Category Science & Technology
Massive bubbles at center of Milky Way caused by supermassive black hole
The black hole origin of these huge bubbles rules out the possibility that the expansion of the material was driven by exploding stars, according to professor of astronomy and physics Ellen Zweibel.
COVID Questions: Cold weather precautions; recovery time; future of work-at-home
Editor’s note: We will be publishing answers to questions about COVID-19 and the pandemic each week in this COVID questions column. If you have a…
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.
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.
The brains behind the traffic: 4 questions for mobility maven
David Noyce, director of the Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory in the UW–Madison College of Engineering, is at the forefront of efforts to streamline highway and vehicle infrastructure for greater safety and efficiency.
TEAM Lab provides hands-on learning experience in modern machine shop facility
With countless tools and machines, the possibilities for bringing an idea to life are endless at the College of Engineering’s Technical…
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."
UW–Madison alumni, students forge team to aid proposed NASA mission
A group of UW–Madison students used a foundry to cast a stand-in for a spacecraft that may rendezvous with a comet two decades from now.
Wild Wisconsin yeast find their way into bread, beer, and class
A Sheboygan strain of yeast is being tried in both bread and beer, through the work of UW–Madison and its industry partners. One question to be answered: How does it taste?
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.
Study bolsters bats’ reputation as mosquito devourers
New UW–Madison research conducted throughout Wisconsin suggests that bats may indeed be effective exterminators of mosquitoes.
A hidden world of communication, chemical warfare, beneath the soil
New research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison shows how some harmful microbes have to contend not just with a farmer’s chemical attacks, but also with their microscopic neighbors — and themselves turn to chemical warfare to ward off threats.
Ultralight science: Boundary layer measurements from low-flying source
A professor is using an ultralight aircraft to conduct a research project aimed at better understanding the Earth’s atmosphere. Instruments strapped to the wings and the cockpit of the aircraft collect atmospheric data while it is airborne.
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.
Study shows yogurt may dampen chronic inflammation linked to multiple diseases
New UW–Madison research indicates that ongoing consumption of yogurt may have a general anti-inflammatory effect.
UW-Madison biomanufacturer offers essential gene-transfer capacity
A UW–Madison lab that makes proteins, antibodies and viruses has begun manufacturing a virus critical to experimental treatments for many genetic conditions.
Liquid crystals self-regulate the release of drugs in precise, repeating doses with simple nudge from their environment
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed liquid crystal films and droplets that can hold a wide range of “micro-cargo” until their release is cued by body heat or a beam of light or even the wake of swimming microorganisms.
For scientist studying turbulence, the sky is the limit
Michael Graham, a professor of chemical and biological engineering, is a leader in the field, and a recently awarded Department of Defense Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship is enabling his potentially transformative research on turbulence.