Category Science & Technology
Oldest fossils ever found show life on Earth began before 3.5 billion years ago
Critics argued they were just odd minerals that only looked like biological specimens. However, geoscientist John Valley says the new findings put these doubts to rest. “I think it’s settled,” he says.
Zero gravity plant growth experiments delivered to space station
Plants were delivered to the International Space Station as part of a UW–Madison study of how plants respond to low-oxygen environments created by changes in how water and air behave in zero gravity.
Monkeys infected by mosquito bites further Zika virus research
Monkeys who catch Zika virus through bites from infected mosquitoes develop infections that look like human Zika cases, and may help researchers understand the many ways Zika can be transmitted.
Monkey study shows a path to monitoring endangered species
“We think this may be one of the most comprehensive efforts to analyze the data monitoring needs for ensuring the survival of an endangered animal,” says Karen Strier, who has observed muriquis in Brazil for 35 years.
Projects on display as engineering prototyping class wets feet, whets appetites
In an introductory engineering design class, students design and build unique items to solve pressing needs.
First measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum with HAWC
It bridges measurements at higher energy usually performed by ground based detectors and measurements at lower energy that previously had been conducted by detectors on satellites and balloons.
UW-Madison cloud computing research moves into new phase
UW-Madison is part of a team of campuses receiving nearly $10 million, collectively, from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to further develop cloud computing infrastructure and enable high-level research by scientists around the country.
UW’s influential sleep researchers get ideas during walks in woods
UW-Madison's Chiara Cirelli and Giulio Tononi are at the forefront of the world's sleep research, and many of their ideas emanate from walks at their woodsy Dane County home.
Decades-past logging still threatens spotted owls in national forests
Researchers say despite protections put in place in the 1990s, owls may still be paying an “extinction debt” that was created by historical logging of large trees.
Gambling against the odds on life’s risks more common after childhood stress
Trouble reading the signs that a loss or punishment is looming can lead to situations that risk avoidable problems.
Virtual reality users must learn to use what they see
The study found that when most people put on a virtual reality headset, they still treat what they see like it’s happening on any run-of-the-mill TV screen.
Increased vegetation boosts rainfall in the Sahel, researchers find
The large semiarid region of Africa just south of the Sahara routinely experiences pronounced droughts that can last decades, threatening food security in the area.
Designer molecule points to treatment for diseases caused by DNA repeats
“Most young people with Friedreich’s ataxia develop severe heart problems and are wheelchair-bound," says researcher Aseem Ansari, "but the disease is so rare that few drug companies invest in it."
‘Magnetoelectric’ material shows promise as memory for electronics
Devices tend to store that information in two ways: through electric fields or magnetic fields. In the future, electronics could benefit from the best of each.
Veterinary students work with endangered cranes
Each year, a group of Veterinary Medicine students perform health checks on the captive flock residing at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin. These critical check-ups are essential for providing the best care possible, and the experience also provides a unique opportunity to get firsthand experience working with an endangered species. Video by Craig Wild/University Communications
Optoelectronics origami: An easy-to-make, double-duty curved image sensor
The advance by a UW–Madison engineering team could lead to cameras with features such as infinite depth of field, wider view angle, low aberrations, and vastly increased pixel density.
All-in-one repair kit makes CRISPR gene editing more precise
Error rates as high as 50 percent are a problem when the goal is to correct typos in the DNA that cause genetic disease. Now, a team of researchers has made the fix less mistake-prone.
Icebound detector reveals how ghostly neutrinos are stopped cold
An international team of researchers at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory has made a critical measurement that may one day help predict new physics beyond the Standard Model, which seeks to explain the fundamental forces of the universe.
100-hour challenge winners blend creativity, utility
The challenge was to build useful or creative products based on objects donated by the University’s recycling system, called SWAP, and to do the whole shebang in 100 hours.
Five UW–Madison professors named AAAS Fellows
They join 391 other fellows who have been recognized by their peers for significant contributions to their fields and the scientific endeavor as a whole.