Category Science & Technology
300 interviews: Ajay Sethi’s pandemic pivot
When COVID-19 hit, Sethi's expertise made him a frequent source for national and local news media. At the same time, he was continuing to teach his unexpectedly timely course "Conspiracies in Public Health."
Breast cancer researchers learn how to teach an old drug new tricks to help patients
UW researchers have uncovered a key feature of breast cancers that renders them either vulnerable or resistant to paclitaxel treatment, which could help identify which patients are most likely to see success.
UW aging researchers to expand ‘Elder Tree’ web platform to smart devices
Elder Tree supports older adults who wish to remain in their homes. Now, because not everyone can use a computer easily, it will be adapted for smart speakers and smart displays.
Metastatic prostate cancer comes in two forms, which could guide treatment
The two subtypes respond differently — information that could one day help physicians match patients with the therapies best suited to their disease.
‘Innovate Week’ to showcase tools and resources
The series of events Oct. 4-8 will give faculty and staff opportunities to meet fellow entrepreneurs, connect with programs, trainings and resources, and learn about entrepreneurship contests.
Why cities around Wisconsin are feeling the heat
While Wisconsin may be known for its “frozen tundra,” an increase in hot, humid summer days is bringing attention to Wisconsin’s urban heat islands and their impact on human health.
Scientists gain better understanding of icy plumes associated with violent tornadoes
High-resolution supercomputer simulations developed at UW–Madison are giving scientists a closer look at an atmospheric phenomenon that may be associated with above anvil cirrus plumes.
Nearby forest loss predicts future deforestation on protected lands
The research could help national governments and other agencies direct limited resources toward those areas at greatest risk of deforestation, which threatens biodiversity and releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Taming ‘tubes: For computer chips, new technique puts carbon nanotubes squarely in their place
When used as transistors, the nanotubes could be five times as energy efficient and five times faster than silicon.
Study shows how aspen forests maintain the diversity needed to adapt to changing environments
The findings are valuable for conservation biologists who want to preserve diverse forest ecosystems in the face of global warming, invasive species and other environmental changes.
UW snake specimens show deadly fungus has been around for decades
A researcher examined more than 500 snakes in jars, preserved specimens at UW–Madison’s Zoological Museum and elsewhere, looking for telltale lesions on the snakes’ skin.
A curtain call for impresario, tireless advocate for science literacy — Shakhashiri retires
Bassam Shakhashiri, the kinetic and tireless science educator and 81-year-old University of Wisconsin–Madison chemistry professor who for more than 50 years charmed and amazed audiences with the wonders of science, has retired.
Professional couples are on the rise, but it’s not increasing income inequality
But the changing availability of spouses with particular jobs — especially a large increase in professional women — has dramatically changed common household couplings.
Apply for the Annual Fall Research Competition, providing support across divisions
The yearly contest from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education funds select research projects in biological sciences, physical sciences, social sciences and the arts and humanities.
New carnivorous plant must balance trapping prey and being pollinated
In the summer, Triantha occidentalis shoots up tall flowering stems coated with sticky hairs that trap small insects like gnats and midges.
Daddy longlegs got their long legs by reusing some old evolutionary tools
The first genome of a daddy longlegs is giving up clues to the evolution of the gangly appendages that give members of the order Opiliones their common name.
Study shows virus abundant in COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin, even among fully vaccinated
Vaccination remains critical, researchers David O’Connor and Thomas Friedrich say, since the available vaccines are effective, successful, and help prevent new, dangerous cases.
UW researchers join three national artificial intelligence institutes
The institutes, funded by a new federal program to broaden access to AI to solve complex societal problems, will promote sustainable food systems and advanced wireless networks.
Study identifies how lung cells sense chitin, an allergen in fungi and shellfish
The discovery solves one piece of the puzzle of the immune response to this common allergen — "something that the scientific community has been chasing for a long time."
Research aims to give everyone a fair shot at accessing COVID-19 vaccines
A UW team's work will inform government and community groups’ efforts to address vaccine access and hesitancy, with the ultimate goal of increasing immunization rates.