Science

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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.

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SCIENCE

UW Scientist wins grant to further research in climate change

By Lindsey Matthiesen | Oct. 24, 2019

Dr. Andrea Dutton, a research scientist at UW-Madison, received the “Genius Grant” to continue her research on constructing sea levels from 125,000 years ago. The motivation behind her research is to showcase the effects of rising sea levels on communities and educate the public on environmental changes as a result of global warming. 

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SCIENCE

Can UW-Madison rebuild coexistence between ourselves and our animal neighbors?

By Zachary Ausavich | Oct. 3, 2019

Since Europeans first arrived in the Americas, wolves have been the stuff of nightmares — a predator to be feared — when they would rather avoid interaction with us altogether. UW-Madison's Carnivore Coexistence Lab is hoping to change that. 

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SCIENCE

Could psychedelics be the answer to chronic mental health issues?

By Alberto Kanost | Sep. 19, 2019

Doctors, neuroscientists and psychologists alike at major research universities are allocating resources to solidify the science behind using psychedelics — particularly magic mushrooms — as treatments for chronic depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction and end-of-life distress. 

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SCIENCE

American Family Insurance pledges $20 million to UW-Madison data science

By Will Husted | Apr. 21, 2019

American Family Insurance announced Friday a $20 million investment into data science initiatives at UW-Madison, extending the company’s partnership with the university. 

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SCIENCE

Best birds to spot this Spring

By Dominic LeRose | Apr. 8, 2019

There’s no secret that spring is peak birdwatching season due to how many species are breeding. With spring comes the arrival of numerous bird species known as the neotropical migrants — a species that returns back to the continental United States to breed after spending the winter months in Central or South America. 

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SCIENCE

Wisconsin scientists talk ties with Mars rover endeavor

By Mitchell Osterhaus | Mar. 15, 2019

In 1976, the United States-operated Viking 1 landed on Mars, marking the world’s first successful landing of a spacecraft on the Red Planet. Once it became clear that attempts to land spacecraft directly on the surface of Mars were feasible, pursuits of surface-level exploration began to come together at a fever pitch. 

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SCIENCE

SoundWaves explores human perception of sights and sounds

By Alejandra Canales | Mar. 14, 2019

SoundWaves is a program series established by the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery to explore topics in science from the viewpoint of researchers and musicians at UW-Madison. Their most recent event, Hidden Worlds of the Human Body, explores how our brains perceive sights and sounds. 

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SCIENCE

The science behind abstract art perception

By Alejandra Canales | Feb. 28, 2019

Chances are that when you look at an image or painting, your first thoughts try to parse out or describe what you are seeing.

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SCIENCE

American Chemical Society honors catalysis research at UW-Madison

By Clark Xu | Feb. 21, 2019

UW-Madison professors Ive Hermans and Manos Mavrikakis will receive national recognition for their catalysis research at the American Chemical Society 2019 Expo in Orlando, Florida on March 31.

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SCIENCE

How road salt affects our drinking water

By Sophia Wells | Feb. 14, 2019

While keeping the people of Madison safe through yet another winter storm is the first priority, the effects of our salt usage will not go unnoticed. 

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SCIENCE

Wildlife in the deep freeze

By Kevin Jones | Feb. 14, 2019

As temperatures in Madison dropped toward -50 degrees Fahrenheit during the Polar Vortex last week, few people ventured outside for even fifteen minutes. Imagine if you were one of the local cardinals, deer or fox who live outside year-round, including the chilling winter months. 

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SCIENCE

The joys of birdwatching

By Dominic LeRose | Feb. 5, 2019

The next time you step outside, chances are you’ll come across a bird of some kind.

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SCIENCE

Gab: The social media for the alt-right

By Tyler Fox | Jan. 31, 2019

 Students are no strangers to emerging social media trends – as avid smartphone users, young adults are likely to pick up on new dating apps, new mobile payment apps (e.g. Venmo, Cashapp) and even new social media platforms. However, students may be unaware of a different kind of social platform that took hold in 2018 – a platform that touts its commitment to free speech and open dialogs for radical discussions.

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IN-DEPTH

Shutdown Stories : Campus research hindered, future of academic collaboration on the line

By Grace Wallner and Morgan Lock | Jan. 23, 2019

The scientific research community at UW-Madison and nationwide is suffering the consequences due to the government shutdown. 

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SCIENCE

ASMR: Cerebral marvel or internet sensation?

By Tyler Fox | Dec. 6, 2018

Open YouTube on your nearest internet-connected device and performing a quick search for “ASMR” will yield hundreds of thousands of results.