In their paper, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Wehner and co-author James P. Kossin of the University of Wisconsin–Madison did not explicitly call for the adoption of a Category 6, primarily because the scale is quickly being supplanted by other measurement tools that more accurately gauge the hazard of a specific storm.
Category: Research
As honey bees become more popular, Wisconsin’s native bees still struggle
Susan Carpenter, native plant garden curator and gardener at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, told WPR’s “Central Time” that Wisconsin’s native bees have different ecological functions and needs than domesticated honey bees.
Finding unmarked graves, Better ways to teach science
UW-Madison professor John Rudolph says instead of focusing on jobs and college prep, educators should teach what science is and establish trust in scientists. Rudolph joins us to discuss his book “Why We Teach Science (and Why We Should).”
It’s the grocery bill, stupid. Why Wisconsin is gloomy heading into election.
Column by Menzie Chinn, professor of Public Affairs and Economics in the UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs and Department of Economics.
Could a Calorie-Restricted Diet or Fasting Help You Live Longer?
A key difference between the two monkey trials was that in the 2009 study, conducted at the University of Wisconsin, the calorie-restricted animals only received one meal a day and the researchers took away any leftover food in the late afternoon, so the animals were forced to fast for about 16 hours. In the 2012 study, run by the National Institute on Aging, the animals were fed twice a day and the food was left out overnight. The Wisconsin monkeys were the ones that lived longer.
Sustainable energy at home and in the community
Earth Fest at UW-Madison promotes sustainability and pays tribute to Earth Day founder
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is hosting Earth Fest this week to promote sustainability and pay tribute to the mission of Earth Day’s founder.
Tom Still: Fusion energy is a nascent ‘hot spot’ for Wisconsin economy’
The UW-Madison’s Fusion Technology Institute lists 167 Ph.D. graduates and is the largest program in the United States for advanced degrees in fusion engineering. Since 1965, the university has produced more than 400 graduates overall in fields such as plasma experimental, plasma theory and fusion technology.
“I came to Madison because of its nuclear energy programs,” said Oliver Schmitz, a Germany native who is the associate dean of research innovation in the UW-Madison College of Engineering. “Whenever I travel to fusion events elsewhere, it seems like 80% of the participants are UW-Madison graduates.”
Climate justice top of mind for UW-Madison students on Earth Day
Paul Robbins, dean of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW-Madison, said much of Gaylord Nelson’s legacy focused on alleviating poverty and addressing inequality in society — not just the environment.
“We lead with a community-first vision that justice comes first,” Robbins said. “If you get justice right, you’re on the road to healing the environment.”
Insect update: Return of the cicadas AIR DATE: APR 17 2024
A brood of periodical cicadas that call part of Wisconsin home is emerging for the first time in 17 years this spring. We cover all things cicada with P.J. Liesch, one of our favorite entomologists.
Citing housing crunch, Madison eases restrictions on coach houses, granny flats
In Madison, more than half of renters were “cost-burdened,” with over 30 percent of their income going to housing in 2015. That’s higher than the rate for the rest of Dane County and the rest of Wisconsin, according to an analysis from University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Applied Population Lab.
Cities with Black women police chiefs had less street violence during 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests
Co-authored by
ssociate professor of Management and Human Resources, University of Wisconsin-Madison.UW-Madison exploring programs to eliminate food waste
Leaders with the University of Wisconsin-Madison said food waste accounts for about 30% of the solid waste the university generates.
Avian Influenza In Cattle And A Person Prompts Health Advisory From CDC
Scientists had raised this specter much earlier. Over a decade ago, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Erasmus Medical Center independently showed that specific mutations could make the H5N1 virus transmissible among ferrets. In other words, this virus typically transmitted among birds can evolve to be transmitted among mammals
Climate change could cost each American born today $500,000
“This is an innovative way to approach the issue, and the authors are up front about the limitations of their analysis, because it is so new,” says Tracey Halloway, a professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who was not involved in the report but read a draft. “The optimist in me knows there are a lot of moving parts, and it could end up being easier to be sustainable, easier to be resilient, than we thought, and maybe in some ways that will offset the costs that they project.”
Wisconsin tribe sues social media companies over suicide rates among Native youth
Heather Kirkorian, professor of human development and family studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, researches the effects of media on children’s development. Kirkorian said media effects vary widely among individuals, noting it can pose both positive and negative outcomes. While clear evidence exists of manipulative practices to keep youth engaged longer, she said a direct link is lacking between the use of social media and an increase in suicidal ideation or mental health problems.
