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Category Science & Technology

High-power laser spinoff proves versatility is strength

April 13, 2015

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

April 13, 2015

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

April 9, 2015

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

UW scientists find key link in cold-virus picture

April 8, 2015

Researchers at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) have made a key discovery about a cold-causing virus that is strongly associated with severe asthma attacks. Read More

Two receive awards for research to benefit children

April 7, 2015

Two University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have received three-year Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Awards to support research into fungal disease and therapy for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Read More

Plowing prairies for grains: Biofuel crops replace grasslands nationwide

April 2, 2015

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

March 30, 2015

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

March 27, 2015

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

BuzzFeed’s Dan Vergano to be spring Science Writer in Residence

March 26, 2015

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

March 25, 2015

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

March 24, 2015

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

March 23, 2015

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

Amazing plans for ‘Amazing Race’ winner

March 18, 2015

You may know Maya Warren for her $1 million victory, shared with fellow food science grad student Amy DeJong, in the latest edition of the CBS reality show “The Amazing Race.” You likely do not know that, after she receives her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in August, she intends to homogenize her TV experience with her knowledge of ice cream, outgoing nature, and self-confidence to develop a show showcasing frozen desserts around the world. Read More