Category Science & Technology
Curiosities: Why do we have fingernails?
Fingernails are essentially flattened versions of claws, and they evolved in all primates — including humans — to support broad fingertips, says UW–Madison anthropology… Read More
Research aims to make it easier to serve local produce as classroom snacks
Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch, a partnership between a UW–Madison center and a local nonprofit organization, is working to introduce locally grown products into elementary schools around the area. Read More
Unique engine-centered master’s program graduates first class
A master of engineering program that began out of a lunch conversation between University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty and industry professionals is graduating its first class of 10 students this week. Read More
UW establishes stem cell and regenerative medicine center
In an effort to strengthen and sustain its leadership in the companion fields of stem cell research and regenerative medicine, the University of Wisconsin–Madison will establish a new Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center. Read More
Students create new environmental strategy for Lake Ripley
With the help of University of Wisconsin–Madison students, communities around Lake Ripley in southeastern Wisconsin are among the first in the state to use an innovative social strategy known as community-based social marketing, or CBSM, to deal with an environmental problem. Read More
Bike ride will raise funds to educate dairy, livestock farmers
On Sunday, June 10, a couple of dozen intrepid bicyclists will pump up their tires and roll out of the driveway of a farm northwest of Antigo to begin the fourth annual Ride to Farm. Read More
Decoding protein structures helps illuminate cause of diabetes
Any photographer can vouch for the difficulty of capturing a clear picture of a moving target. When it comes to molecules, however, sometimes the motion is exactly what scientists want to see. Read More
State seeds stem-cell company based on UW–Madison research
Governor Jim Doyle today (May 14) gave a $1 million boost to a University of Wisconsin–Madison spin-off company during a visit to the campus lab that gave birth to its technology. Read More
Curiosities: If we think the continents were at some point all connected, how did they separate?
Question submitted by Abbie Stroup, seventh grader at Sennett Middle School. Read More
Creator of Dolly the sheep to give public lecture in Madison
Ian Wilmut, the famed Scottish biologist who created Dolly the cloned sheep, is coming to Madison and will give a public lecture on Thursday, May 17, at the Overture Center. Read More
Meditation may fine-tune control over attention
Everyday experience and psychology research both indicate that paying close attention to one thing can keep you from noticing something else. Read More
Changing the face of science education
Through the UW–Madison Delta Program in Research, Teaching and Learning, new faculty and graduate students can find instructional resources and support that help them transition from full-time graduate researcher to faculty member. Read More
UW-Madison bridge, canoe teams sweep regional competition
Overcoming such obstacles as thunderstorms, muddy turf and an emergency hotel-hallway bridge-building practice, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Concrete Canoe Team and Steel Bridge Team each dominated the Great Lakes Regional Competition, held April 26-29 at Purdue University. Read More
Medical device refinements top student design competition
Designed by University of Wisconsin–Madison biomedical engineering students, a device that improves the diagnostic yield of fine-needle aspiration, a sensory-substitution device for hearing impairment, and a magnetic-resonance-compatible device for imaging lower extremities during movement received top honors in the first annual Tong Biomedical Engineering Design Award competition. Read More
Curiosities: What are teeth made of?
Built for crunching and chewing, teeth mostly consist of hard, inorganic minerals like calcium. But they also contain nerves, blood vessels and specialized cells… Read More
New technique dissects stem cells’ picky likes, dislikes
Whether their goal is to create therapies or simply investigate how organisms develop, stem cell researchers face what is perhaps one of biological science's toughest assignments: keeping their tiny research subjects under control. Read More
Resident bacteria may help clean phosphorous from lakes
UW-Madison engineer Katherine McMahon is integrating her expertise in wastewater engineering and in biological systems to study the bacterial community in different eutrophied lakes — two in Madison and one in China — to learn more about how those bacteria affect phosphorus cycling in the lakes. Read More
Survey examines Americans’ trust in science
When it comes to forming opinions on controversial scientific issues, Americans show a strong deference to the views of the scientific community, according to a study co-authored by a University of Wisconsin–Madison researcher. Read More