“It’s really important for us to understand that the effects of media are not the same for everybody, and some groups of children might be disproportionately affected by media,” Kirkorian said.
New immigration patterns in Darién Gap, Rare blood disease amyloidosis, Spring concert music preview
A UW-Madison professor explains new research and immigration patterns in the Darién Gap. Then, a hematologist discusses a rare blood disease known as amyloidosis. Then, WPR’s Lori Skelton previews the spring concert season.
Toward A Universal Covid Vaccine
This dynamic underscores the need for a universal vaccine, a potential game-changer that could neutralize all forms of SARS-CoV-2 and even other related coronaviruses. A recent study by Peter Halfmann and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin offers promising indications that this universal vaccine is on the horizon.
Milwaukee Film Festival, Breaking financial barriers, The happiness of Americans, Child care at colleges
America dropped 20 spots in the latest World Happiness Report. We talk with Christine Whelan, a UW-Madison consumer science professor, about the trends contributing to lower happiness and what can be done about it.
Exploring symptoms, treatment and support for multiple sclerosis and Sjogren’s disease
Collectively, about five million Americans are diagnosed with either MS or Sjogren’s disease. Interview with Dr. Sara McCoy, a clinical rheumatologist at UW Health and director of the Sjogren’s Syndrome Clinic.
Student athlete suicide rates have doubled since 2002
The study was authored by researchers from the University of Washington, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Oregon Health and Science University.
“Athletes are generally thought of as one of the healthiest populations in our society, yet the pressures of school, internal and external performance expectations, time demands, injury, athletic identity and physical fatigue can lead to depression, mental health problems and suicide,” the authors wrote.
Tylenol can be made without coal tar and crude oil
Given the planet’s limited fossil fuel supply and the global challenge of achieving net zero emissions, researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison have devised a greener way of producing paracetamol: trees.
Tom Still: How Wisconsin has added to mankind’s knowledge of the heavens
Scientists at the UW-Madison have helped to make this eye into the past possible.
Bird Flu warning: Expert says roadmap to human infection can lead to nightmare scenario
In 2019, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison created a bird flu virus that potentially increased its threat to humans, in an attempt to research ways of protecting the world from future pandemics.The study drew criticism as a safety breach following reports that the researchers tried to dow
UW Carbone Cancer Center celebrates 50 years, highlights new research
“Today is an example of what we view as part of our responsibilities, which is not just to serve individual patients, but to serve our communities,” Dr. Howard Bailey, Director of Carbone Cancer, said about the event.
‘Fish get sick, too’: Study finds relatives of coronavirus and other pathogens in fish
Anglers aren’t the only ones catching something out in Wisconsin waters. University of Wisconsin researchers have detected almost 20 viruses in wild sport fish, including a distant relative of coronavirus that’s usually associated with birds.
New one-and-done vaccine protects against multiple coronaviruses
In what could be a step change in the fight against coronaviruses, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Wisconsin-Madison created a new vaccine that, when tested on hamsters, removed all traces of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 plus its omicron variants from the animals’ lungs. The team had previously identified hamsters as suitable animals on which to test potential vaccines.
New research of Down syndrome, Moving advice for seniors, Metal detecting in Wisconsin
A lab at UW-Madison is working to create an atlas of prenatal brains with Down syndrome in an effort to better understand the condition. Anita Bhattacharyya, the leader of the lab, joins us.
Erik Iverson: Biden administration patent policy would hurt Wisconsin tech sector
Column by Erik Iverson, chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
How sheep could be a key to Wisconsin’s solar energy future
This spring Alliant Energy and the University of Wisconsin-Madison will break ground on a 2.25 megawatt, roughly 15-acre solar array that will be used to study agrivoltaics at the university’s Kegonsa Research Campus 10 miles southeast of Madison.
Researchers will study the soil and water quality of the solar site, its effect on wildlife, and the feasibility of grazing animals and growing crops among the array, said Josh Arnold, UW-Madison campus energy adviser.
Researchers develop more broadly protective coronavirus vaccine
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a new vaccine that offers broad protection against not only SARS-CoV-2 variants, but also other bat sarbecoviruses. The groundbreaking trivalent vaccine has shown complete protection with no trace of virus in the lungs, marking a significant step toward a universal vaccine for coronaviruses.
