Category Science & Technology
Greener pastures: Dairy science reverses history with enrollment surge
Since enrolling 189 undergraduate students in 1982, dairy science has seen a steady decline in popularity. But the program is gorwing again now after retooling its cirriculum and its approach to student recruitment.
UW space science technology powers Google Earth images
Satellite images provide a dramatic view of the Earth and its atmosphere. For timely views of winter weather in Wisconsin or wild fires in California, Google Earth users can now access the most recent high-quality satellite images generated at the Space Science and Engineering Center.
Arsenic contamination lacks one-size-fits-all remedy
Though a worldwide problem, arsenic contamination of drinking water does not have a universal solution, recent work by UW–Madison researchers has shown.
Waterborne carbon increases threat of environmental mercury
Mercury is a potent neurotoxin and a worrisome environmental contaminant, but the severity of its threat appears to depend on what else is in the water, researchers at UW–Madison have found.
Genome study places modern humans in the evolutionary fast lane
Countering a common theory that human evolution has slowed to a crawl or even stopped in modern humans, a new study by UW–Madison researchers examining data from an international genomics project describes the past 40,000 years as a time of supercharged evolutionary change.
John D. Wiley to step down as UW–Madison chancellor
Chancellor John D. Wiley, who has earned a reputation as a campus builder and a farsighted leader since becoming the University of Wisconsin–Madison's chief executive in 2001, announced today that he will step down in September 2008.
Stem cells show power to predict disease, drug toxicity
For the first time, scientists have used human embryonic stem cells to predict the toxic effects of drugs and provide chemical clues to diagnosing disease.
DuPont fellowship funds address plant breeder shortage
In 2008, DuPont’s Pioneer Hi-Bred seed business will provide the plant breeding and plant genetics program with a $60,000 grant, renewable annually for five years, to support two new graduate fellowships.
Settlement prompts heating plant improvements
A legal settlement between the state and an environmental group will result in less coal being burned at the Charter Street Heating Plant and sets the stage for major improvements at the facility.
Family, memories at core of anthropologist’s new book
A UW–Madison anthropologist first decided to write a book about her family when she was 10 years old, a decision she made while growing up in Bombay, the child of an American mother and an Indian father.
Stem-cell discovery a global media force
When a scientific advance is hailed as “the biological equivalent of the Wright Brothers’ first airplane,” it stands to reason that the work will grab worldwide attentionn
Prof guides future generations of female scientists
When Jean Bahr believes in something, she doesn’t hesitate to act.
Waistline growth on high-carb diets linked to liver gene
Experts have been warning for years that foods loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and other processed carbohydrates are making us fatter. Now, a University of Wisconsin–Madison study has uncovered the genetic basis for why this is so.
What lies beneath: Growth of root cells remarkably dynamic, study finds
A new UW–Madison study, publishing online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has found that certain plant cells pulse as they grow.
New Antarctica research season kicks off
The approach of winter in the northern hemisphere means that summer is coming to Antarctica - still bitterly cold, but just warm enough to let scientists make progress on ongoing studies. A number of UW–Madison researchers are awaiting the call.
Wisconsin Public Utility Institute, energy engineers to promote efficiency
On Wednesday, Dec. 5, the Wisconsin Public Utility Institute (WPUI) and the Wisconsin Association of Energy Engineers (WAEE) will present a program on how to encourage more efficiency from the motor industry.
Recipe for a storm: The ingredients for more powerful Atlantic hurricanes
As the world warms, the interaction between the Atlantic Ocean and atmosphere may be the recipe for stronger, more frequent hurricanes.
Virent CEO to speak on green business at WARF’s Gilson Discovery Series
Eric Apfelbach, president and CEO of Virent Energy Systems, will present "Building a Business around Green Technology" on Thursday, Dec. 6 at the Fluno Center, 601 University Avenue. The event, part of the Gilson Discovery Series sponsored by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), is free and open to the public.
Annual Christmas chemistry show ‘sold out;’ TV still an option
As traditions go, nothing is more engaging on the Madison holiday scene than the annual holiday chemistry lectures by Bassam Shakhashiri.
Nanotech’s health, environment impacts worry scientists
The unknown human health and environmental impacts of nanotechnology are a bigger worry for scientists than for the public, according to a new report published Nov. 25 in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.