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Tag Research

Carbon nanotubes may cheaply harvest sunlight

October 19, 2009

A new alternative energy technology relies on the element most associated with climate change: carbon. Read More

Research expenditures jump, UW–Madison retains top ranking

October 16, 2009

According to statistics compiled by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the University of Wisconsin–Madison is the nation's third largest research university as measured by dollars spent on research. Read More

Satellite anniversary marks 50 years of studying climate from space

October 13, 2009

On Oct. 13, 1959, University of Wisconsin–Madison professors Verner Suomi and Robert Parent crouched in a bunker at Cape Canaveral, sweating through the countdown for the Juno II rocket perched on its launching pad 150 yards away. Read More

High-speed genetic analysis looks deep inside primate immune system

October 11, 2009

Viruses such as HIV and influenza take safe harbor in cells, where they cannot be recognized directly by the immune system. The immune response relies on infected cells announcing the presence of the virus by studding their exterior with fragments of the virus lurking within. Read More

Banded rocks reveal early Earth conditions, changes

October 11, 2009

The strikingly banded rocks scattered across the upper Midwest and elsewhere throughout the world are actually ambassadors from the past, offering clues to the environment of the early Earth more than 2 billion years ago. Read More

Scientists hope to mimic nature’s dynamos

October 9, 2009

In the cosmos, all celestial objects - planets, stars, galaxies and clusters of galaxies - have magnetic fields. On Earth, the magnetic field of our home planet is most easily observed in a compass where the needle points north. Read More

Researcher studies monkeys in Africa to better understand virus evolution

October 7, 2009

Despite the importance of AIDS in human health, scientists still know very little about the diversity and ecology of AIDS-like viruses in nature. Read More

Survey: Broad support for biofuels in Wisconsin, but clear partisan differences

October 7, 2009

Although almost two-thirds of Wisconsinites support the use and production of biofuels, less than half think the government should subsidize their development, according to a new study by University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers. Read More

Digital revolution is happening outside the classroom

October 6, 2009

The way we learn is changing, but schools are having trouble keeping up. While technology dominates daily life and work, it still plays a limited role in public schools filled with students who are increasingly learning outside the classroom with help from cell phones, computers and video games, says Rich Halverson, a professor of educational leadership and policy analysis and co-author of the new book “Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology.” Read More

Sand dunes reveal unexpected dryness during heavy monsoon

October 6, 2009

The windswept deserts of northern China might seem an odd destination for studying the heavy monsoon rains that routinely drench the more tropical regions of Southeast Asia. Read More

Models begin to unravel how single DNA strands combine

October 5, 2009

Using computer simulations, a team of University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers has identified some of the pathways through which single complementary strands of DNA interact and combine to form the double helix. Read More

UW-Madison researchers ranked among world’s top 20 universities

October 5, 2009

A recent assessment of the research impact of scientists at more than 4,000 universities around the world ranked those at the University of Wisconsin–Madison No. 20. Read More

Wisconsin cautious about Obama health care plan; Milwaukee poised for reform

October 4, 2009

More Wisconsinites oppose President Barack Obama's health care plan than support it, according to a new poll that also shows a majority of Milwaukee County residents favor a mayoral takeover of the Milwaukee Public Schools. Read More

Poll covers economy, state’s direction, 2010 election

October 3, 2009

Tom Barrett and Scott Walker have the early edge in hypothetical primary matchups in the 2010 governor's race, according to a new poll in which Wisconsinites also give high levels of support to President Barack Obama but express concern about the direction of state government. Read More

Federal grants power research on computer games and learning

September 29, 2009

A research team at the University of Wisconsin–Madison recently won $4.5 million in federal grants to study computer games and learning. Read More

Was mighty T. rex ‘Sue’ felled by a lowly parasite?

September 29, 2009

A new study, published today (Sept. 29) in the online journal Public Library of Science One, provides evidence that ‘Sue,’ the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex whose fossilized remains are a star attraction of the Field Museum in Chicago, was felled by a lowly parasite that still afflicts modern birds. Read More

New Wisconsin Center of Excellence in Genomics Science established

September 28, 2009

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health today (Sept. 28) announced an $8 million, three-year grant to establish a Wisconsin Center of Excellence in Genomics Science. Read More

Capturing tomorrow’s satellite data with today’s instruments

September 17, 2009

A satellite that won't be launched into orbit until 2015 is already paying dividends for an advanced weather research project. Read More

Smaller isn’t always better: Catalyst simulations could lower fuel cell cost

September 17, 2009

Imagine a car that runs on hydrogen from solar power and produces water instead of carbon emissions. While vehicles like this won't be on the market anytime soon, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers are making incremental but important strides in the fuel cell technology that could make clean cars a reality. Read More

UW-Madison undergraduates make unwelcome discovery in Lake Mendota

September 16, 2009

On Sept. 11, a standard cruise on Lake Mendota's University Bay began for students in University of Wisconsin–Madison's Zoology 315, a course that introduces them to the study of lakes. With the sampling craft Limnos anchored about one-quarter mile offshore on a clear sunny day, four students pulled up a small net and began poking through its contents. Read More