Once near extinction, cranes are featured in a symposium at a Door County sanctuary
The symposium kicks off at 6 p.m. April 12 with a keynote presentation (via Zoom) by Stanley Temple of the University of Wisconsin-Madison on “The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Then and Now: Is it Still Working?” Temple will talk about the first century of migratory bird protection and speculate about its future, given ongoing challenges from loss and degradation of habitat, collisions with human-made structures, predation by cats, pesticide poisoning and oil spills.
Surprise! Wisconsin scientists discover more eyes on daddy longlegs
In the dark, dungeon-like basement of Birge Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, researcher Guilherme Gainett examined a tiny arachnid under a microscope and jumped from his chair in excitement.
Gov. Evers vetoes bill to curb road salt use, citing broad immunity to salters from slip-and-fall suits
Potential solutions to the problem are ongoing across the state. Brining, where salt is mixed with water before being applied to roads, cleared Wisconsin highways faster and resulted in a 23% reduction in salt use on average, a study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found. Some counties even use beet juice as a brining agent to allow the solution to work at colder temperatures, since standard road salt won’t work if it’s colder than 15 degrees.
UW receives federal funding to open PFAS center
New center allows for more sophisticated PFAS analysis, lab director says.
Maps: These states, counties are home to the most excessive drinkers, study finds
The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute has published its annual County Health Rankings and Roadmaps report, which is intended to highlight the factors that can impact our health outcomes and disparities nationwide. The report considers numerous data points, including the excessive consumption of alcohol.
Up to 40 percent of dementia cases are preventable, geriatrician says
One of the most common myths about dementia — a general impairment in thinking and memory — is that it’s a normal part of aging. But Dr. Nathaniel Chin, an assistant professor and geriatrician at UW Health, wants to bust that myth.
“There are plenty of people who live a really long and healthy life that never develop advanced thinking changes,” said Chin, the director of medical services with the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and host of the “Dementia Matters” podcast.
Innovative research into cover crops is helping Oneida white corn co-op restore depleted soil
For the members of Ohe·láku, a co-op of Oneida Nation families growing their traditional white corn together, what started as an experiment has become a success story.
A few years ago, they partnered with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to test different cover crop mixes to restore soil they grow on, which had been depleted under prior ownership. Cover crops are left in the soil after the primary crop is harvested. The idea is to make sure the fields are never bare, increasing soil fertility, limiting runoff and keeping the soil moist.
Milwaukee Bucks, Deer District community benefit deal seen as model for more development
“From Community Benefits, to Collective Bargaining, and Back” was written by researchers Pablo Aquiles-Sanchez and Laura Dresser of the High Road Strategy Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The center describes itself as a “think-and-do tank” promoting solutions to social problems that focus on shared growth and opportunity, environmental sustainability and resilient democratic institutions as “necessary and achievable complements in human development.”
UW-Madison unveils new intellectual property model
The Badger IP Industry Advantage Program will make research agreements and copyright agreements simpler.
Wisconsin eclipse chasers plan to drive a thousand miles for total solar eclipse
James Lattis, director of the UW Space Place, said a partial eclipse is a rare site. They are an opportunity for scientific discovery. Lattis said people can watch the progression by facing away from the sun and looking at the image of the sun made by a pinhole, leaves on a tree or holes in a kitchen colander.
“You see the distant shadow of the moon rushing up on you,” Lattis said. “The crescent of sunlight that’s left is getting gradually thinner and thinner. You start seeing lighting effects in the environment around you.”
Proposed changes to Bayh-Dole Act stir controversy over innovation, growth in university research
WARF public affairs analyst says university researchers may become ‘collateral damage’ under proposal.
Older Wisconsinites have the highest suicide rate of any age group. Why don’t we talk about it?
There’s a disconnect in how we respond to older people struggling with their mental health, said Dr. Sarah Endicott, a clinical professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison focused on geriatrics. Some of that, she suspects, may be chalked up to ageism, which the World Health Organization defines as the stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination toward others based on age.
“I don’t think it’s intentional, but the lower value we place on older adults in general, especially when it comes to end-of-life, I’m guessing that’s part of the cause,” said Endicott, who also works as a geriatric psychiatrist at Stoughton Hospital in Dane County.
