Category Science & Technology
Hot subjects—Civil and Environmental Engineering 679: Travel Behavior Analysis
From the moment people step outside their homes to the moment they return, civil and environmental engineering professor Jessica Guo is…
Two UW–Madison engineers elected to national academy
Two University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Engineering faculty members are among the 65 engineers and nine foreign associates elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 2008.
Hot subjects—Horticulture 375: Organic Agriculture Colloquium
After two years of teaching an experimental colloquium on organic farming, horticulture professor Jim Nienhuis is no longer surprised by the diversity of majors interested in his class.
The key to quieter Atlantic hurricane seasons may be blowing in the wind
Every year, storms over West Africa disturb millions of tons of dust and strong winds carry those particles into the skies over the Atlantic. According to a recent study led by University of Wisconsin–Madison atmospheric scientists, this dust from Africa directly affects ocean temperature, a key ingredient in Atlantic hurricane development.
Study: Religion colors Americans’ views of nanotechnology
Addressing scientists in Boston Feb. 15 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Dietram Scheufele, a professor of life sciences communication, presented new survey results that show religion exerts far more influence on public views of technology in the United States than in Europe.
Edil receives Turkish science award
In a January ceremony held at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, and attended by Turkish dignitaries, including the president, president of the parliament, prime minister, cabinet ministers, university presidents, and others, University of Wisconsin–Madison Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Tuncer Edil received the Special Science Award from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.
Researchers promote coexistence of wolves, people
For almost a decade, Adrian Treves, an animal behaviorist and ecologist, and Lisa Naughton, a social scientist, have worked closely with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to address the challenges of living with wolves, especially the losses of livestock and hunting dogs that inevitably result.
Faculty conflict of interest issues probed at WARF Gilson Discovery Series
Conflicts of interest for university faculty members who start their own companies will be the subject of a panel discussion on Monday, Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Fluno Center, 601 University Avenue.
Catheterized system wins annual student creativity prize
A catheterized system to sense bladder pressure and control urine flow to prevent incontinence won the $10,000 top prize in the Schoofs Prize for Creativity, an annual University of Wisconsin–Madison invention competition.
Recent sightings: Icy test drive
Photo: Jeff Miller An underwater robot is lowered by crane into an opening cut in the ice covering…
Curiosities: Why do we need leap days?
Leap days appear every four years or so, including this year, and they are needed because one orbit around the sun does not occur in an exact number of days, says Jim Lattis, director of UW Space Place, in the UW–Madison astronomy department.
Open forums seek campus, community views on next chancellor
Three public forums designed to elicit campus and community perspectives on the qualities and talents needed in the University of Wisconsin–Madison's next chancellor will be held during the coming month.
Foundation awards grants to six states to improve addiction treatment
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has awarded $2.2 million in grants to six state-provider partnerships through Advancing Recovery: State/Provider Partnerships for Quality Addiction Care, the foundation's initiative to improve the quality of alcohol and drug addiction treatment in the United States by promoting the use of evidence-based practices.
Undergraduate inventors to compete Feb. 11 and 12
Coming soon to the University of Wisconsin–Madison: new solutions for ice fishermen, potato farmers, tailgaters, laptop junkies and airlines - all invented by undergraduates.
Hot subjects—BSE 375: ‘Biorefining: Energy and Products from Renewable Resources’
Solving the energy crisis has been the topic of conversation for consumers, researchers and politicians alike, particularly since the price of oil reached $100 a barrel earlier this month.
Photo, seismograph from Mendota ‘Ice Quake’ posted
The shaking felt Thursday afternoon in areas near Lake Mendota was most likely an ice quake, according to University of Wisconsin–Madison geologists. A tremor was recorded by a geology department seismometer at 12:50 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008, and lasted approximately two or three seconds.
T cell immunity enhanced by timing of interleukin-7 therapy
That the cell nurturing growth factor interleukin-7 can help ramp up the ability of the immune system to remember the pathogenic villains it encounters is well known.
Unique whey protein is promising supplement for strict PKU diet
Individuals with a rare genetic condition known as phenylketonuria, or PKU, receive a difficult-to-follow prescription. They must severely limit their consumption of protein, completely avoiding mealtime staples such as meat, cheese and even bread. Not surprisingly, for many, diet is a constant struggle.
Geology professor drills into earth-shaking questions
Two months aboard an ocean-going ship might sound like a luxurious vacation. With 16-hour workdays amid the clamorous hubbub of an industrial drilling rig, however, Harold Tobin’s recent voyage was far from relaxing. Tobin, an associate professor in the geology department, sailed last fall into the western Pacific in a quest to peer into the heart of one of the most active earthquake zones on the planet.