Syndicated to: Wisc.edu
Genome study places modern humans in the evolutionary fast lane
Countering a common theory that human evolution has slowed to a crawl or even stopped in modern humans, a new study by UW–Madison researchers examining data from an international genomics project describes the past 40,000 years as a time of supercharged evolutionary change. Read More
Stem cells show power to predict disease, drug toxicity
For the first time, scientists have used human embryonic stem cells to predict the toxic effects of drugs and provide chemical clues to diagnosing disease. Read More
Waistline growth on high-carb diets linked to liver gene
Experts have been warning for years that foods loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and other processed carbohydrates are making us fatter. Now, a University of Wisconsin–Madison study has uncovered the genetic basis for why this is so. Read More
Recipe for a storm: The ingredients for more powerful Atlantic hurricanes
As the world warms, the interaction between the Atlantic Ocean and atmosphere may be the recipe for stronger, more frequent hurricanes. Read More
Nanotech’s health, environment impacts worry scientists
The unknown human health and environmental impacts of nanotechnology are a bigger worry for scientists than for the public, according to a new report published Nov. 25 in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Read More
Beowulf’s world comes to life in new book
A new Hollywood film opening in theaters Friday, Nov. 16, employs special effects wizardry to tell the story of Beowulf, but a just-released illustrated edition of the epic tale from a UW–Madison English professor comes much closer to showing us the world where the action takes place. Read More
Bridging the divide between math and biology
As a mathematician who has navigated the field of biology for nearly a decade, mathematics professor Julie Mitchell has some sage advice for those who choose to follow. Never hesitate to ask a “dumb” question. Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something. Meanwhile, show some bravado. Read More
Deep-sea drilling expedition off Japan seeks earthquake, tsunami causes
Harold Tobin is interested in deep scientific questions, whose answers lie thousands of meters underwater. The UW–Madison geologist studies deep oceanic earthquake faults, which extend miles into the Earth’s crust below the seafloor, to learn what causes earthquakes and tsunamis. Read More
Health toll of climate change seen as ethical crisis
The public health costs of global climate change are likely to be the greatest in those parts of the world that have contributed least to the problem, posing a significant ethical dilemma for the developed world, according to a new study. Read More
New classes explore environmental film’s mobilizing power
Gregg Mitman believes in the power of a well-told story. This semester the professor of history of science is teaching two new courses on the environment from a cinematic perspective: a class on environmental film in history and a hands-on production class in documentary storytelling. Read More
A glimpse into Kirk Douglas: Film center shares online collection
Kirk Douglas was Spartacus. But that's not all. The iconic, dimple-chinned movie star was also a powerful producer who blazed a trail and took command of his own acting career in the new era of American filmmaking that followed the demise of the Hollywood studio system. Now, letters, photos and other documents Douglas donated to the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research are available through a new Web site that tells the story of his career both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Read More