Category Science & Technology
UW-Madison senior wins Rhodes Scholarship
University of Wisconsin–Madison senior Drew Birrenkott has been awarded a 2014 Rhodes Scholarship. He joins an elite group of students that have received one of the top honors in higher education. Read More
Dairy science in spotlight as field advances
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
Hancock ag station partners with industry to boost vegetable growers
The research advances at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Hancock Agricultural Research Station are keeping vegetable growers on the cutting edge of the industry, producers told Chancellor Rebecca Blank during a tour of the facility Tuesday. Read More
Rare disease yields clues about broader brain pathology
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
UW-Madison, WARF announce new tech transfer partnership
The University of Wisconsin–Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) today announced the launch of a major new partnership focused on entrepreneurship on the UW–Madison campus, building on a long legacy of collaboration to move scientific innovation to the marketplace. Read More
Mentors help inventors make the leap to entrepreneur
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
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
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
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
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
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
UW–Madison spinoff companies featured in economic report
The investment made in science at UW–Madison and colleges and universities across the United States helps drive the country’s economy directly through the creation of new companies based on that science, according to a new report released today by The Science Coalition. “Sparking Economic Growth 2.0” highlights 100 companies that trace their roots to federally funded university research — including Cellular Dynamics International and Virent, a pair of Wisconsin companies that emerged from Madison’s campus. Read More