Category Science & Technology
New game helps refugee camp kids become academic ‘stars’
Once a refugee himself, senior Joel Baraka has invented "5 STA-Z" — a board game for students across sub-Saharan Africa that turns learning into fun. Read More
UW–Madison recognized for its water- and energy-saving initiatives
The heating and cooling plant improvements stem from an upgraded cleaning system for heat exchangers covering over 50,000 tons of the campus’s central plant chillers. Read More
Bird’s-eye view of geology using drones offers new way to protect groundwater
Researchers at the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey are spending a little less time on the ground and more time in the air — looking at the ground. What they're finding could help improve water quality. Read More
2020 AAAS Fellows at UW–Madison apply scholarship to science, policy
The honor, dating back to 1874, is for members of the national organization who are nominated by their peers and recognized for their efforts to advance science and society. Read More
Get tips on applying for science journalism fellowship Dec. 3
For 10 weeks in the summer, fellows work as full-time science journalists in top newsrooms around the country. Past fellows have gone on to be leading journalists, educators, policymakers and researchers. Read More
New solvent-based recycling process could cut down on millions of tons of plastic waste
Multilayer plastic materials are ubiquitous in food and medical supply packaging, but are impossible to recycle using conventional methods. Researchers are making progress in changing that. Read More
Researchers videotape hundreds of classrooms in 8 countries to study teaching
Essential to the study’s success are observation systems designed by Courtney Bell, a UW–Madison learning sciences professor who directs the School of Education’s Wisconsin Center for Education Research. Read More
Banking on patient samples to advance COVID-19 research
In the spring of 2020, when UW–Madison instruction moved online and most research became remote, efforts picked up at the UW Carbone Cancer Center Translational Science Biocore BioBank. Read More
UW researchers’ evaluation puts MGE net-zero carbon goal on path to limit global warming
If actions similar to the Wisconsin utility's plan were also taken around the world, the researchers say, "it would be effective at keeping the planet under 1.5 degrees warming.” Read More
UW in top 25 for study abroad and international students
UW–Madison moved up three spots, from No. 18 to No. 15, on the 2020 Open Doors Report’s ranking of U.S. universities and colleges for total students studying abroad. Read More
Native November: In new First-Year Interest Group, students connect with the land through Indigenous lens
Instructor Dan Cornelius is "trying to help students connect to place, so that no matter where they are, they’ll think more deeply about the land and its history.” Read More
Quick, routine coronavirus testing reassures both campus and volunteers
Unlike other testing on campus, which is more likely to attract people who are sick or who believe they’ve been exposed to COVID-19, Jon Temte’s program constantly re-tests a stable population of volunteers — even when they feel fine. Read More
Gene-edited monkey embryos give researchers new way to study HIV cure
A gene that cured a man of HIV a decade ago has been successfully added to developing monkey embryos in an effort to study more potential treatments for the disease. Read More
Early mutation in SARS-CoV-2 virus in Europe led to its domination worldwide
A study shows that the mutant virus is more easily transmitted and grows better within hosts, likely aiding its dominance. The mutation, researchers say, should not interfere with the effectiveness of vaccines against the virus. Read More
‘Rewiring’ metabolism in insulin-producing cells may aid Type 2 diabetes treatment
Scientists point to an overlooked enzyme known as pyruvate kinase as the primary way pancreatic beta cells sense sugar levels and release the appropriate amount of insulin. Read More
Tracking virus mutations reveals success of stay-at-home orders
A family tree of more than 200 variations in the virus that causes COVID-19 helps explain why two Wisconsin counties had such different early experiences with the pandemic. Read More
UW–Madison to expand COVID-19 testing in spring
To accommodate more regular and frequent COVID-19 testing of all students and employees on campus in the spring semester, UW–Madison will partner with Shield T3, a subsidiary of the University of Illinois System. Read More
Thesis-writing program shares joy of scientific research
The Wisconsin Initiative for Science Literacy Thesis Award Program’s mission is to both promote science literacy among the public and recruit future generations to careers in scientific research with an approachable look at the latest findings. Read More
‘All Ways Forward’ campaign extended
The multiyear campaign to raise much-needed funding for UW–Madison priorities has been extended until Dec. 31, 2021, Chancellor Rebecca Blank announced Thursday. Read More
New NIH-funded initiative will examine Alzheimer’s disease in people with Down syndrome
Investigators at the Waisman Center, the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and several departments at UW–Madison are involved in the effort, which they say "has the potential to help everyone." Read More