Category Science & Technology
New materials repel oil underwater, could better clean up oil spills
University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have announced a significant step forward in the development of materials that can ward off oil - a discovery that could lead to new protective coatings and better approaches to cleaning up oil spills. Read More
Patent office director visits for discussion about innovation and opportunity
UW-Madison, a world leader in producing patents, will welcome Michelle K. Lee, director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, on Wednesday for a tour of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery and discussion of the future of intellectual property and innovation. Read More
High-power laser spinoff proves versatility is strength
Since lasers were invented in 1960, they have penetrated countless scientific, industrial and recreational fields: from eye surgery to DVD players, from cutting steel to triggering ignition in missile stages. Read More
Solution-grown nanowires make the best lasers
Take a material that is a focus of interest in the quest for advanced solar cells. Discover a "freshman chemistry level" technique for growing that material into high-efficiency, ultra-small lasers. The result, disclosed today [Monday, April 13] in Nature Materials, is a shortcut to lasers that are extremely efficient and able to create many colors of light. Read More
Science meets art: 2015 Cool Science Images unveiled
Whether a close-up of a leafcutter ant, or a micrograph of the neurons derived from marmoset stem cells, or an MRI of the hidden pathways in the human brain, submissions to UW–Madison’s 2015 Cool Science Image Contest continue to put science and nature on eye-catching display. Read More
Advancing engineering for a better society: Los Alamos leader named UW–Madison Grainger Institute director
In June, Dan Thoma will become the first director of the Grainger Institute for Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Funded in 2014 with $25 million from The Grainger Foundation of Lake Forest, Illinois, the institute is an incubator for transdisciplinary research in the UW–Madison College of Engineering. Read More
Final Four brings together research powerhouses
The university communities of UW–Madison, Duke, Kentucky and Michigan State may have basketball foremost on their minds this weekend, but year-round those minds are performing extraordinary research. Read More
Plowing prairies for grains: Biofuel crops replace grasslands nationwide
Clearing grasslands to make way for biofuels may seem counterproductive, but University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers show in a study today (April 2, 2015) that crops, including the corn and soy commonly used for biofuels, expanded onto 7 million acres of new land in the U.S. over a recent four-year period, replacing millions of acres of grasslands. Read More
Hormone known for mother’s milk also fosters bond between parents
Research has discovered a role for prolactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production in nursing mothers, in the bond between parents. Read More
UW-Madison cancer research showcased in Wisconsin Public Television series
Next week, cancer research by University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists will be featured in a series of programs airing on Wisconsin Public Television (WPT). Read More
Ebola whole virus vaccine shown effective, safe in primates
An Ebola whole virus vaccine, constructed using a novel experimental platform, has been shown to effectively protect monkeys exposed to the often fatal virus. Read More
BuzzFeed’s Dan Vergano to be spring Science Writer in Residence
Dan Vergano, a veteran science journalist with stints at USA Today, National Geographic and now, the digital news platform BuzzFeed, has been named UW–Madison Science Writer in Residence for Spring 2015. Read More
Researchers aim to broaden understanding of how toxins affect the body
Even in an era in which there is increased emphasis on living "green," humans are constantly exposed to a wide range of toxins in everything from our air, food and water to the goods we buy. Read More
Automation offers big solution to big data in astronomy
It’s almost a rite of passage in physics and astronomy. Scientists spend years scrounging up money to build a fantastic new instrument. Then, when the long-awaited device finally approaches completion, the panic begins: How will they handle the torrent of data? Read More
Discovery could yield more efficient portable electronics, solar cells
By figuring out how to precisely order the molecules that make up what scientists call organic glass — the materials at the heart of some electronic displays, light-emitting diodes and solar cells — a team of chemists from the University of Wisconsin–Madison has set the stage for more efficient and sturdier portable electronic devices and possibly a new generation of solar cells based on organic materials. Read More
UW and M-WERC expand Wisconsin’s energy industry
Researchers at the Wisconsin Energy Institute (WEI) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are developing an industry partnership that promises to create jobs here in Wisconsin. Read More