Category Science & Technology
UW researchers reveal insights on silicon semiconductors
"Smaller. Faster. Wildly complex." This could easily be the motto for semiconductors-the materials that, among lots of other advances in electronics, allow cell phones to continuously shrink in size while increasing the number of their mind-boggling functions.
Digging in Denmark, archaeologist uncovers rare prize
University of Wisconsin–Madison archaeologist T. Douglas Price has received the unique distinction of being the first non-Dane to be awarded the Westerby Prize, Denmark's pre-eminent award for archaeology.
UW-Madison graduate tapped for top USGS post
University of Wisconsin–Madison alumnus Mark D. Myers recently was nominated to be director of the U.S. Geological Survey by President George W. Bush.
E. coli work identifies new keys to regulation of bacterial gene expression
The cellular process of transcription, in which the enzyme RNA polymerase constructs chains of RNA from information contained in DNA, depends upon previously underappreciated sections of both the DNA promoter region and RNA polymerase, according to work done with the bacterium E. coli and published today (June 16) in the journal Cell by a team of bacteriologists from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Kids explore art and science in summer programs
The Office of Education Outreach in the University of Wisconsin–Madison's School of Education is offering numerous opportunities for local students to learn about art, technology and science this summer.
Diet, aging study gains $7.9 million grant
A pioneering long-term study of the links between diet and aging in monkeys will continue through 2011 with the help of a new $7.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Hybrid-vehicle team places second nationally
Tired of high gas costs and poor sport utility vehicle (SUV) fuel efficiency? A group of engineering students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has spent the last three years building one of the cleanest and most fuel-efficient SUVs in North America. The principles behind the vehicle, appropriately named the "Moovada," could one day be incorporated into mass-production hybrid SUVs.
The Why Files celebrates decade of science exploration
The Why Files is celebrating its first decade online.
Chemists forge a new form of iron
An international team of chemists has discovered a new and unexpected form of iron, a finding that adds to the fundamental understanding of an element that is among the most abundant on Earth and that, in nature, is an essential catalyst for life.
Physicists persevere in quest for inexhaustible energy source
As gas prices soar and greenhouse gases continue to blanket the atmosphere, the need for a clean, safe and cheap source of energy has never seemed more pressing.
Professor to coordinate U.S. fusion science effort
A University of Wisconsin–Madison professor will be the liaison between United States plasma and fusion science researchers and a group that is building the U.S. share of ITER, an international fusion experiment that eventually could lead to an abundant, economical and environmentally benign energy source.
New approach allows closer look at smoker lungs
Aided by a powerful imaging technique, scientists have discovered they can detect smoking-related lung damage in healthy smokers who otherwise display none of the telltale signs of tobacco use.
Study: Super-sizing your food takes hidden toll on pocketbook
From a soft drink in a mega-size cup to a jumbo order of fries, many fast food restaurants let you upsize your meal for pennies — seemingly a great value.
Just one nanosecond: Clocking events at the nanoscale
As scientists and engineers build devices at smaller and smaller scales, grasping the dynamics of how materials behave when they are subjected to electrical signals, sound and other manipulations has proven to be beyond the reach of standard scientific techniques.
Biochemist bags young scientist award
A biochemist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is one of two recipients of the 2006 Shaw Scientist Award. Designed to help young scientists explore novel research directions, the $200,000 prize is annually awarded to Wisconsin researchers working in the fields of biochemistry, the biological sciences and cancer research.
Online course to develop curriculum around process of science
"Forensic Science" is a unique online learning opportunity that will provide K-12 teachers with the techniques and tools to bring scientific investigation into their classrooms. This two-week Web-based learning opportunity will be conducted June 12-26.
Study: Exercise, diet may protect against colorectal cancer
Voluntary exercise and a restricted diet reduced the number and size of pre-cancerous polyps in the intestines of male mice and improved survival, according to a study by a University of Wisconsin–Madison research published May 13 in the journal Carcinogenesis.
How a crop nutrition problem becomes an insect problem
Potassium-stressed soybean plants - with their telltale yellowed leaf edges - can harbor large numbers of soybean aphids, insidious pests that can cause millions of dollars in damage to Wisconsin crops.
Free program offers scientific exploration to everyone
Steve Preston, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, will talk about how his personal journey with cancer has shaped not only his master's thesis research on sustainable engineering, but his approach to life, at Wednesday Nite @ the Lab at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10. His project on engineering mall, an elaborate, interconnected structure of paper tube arches that bridge art, engineering and industry, portrays life as a series of portals.
Dedication ceremony honors revered freshwater biologist
A dedication ceremony at the Center for Limnology (CFL) today (May 8) is honoring the vision and achievements of a late UW–Madison scientist by naming a laboratory after him. The newly named facility - the Arthur Davis Hasler Laboratory for Limnology - has been at the core of education and UW–Madison research in the aquatic sciences for more than four decades.