Science

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SCIENCE

Misguiding the majority: Why the ‘2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ may not be serving you

By Forrest Ziebell | Feb. 4, 2021

Of the many events to come from 2020, perhaps one of the more positive was a renewed set of dietary guidelines for Americans. In a nation riddled with chronic disease, informing the public about what to eat could be crucial in battling obesity and related health issues. The guidelines included information designed to combat our nation’s growing health problems, but many believe it failed to do what was necessary to help a large part of the U.S. population.

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SCIENCE

Hydration and health; why water trumps other beverages

By Forrest Ziebell | Dec. 3, 2020

Water is a strange player in global health in that it is necessary to live, but provides no real nutrients. Increasing water consumption is often touted as a method for improving health, yet most do not know why this is. Though we hear this advice frequently, few people follow it. Despite water’s documented benefits, research shows that a large portion of the U.S. is chronically dehydrated. 

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SCIENCE

Rethinking water management with rain gardens

By Gavin Schopf | Dec. 3, 2020

Understanding the unique behavior of water in urban areas begins with understanding two fundamentals. First, hydrogen bonding between atoms makes water molecules stick to one another (cohesion) and other charged surfaces (adhesion). Second, water is polar, making it a “universal solvent.” 

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CAMPUS NEWS

New data suggests geographic mixing of COVID-19 strains within Wisconsin

By Grace Hodgman | Nov. 30, 2020

Genetic sequencing of COVID-19 shows a statewide pattern of geographic mixing between previously distinct strands of the virus from Dane and Milwaukee Counties, according to UW-Madison researchers. 

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SCIENCE

Dieting downfalls and the promise of a non-diet approach

By Forrest Ziebell | Nov. 19, 2020

Change is an exciting thing, and being able to see positive transformations of one’s body is as thrilling a change as any. Whether you are trying to take pounds off or put them on, chances are you have considered following a diet. While some diets are rigid due to biological reasons (e.g. diabetes) or religious grounds — e.g. avoiding pork as a Muslim — many choose to follow them in hopes of achieving dream physiques. 

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SCIENCE

How important is breakfast? UW Health says, don’t skip it

By Forrest Ziebell | Nov. 5, 2020

From a young age, breakfast being the “most important meal of the day” phrase has been ingrained into our brains. And now, as more and more research about breakfast comes out, scientists have data about how significant eating after waking up is for performance. UW Health says, “it gives your metabolism, your body’s engine, a boost and provides needed energy.” Let’s dig into the science of breakfast.

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SCIENCE

Helping a city of Badgers coexist with their canid neighbors

By Gavin Schopf | Nov. 5, 2020

The UWUCP has gained new insights about how red fox and coyote behave in the Madison urban landscape and shared this information with the public to change knowledge, opinions and dialogue surrounding urban canines.

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SCIENCE

Pediatric Cancer Dream Team comes ‘closer than ever to a cure’

By Gavin Schopf | Oct. 15, 2020

When Kristina Schultz was little, she wished to be a bone marrow transplant doctor. She wished no child would have to go through what she had and planned to spend the rest of her life working to find a cure.

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SCIENCE

‘Curiosity unleashed’: Wisconsin Science Festival continues for 10th year, offering more than 100 virtual events

By Simar Garcha | Oct. 15, 2020

The Wisconsin Science Festival will be run virtually this year, offering over 100 events to attendees. 

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SCIENCE

Nutrition in college: Eat like you mean it

By Forrest Ziebell | Oct. 1, 2020

Nutrition is a strange topic. While focus on what we put on our plates has never been greater, widespread misinformation makes dietary decisions for the conscious consumer quite difficult. 

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SCIENCE

UW researches more effective and inclusive flu vaccine

By Simar Garcha | Oct. 1, 2020

 The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine has conducted research that provided new insights into creating an alternative and more widely inclusive seasonal influenza vaccine.

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SCIENCE

UW-Madison Wastewater Surveillance Program begins statewide sampling

By Gavin Schopf | Sep. 17, 2020

WSLH scientists, in collaboration with the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, are searching fecal matter for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19

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SCIENCE

OVCRGE releases statement on graduate research

By Joe Mitchell | Sep. 17, 2020

Even though UW-Madison’s in-person instruction will be suspended from Sept. 10-25, students will be allowed to report to their jobs in research labs under strict guidelines, Steven Ackerman, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, said in a press release Thursday.

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SCIENCE

How does a COVID-19 test work?

By Joseph Mitchell | Sep. 3, 2020

UW-Madison's Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory aims to be able to process 1,200 coronavirus tests per day by the end of September

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SCIENCE

‘Dam it! WI is a backward beaver state’

By Gavin Schopf | Apr. 26, 2020

In April 2017, a quiet war was being waged over Warner Park’s resident beavers. 

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SCIENCE

Ideas become reality in UW-Makerspace

By Alberto Kanost and Gavin Schopf | Feb. 27, 2020

Engineering can become bogged down by calculations, drawings and theories behind complicated methods and technology. Students pursuing a degree in Engineering are taught how to solve problems and predict things like how much strain certain materials can endure, but some say there is not enough of actually “doing” in real-time — not enough of applying the theory into something that is actionable.

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SCIENCE

Coming 'atchya With: Kombucha!

By Ben Brod | Feb. 13, 2020

Kombucha is a type of fermented tea applauded for its probiotic health benefits. This beverage finds itself in the same realm as kimchi and yogurt, which is to say that these are all products of the fermentation mechanism. Live cultures of bacteria are responsible for generating kombucha, meaning that upon ingestion of such a drink, you’re going to experience a repopulation of your gut microbiota. This signifies the introduction of a whole new cast of bacteria dedicated to promoting digestion and detox. I like to think of these guys as friendly little micro-fauna. 

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SCIENCE

UW-Madison mindfulness game contributes to growing understanding of mindfulness benefits

By Alberto Kanost | Feb. 13, 2020

A video game, designed and tested by UW-Madison affiliates, facilitating meditation for middle schoolers contributes to a larger conversation on the benefits of mindfulness.

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SCIENCE

Genetic risk scores open a host of concerns and implications

By Alejandra Canales | Jan. 30, 2020

Genetic testing is now more accessible, but determining what the results mean from both a scientific and ethical standpoint is still challenging.

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SCIENCE

UW-Madison Physics professor awarded fellowship to study atomic clocks, test Einstein’s theories

By Alberto Kanost | Nov. 6, 2019

Shimon Kolkowitz, UW-Madison assistant professor of physics, has been selected to be one of 22 2019 Packard Fellows for Science and Engineering to continue his work with u201cultra-precise atomic clocksu201d u2014u00a0 hopefully answering some of the questions following Einsteinu2019s theories.