Global yields of most biofuels crops, including corn, rapeseed and wheat, have been overestimated by 100 to 150 percent or more, suggesting many countries need to reset their expectations of agricultural biofuels to a more realistic level. Read More
Can you see me now? Flexible photodetectors could help sharpen photos
Distorted cell-phone photos and big, clunky telephoto lenses could be things of the past. Read More
Protein that regulates hormones critical to women’s health found in pituitary
University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have solved the mystery surrounding a "rogue protein" that plays a role in the release of neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain. Read More
All NIH human embryonic stem cell registry lines now deposited at NSCB
The U.S. National Stem Cell Bank (NSCB) has announced that it has received deposits of two human embryonic stem cell lines from Cellartis AB, a biotechnology company based in Sweden. With the addition of the new lines, the National Stem Cell Bank now has received all 21 cell lines from the six providers listed on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) federal registry. Read More
Study: Can nature’s leading indicators presage environmental disaster?
Economists use leading indicators - the drivers of economic performance - to take the temperature of the economy and predict the future. Now, in a new study, scientists take a page from the social science handbook and use leading indicators of the environment to presage the potential collapse of ecosystems. Read More
Study: Risky behavior prominent on teen MySpace profiles
More than half of adolescent MySpace users mention risky behaviors such as sex, violence or substance use on their personal Web profiles. Read More
Expectant brains help predict anxiety treatment success
A network of emotion-regulating brain regions implicated in the pathological worry that can grip patients with anxiety disorders may also be useful for predicting the benefits of treatment. Read More
Scientists isolate genes that made 1918 flu lethal
By mixing and matching a contemporary flu virus with the "Spanish flu" - a virus that killed between 20 and 50 million people 90 years ago in history's most devastating outbreak of infectious disease - researchers have identified a set of three genes that helped underpin the extraordinary virulence of the 1918 virus. Read More
UW-Madison engineer receives presidential award
A University of Wisconsin–Madison engineer has been honored with the country's highest honor for scientists at the beginning of their research careers. Read More
Photo essay: Cold digger
Fifty years ago, UW scientist Charlie Bentley made his maiden voyage to a frigid, faraway land – and he’s been returning ever since. Read More
Seven UW–Madison faculty honored as AAAS fellows
Seven members of the University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), it was announced Dec. 18. Read More
Cognitive computing: Building a machine that can learn from experience
A UW–Madison researcher says the goal of building a computer as quick and flexible as a small mammalian brain is more daunting than it sounds. Read More
Q&A: Professor provides analysis of work on nanotechnology research
Life sciences communication professor Dietram Scheufele provides Wisconsin Week with a more in-depth look at his research on nanotechnology and religion. Read More
Genetic change extends mouse life, points to possible treatment for ALS
There are many ways to die, but amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, must be one of the worst. By the time a patient notices muscle weakness, the neurons that control the muscles have already begun dying, in an untreatable process that brings death within two to five years. Read More
For nano, religion in U.S. dictates a wary view
When it comes to the world of the very, very small - nanotechnology - Americans have a big problem: Nano and its capacity to alter the fundamentals of nature, it seems, are failing the moral litmus test of religion. Read More
Can milk help prevent transplant rejections?
Could Wisconsin's signature product – milk – hold the key to one of the biggest problems in organ transplantation? Hans Sollinger, the surgeon who heads the transplant program at UW Hospital and Clinics, is betting on it. Read More
Cave’s climate clues show ancient empires declined during dry spell
The decline of the Roman and Byzantine empires in the Eastern Mediterranean more than 1,400 years ago may have been driven by unfavorable climate changes. Read More
Researchers examine role of soil patterns in dam restoration
Looking at the site today, it's easy to forget that a dam and pond stood for 43 years on the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Franbrook Farm Research Station in southwestern Wisconsin. All traces of the structure are gone, and acres of plants, both native and weedy, now carpet the floor of the former basin. Read More
Uncovering the real dirt on granular flow
Assistant Professor Dan Negrut and his team at the Simulation-Based Engineering Laboratory are developing innovative computer simulation methods for parallel computers to analyze granular material motion much faster than is possible with current technologies. Read More