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Category Science & Technology

Dairy science in spotlight as field advances

November 20, 2013

Dairy science is no longer the field of straw hats and bib overalls. The UW’s future is as thoroughly milk-soaked as its past. Read More

Rare disease yields clues about broader brain pathology

November 20, 2013

Alexander disease is a devastating brain disease that almost nobody has heard of — unless someone in the family is afflicted with it. Alexander disease strikes young or old, and in children destroys white matter in the front of the brain. Many patients, especially those with early onset, have significant intellectual disabilities. Read More

Connection found between nitrogen levels in water and toxic algae production

November 19, 2013

Scientists have long known that phosphorus fuels growth of algae in lakes and streams. Wisconsin Sea Grant researchers have found that nitrogen levels are a factor in whether or not these algae – specifically, blue-green algae –produce toxins. The findings, published in PLOS ONE have parts of the scientific community buzzing. Read More

New technology could help food crops thrive in crowded fields

November 19, 2013

With the global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, the world's farmers are going to need to produce a lot more food - but without using much more farmland, as the vast majority of the world's arable land is already being used for agriculture. Read More

Science Night is learning for the whole family

November 19, 2013

Discover your inner scientist with help from University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers at Family Science Night, presented by South Madison Promise Zone and UW Space Place. Read More

Engineers explore ways to understand, outwit blood-brain barrier

November 13, 2013

MADISON — With support from the New Frontier Science group of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., University of Wisconsin–Madison engineers are conducting innovative research that could open… Read More

Impulsivity, rewards and Ritalin: monkey study shows tighter link

November 13, 2013

Even as the rate of diagnosis has reached 11 percent among American children aged 4 to 17, neuroscientists are still trying to understand attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One classic symptom is impulsivity — the tendency to act before thinking. Read More

Program connects community college instructors in high-tech fields

November 13, 2013

The National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program has given thousands of community college instructors the resources to develop new courses, provide professional development opportunities, and create industry-based internship programs - all with a focus in high-tech fields that produce particularly rosy employment prospects for well-trained graduates. Read More

Researcher says for 2-year-olds, touch screens may trump TV

November 13, 2013

Smartphones and tablets may be better learning tools for toddlers younger than 2 1/2 years old than "Sesame Street" and other educational TV programs, according to a researcher in the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Human Ecology. Read More

Mentors help inventors make the leap to entrepreneur

November 12, 2013

It’s a story that could become a company’s founding narrative. The two Steves built their first Apple computer in the garage. Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard to start a software company. And 4-year-old Patrick Heaney broke a plastic sword while play-fighting — and recognized that materials can always stand improvement. Read More

New look identifies crucial clumping of diabetes-causing proteins

November 11, 2013

People get type 2 diabetes. So do cats. But rats don’t, and neither do dogs. Subtle differences in the shape of proteins protect some and endanger others. Read More

Vet med scientists find better, safer treatments for hoof disease in cattle

November 8, 2013

For almost 40 years, digital dermatitis has plagued cattle throughout the world. Also called heel warts, these painful hoof lesions limit the amount of time cows can stand and feed, which can hinder animal welfare and food production. The disease can be found on almost every beef and dairy farm in North America, so it has a significant economic impact on those industries in the United States. Read More

Discovery sheds light on how changes in lungs can hurt the heart

November 8, 2013

A team of University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers has discovered important biomechanical changes in human arteries that could increase understanding of how pulmonary hypertension leads to heart failure. Read More

Science writer in residence visiting campus week of Nov. 11

November 7, 2013

Siri Carpenter, a senior editor at the popular science magazine Discover, will visit the University of Wisconsin–Madison as Science Writer in Residence Nov. 11-15. Read More

Hyer assumes leadership as University Research Park continues to grow

November 7, 2013

With last Friday's retirement of longtime University Research Park Director Mark Bugher, associate director Greg Hyer is assuming the role of interim director of the successful, 260-acre park on the West Side of Madison. Read More

Model virus structure shows why there’s no cure for common cold

October 28, 2013

In a pair of landmark studies that exploit the genetic sequencing of the “missing link” cold virus, rhinovirus C, scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have constructed a three-dimensional model of the pathogen that shows why there is no cure yet for the common cold. Read More