Category Science & Technology
Sea urchin yields a key secret of biomineralization
The teeth and bones of mammals, the protective shells of mollusks, and the needle-sharp spines of sea urchins and other marine creatures are made-from-scratch wonders of nature.
Scientist makes satellite images accessible to all
From locating water sources in Ethiopia to parsing complex processes in the atmosphere over Bulgaria, satellite instruments provide information useful to anyone anywhere. UW–Madison atmospheric scientist Paolo Antonelli has made it his mission to help anyone access and use satellite observations of anywhere in the world.
Curiosities: Why do apple slices turn brown?
The moment a knife slices through apple—spilling the contents of apple cells along the surface of the cut, and allowing everything to mix—a reaction begins.
History of Wisconsin’s wolf policy filled with compromise, meddling
To some, last month's federal decision that put the gray wolf back on the endangered species list in the Great Lakes region was an unmitigated triumph. Siding with the Humane Society of the United States and other groups, the court ruling placed the wolf once again under federal protection after it was removed from the list last March.
Evolution’s hand detailed in Hawaiian lobeliads
A team led by UW–Madison botanists Thomas Givnish and Kenneth Sytsma details the evolutionary history of a diverse tropical group of flowering plants long viewed as one of the plant world's most dramatic examples of adaptive radiation, the phenomenon of new species arising from a single ancestor to occupy a multitude of ecological roles.
Reservoirs promote spread of aquatic invasive species
The latest "damming" evidence suggests that manmade reservoirs are facilitating the spread of invasive species in Wisconsin lakes.
Courses help growing railroad industry stay on track
there are few undergraduate or graduate programs in the United States that teach engineers to design, build and maintain railroads that are safe, efficient and consumer-oriented. However, UW–Madison offers a comprehensive continuing education program.
Waterborne disease risk upped in Great Lakes
An anticipated increased incidence of climate-related extreme rainfall events in the Great Lakes region may raise the public health risk for the 40 million people who depend on the lakes for their drinking water, according to a new study.
Curiosities: How many people can the Earth support?
It depends on the kind of lifestyle those people enjoy, says Lisa Naughton, a UW–Madison professor of geography and environmental studies. The late 18th…
Wielding microbe against microbe, beetle defends its food source
As the southern pine beetle moves through the forest boring tunnels inside the bark of trees, it brings with it both a helper and a competitor. The helper is a fungus that the insect plants inside the tunnels as food for its young. But also riding along is a tiny, hitchhiking mite, which likewise carries a fungus for feeding its own larvae.
Engineering students begin water-quality projects in Kenyan village
A group of UW–Madison students who are part of the university's chapter of Engineers Without Borders are working to solve a Kenyan village's water-quality issues.
Canadian science radio producer to visit campus
Jim Handman, executive producer of the highly acclaimed Canadian Broadcasting Corporation science radio show "Quirks & Quarks," will spend the week of Oct. 6-10 on campus as the fall semester University of Wisconsin–Madison Science Writer in Residence.