Syndicated to: Federalrelations.wisc.edu
Thank the moon for Earth’s lengthening day
A new study that reconstructs the deep history of our planet’s relationship to the moon shows that 1.4 billion years ago, a day on Earth lasted just over 18 hours.
UW collaboration builds resilience in the wake of Hurricane Maria
Shane Hubbard has long been working to help emergency managers and their communities understand their risks with respect to natural hazards so they can develop mitigation plans and manage during severe weather.
Study offers first look at how children with cerebral palsy develop language skills
Many children with cerebral palsy do not receive appropriate speech and language intervention until they enter preschool because very little quantitative data is available about the speech and language difficulties they face. They may be missing critical early intervention opportunities.
Count on it: Peering at atomic structures with no more than pencil and paper
The simple strategy could help bring about ultrafast computer chips based on materials other than silicon, says Jason Kawasaki, a UW–Madison professor of materials science and engineering.
Air Force-backed center to make machine learning more independent, predictable, secure
Much remains mysterious in the realm of machine learning. The next generation of machine learning algorithms is expected to not only bolster national defense capabilities, but also benefit civilians.
UW project asks: What happens to irrigation water in Wisconsin’s Central Sands?
“You can't grow much here without irrigation," says farmer Justin Isherwood, "but we’re not sure how much is enough, and how to leave the same groundwater resource for the next generation."
Training compassion ‘muscle’ may boost brain’s resilience to others’ suffering
A new study suggests that compassion meditation training may reduce the distress a person feels when witnessing another’s suffering. It may also improve their ability and likelihood to respond with compassion.
Homo naledi had a tiny brain but it looked a lot like ours
Scientists and nonscientists alike have often associated larger brains with greater intelligence, but a new study may challenge that notion. “Maybe brain size isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” says John Hawks, one of the study’s corresponding authors.
UW–Madison archaeologist elected to National Academy of Sciences
T. Douglas Price is an emeritus professor of anthropology, an expert on prehistoric agriculture in Europe, and a pioneer in the use of chemical isotopes to assess mobility in ancient peoples.
Mailick stepping down from top UW–Madison research role
Marsha Mailick, who has been on temporary leave as vice chancellor for research and graduate education since January, will continue her research on developmental disabilities at the Waisman Center.
UW researcher to send cotton into space to improve its growth on Earth
Botanist Simon Gilroy will study cotton seedlings grown on the International Space Station in a project that could help researchers understand how to develop plants that use water more efficiently.
Future wearable device could tell how we power human movement
Tested initially on a person's Achilles tendon, the new approach being developed by UW engineering researchers could apply to fields ranging from orthopedics, rehabilitation, ergonomics and sports.
Tribal forests in Wisconsin are more diverse, sustainable
Researchers found that many of the differences between tribal and nontribal forests can be traced back to the lower density of deer on the tribal lands.
Here is how a cat can hinder children learning new words
A new study found that familiar objects more interesting to children reduced their ability to learn new words associated with novel objects.
Is there life adrift in the clouds of Venus?
An international team of researchers led by planetary scientist Sanjay Limaye of UW–Madison’s Space Science and Engineering Center lays out a case for the atmosphere of Venus as a possible niche for extraterrestrial microbial life.
Decades of research identify source of galaxy-sized stream of gas
The answer will help astronomers understand how galaxies, including the Milky Way, form and change over time.
Improved capture of cancer cells in blood could help track disease
By forcing cancer cells to slow down and developing stronger molecular traps specific to circulating tumor cells, researchers were able to identify large numbers of the cells in cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.
Advance could enable novel high-performance materials
An engineering physics professor has created new materials that behave in an unusual way that defies the standard theory engineers use for designing things like buildings, airplanes, bridges and electronic devices.
Reviewers of NIH grants cannot distinguish the good from the great, study suggests
In a detailed simulation of the peer review process, researchers at UW–Madison’s Center for Women’s Health Research and their collaborators discovered that there was no agreement between different reviewers scoring the same proposals.
Ebola vaccine inches toward human clinical trials
The need for an Ebola vaccine is acute. Periodic outbreaks of the disease in sub-Saharan Africa, including an epidemic between 2013 and 2016, caused major loss of life and serious economic disruption.