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Category Science & Technology

Miron Livny: Collaborative spirit supports Nobel Prize-winning science

October 10, 2013

In 1964, François Englert and Peter Higgs theorized the existence of a subatomic particle that gives all other particles mass. Nearly 50 years later in 2012, a global team of researchers found evidence that supports the existence of the Higgs boson particle at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, Switzerland. Read More

Physics Nobel awarded for Higgs particle; UW played key role in research

October 8, 2013

UW–Madison teams led by physicists Sau Lan Wu and Wesley Smith have played crucial roles in the development and operation of the two main experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) that discovered the Higgs boson in July 2012. Read More

UW scientist sniffs out possible new tick species

October 1, 2013

In June 2012, Tony Goldberg returned from one of his frequent trips to Kibale National Park, an almost 500-square-mile forest in western Uganda where he studies how infectious diseases spread and evolve in the wild. But he didn’t return alone. Read More

Zinc discovery may shed light on Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s

September 30, 2013

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have made a discovery that, if replicated in humans, suggests a shortage of zinc may contribute to diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, which have been linked to defective proteins clumping together in the brain. Read More

UW-Madison chemist named ‘Friend of Education’

September 27, 2013

Bassam Shakhashiri, known far and wide for his annual holiday season exhibitions of chemistry, has been named a "Friend of Education" by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Read More

Mouse studies reveal promising vitamin D-based treatment for MS

September 26, 2013

A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is a hard lot. Patients typically get the diagnosis around age 30 after experiencing a series of neurological problems such as blurry vision, wobbly gait or a numb foot. From there, this neurodegenerative disease follows an unforgiving course. Read More

UW veterinarians Nordlund, McGuirk win high honors from dairy industry

September 26, 2013

Early in October, the massive World Dairy Expo, perhaps the world’s largest trade show for dairy farmers, will make its 47th annual appearance in Wisconsin’s capital city — a clear indication of the state’s preeminence in the industry. Read More

Students game the system, train computer to play Angry Birds

September 25, 2013

Angry Birds sounds simple: Just slingshot a digital bird at a pile of evil pigs. You could teach a child to play. But could you teach a computer? Read More

Observations reveal critical interplay of interstellar dust, hydrogen

September 25, 2013

For astrophysicists, the interplay of hydrogen - the most common molecule in the universe - and the vast clouds of dust that fill the voids of interstellar space has been an intractable puzzle of stellar evolution. Read More

John Hawks explores how celiac disease evolved

September 25, 2013

Celiac disease is an evolutionary paradox, says University of Wisconsin–Madison anthropologist John Hawks. Read More

A shot of anxiety and the world stinks

September 24, 2013

Researchers using powerful new brain imaging technologies are revealing how anxiety or stress can rewire the brain, linking centers of emotion and olfactory processing, to make typically benign smells malodorous. Read More

Marginal land in demand: researchers explore farmer willingness to grow energy crops

September 24, 2013

In their quest to make cellulosic biofuel a viable energy option, many researchers are looking to marginal lands - those unsuitable for growing food - as potential real estate for bioenergy crops. However, few people have asked: how do farmers feel about using their marginal lands for fuel production? Read More

Wisconsin Science Festival features Nobel, Pulitzer Prize winners and NPR host

September 19, 2013

The Wisconsin Science Festival starts Sept. 26 with four jam-packed days, inviting people of all ages and interests to unleash their curiosity. Read More

Decades on, bacterium’s discovery feted as paragon of basic science

September 17, 2013

Over time, the esoteric and sometimes downright strange quests of science have proven easy targets for politicians and others looking for perceived examples of waste in government - and a cheap headline. Read More

Brain pathways tie together mental maps

September 16, 2013

To find its way in the world, your brain has to decipher a set of directions muddled by different points of view. Read More

Researchers capture speedy chemical reaction in mid-stride

September 13, 2013

In synthetic chemistry, making the best possible use of the needed ingredients is key to optimizing high-quality production at the lowest possible cost. Read More

UW-Madison alumnus wins major award for exploring chemistry of the nervous system

September 11, 2013

Richard Scheller, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a B.S. in biochemistry in 1974, has shared the 2013 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research for work explaining how messenger chemicals move between nerve cells. Read More

Weather: More data + more computers = better forecasts

September 9, 2013

Been beefing about weather forecasts? Did the “experts” miss a thunderstorm, botch the rainfall prediction, mistake cloudy for sunny or windy for calm? You’re not alone. Forecasts of weather are already way better than forecasts of, say, unemployment or grain harvests, but that doesn’t lead us to predict that the caterwauling over weather forecasts will dampen. Read More

In whole-lake experiment, have invasive crayfish met their match?

September 6, 2013

Four years ago, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers wrapped up a multi-year effort to dramatically reduce the population of a destructive invasive species in a northern Wisconsin lake. Read More

Improved computing provides a better look at the cosmos

September 6, 2013

Building a neutrino telescope - a unique instrument that detects extremely small, high energy particles - out of 5,000 optical sensors embedded in a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice, a tremendous engineering feat, was just the first challenge. Read More