Category Science & Technology
Charles Bentley, pioneering UW–Madison glaciologist, dies
Bentley was among the first scientists to measure the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in the late 1950s. His findings resonate today as marine ice sheets are particularly vulnerable to melting and collapse in climate change scenarios.
Amid environmental change, lakes surprisingly static
Researchers found that over recent decades, water quality of lakes in the Midwest and Northeast has not overwhelmingly degraded or improved. But the meaning of these results depends on your perspective.
‘Virtual dairy farm brain’ aims to help farmers make smarter decisions
A UW team has set out to create an app to integrate all of a farm’s data streams in real time and use artificial intelligence to allow farmers to more easily analyze the information.
Course explores new field at intersection of genomics and society
Jason Fletcher is researching how public policy intersects with genetic data, what our genes can predict about how society functions, and how we should use this data responsibly — an area of study dubbed "social genomics."
Reflective art installation displays beauty, intrigue of genetics
Pictures obtained from Ahna Skop’s exploration of the cell — as well as striking images from other UW–Madison research projects — will serve as a basis for a traveling art exhibit, “Genetic Reflections.”
Coding for equity: UW senior works to make the tech industry more inclusive
UW-Madison senior Katie Zutter is working to help solve issues of gender bias and inequity in computer science, and she finds that inequities in tech only fuel her to push for change.
Swab the deck and grab the microscope: Wisconsin educators sail Lake Michigan
A dozen educators from Minnesota and Wisconsin have set sail from the Port of Milwaukee on a one-of-a-kind professional development workshop aboard the sailing vessel Denis Sullivan.
Biochemistry labs mentor high school youth apprentices
“For students interested in science and research, it’s great for them to learn how things work at a top-tier institution like UW–Madison early on.”
Survey captures global picture of air pollution’s effects on birds
Researchers sorted through nearly 70 years of the scientific literature to assess the state of knowledge of how air pollution directly affects the health, well-being, reproductive success and diversity of birds.
Attitudes on human genome editing vary, but all agree conversation is necessary
While about two-thirds of respondents expressed support for using gene editing to treat diseases, only one-third favored using the technology for enhancement, such as creating "designer babies."
Astronomy video game wins national award
“At Play in the Cosmos,” an educational video game developed at UW–Madison, won the third annual Mashable + Games for Change People’s Choice Award.
UW geographer leads initiative against sexual harassment
Erika Marín-Spiotta is partnering with scientific societies and geoscience faculty colleagues from across the country to develop bystander intervention training for the earth, space and environmental sciences.
Isotope maker breaks ground in Janesville: UW–Madison spinoff to employ 150
SHINE Medical Technologies, a firm spawned from research in the UW–Madison College of Engineering, broke ground today (Aug. 3) on “Building One” at its new location just south of Janesville.
Pregnancy loss and evolution of sex linked by cellular line dance
UW-Madison scientist Dan Levitis’ quest led to a discovery that helps explain why so many plants and animals lose so many offspring. The villain? Meiosis.
Zika infections unlikely to be passed by kissing, casual contact
UW-Madison researchers have found in a study of monkeys that casual contact through saliva is not enough for the virus to move between hosts.
Q & A: New WID director Jo Handelsman on returning to UW, leading institute
Handelsman talks about the global challenges the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery is addressing, where the interdisciplinary research institute has been in its first seven years, and what its future looks like.
How to take in the eclipse: Tips from UW Space Place
The effects of the partial eclipse in Wisconsin will be subtle, but worth watching nonetheless.
Researchers crack the smile, describing 3 types by muscle movement
The smile may be the most common and flexible expression, used to reveal some emotions, cover others and manage social interactions. But how do we tell one kind of smile from another?
Taking the genomic revolution to corn fields to improve crops
By bringing the genomic revolution into corn fields, Genomes2Fields aims to improve the nation’s corn crop by uncovering how genomes — the blueprints for plants — are turned into yield, stress resistance, and all manner of different traits.
UW helps create the largest neutrino detectors in the world
A new era in neutrino physics in the United States is underway, and UW–Madison’s Physical Sciences Laboratory in Stoughton is playing a key role.