Student podcast recognized by NPR, America’s hardest jobs, Research on daddy longlegs, Carbon neutral parks
A UW-Madison student tells us about his podcast on changing technology. Then, a Washington Post columnist and a member of the Milwaukee Fire Department talk about America’s hardest jobs. Then, we explore new research on daddy longlegs. Then, we discuss efforts to make national parks along Lake Superior carbon neutral.
Members of UW-Madison community visit Washington, D.C. for annual lobbying day
Members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison community descended on Capitol Hill Wednesday to make the case for more research funding.
“We can create jobs. We can create innovation, new technologies, and improve human health and improve the human condition,” said Charlie Hoslet, the vice chancellor of university relations at UW-Madison.
Daddy Longlegs Have Four Extra, Hidden Eyes, Researchers Say
The eyes are vestigial organs, or the remnants of body parts that no longer function—they are the “leftovers of evolution,” as study co-author Guilherme Gainett, who was a biologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison when he conducted the research but now works at Boston Children’s Hospital, tells Science News’ McKenzie Prillaman. In humans, vestigial organs include wisdom teeth and the appendix.
Cancer, immunology, HIV research ensnared in fetal tissue politics – STAT
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have spent years trying to unravel the details of Down syndrome: What happens inside the womb, how the genetic disorder alters the formation of neurons, and what specific processes affect brain development. The work can’t proceed without studying fetal tissue. Anita Bhattacharyya, an associate professor of cell and regenerative biology, said her lab’s findings so far are significant, having identified a layer of late-developing neurons that are reduced in the brains of fetuses with Down syndrome. If she were to start her career again, however, she isn’t sure she would follow the same path. “It seems too risky,” she said.
Lower fishing bag limits aim to help struggling walleye
Zach Feiner is a research scientist at the state Department of Natural Resources and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Limnology. On WPR’s “The Morning Show,” Feiner said the state hopes lowering the number of fish caught can help walleye recover.
Fresh. Buttery. Soapy. Astringent. Enter the world of professional cheese tasting.
It’s quiet as a group of eight people stand bent at the waist, intently staring at a pizza sitting on a gleaming stainless-steel counter.
It’s an early March Wednesday morning, and they are in the Hilmar Cheese Dairy Applications Lab of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Dairy Research.
UW-Madison launches Sustainability Research Hub
On Friday, the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced the launch of its Sustainability Research Hub.
In early Feb. 2024, UW-Madison chancellor Jennifer Mnookin announced a new cross-campus initiative focused on environmental sustainability.
UW-Madison botany professor sends plants to outer space
When it comes to space gardening, UW-Madison botany professor Simon Gilroy believes there’s plenty of room to grow. Gilroy himself is at the root level of the science of galactic farming, as he and his research team are in the midst of his sixth plant expedition into space, this time seeing how tomato plants grow without gravity and whether some of the biology that naturally exists on Earth can be engineered and replicated in space.
Cat Filmed ‘Vibing to Some Music,’ but He Has a Brother
A study by the University of Wisconsin determined that pets like to listen to music that fits into how animals communicate.
When is allergy season? Early spring brings pollen (and sneezing)
Higher pollen counts and a longer, earlier pollen season are brought on by warmer temperatures. From 1990 to 2018, the overall amount of pollen increased by up to 21%, according to a study by the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Texas and the Midwest experienced the largest increases.
Sen. Baldwin secures $1 million for UW agriculture research facilities
Funding falls short of Baldwin’s original request of $7 million, will go towards improving facilities in conjunction with USDA.
The planning behind prescribed burns; Amphibians and pollution
Includes interviews with Jeb Barzen, an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture and Jessica Hua, an associate professor in forest and wildlife ecology, both at UW-Madison.
Wisconsin’s pay gap between men and women is worse than the national gap
The pay gap for men and women in Wisconsin is worse than the gap between genders nationally, even as female representation on the state’s corporate boards continues to grow.
Nationally, women working in full-time, year-round jobs earn about 84 cents for every dollar a man makes, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. In Wisconsin, women make nearly 81 cents to every dollar a man makes, Census Bureau data shows.
A recent report from the University of Wisconsin-Extension found the pay gap persists, even for those with college degrees.
Scientists have found a way to 3D-print brain tissue for research
“We think this work could help people to understand neuropsychiatric diseases, like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, compared to the other models,” said Yuanwei Yan, a scientist in the Zhang Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
UW researchers find economic disparities for families of children with developmental disabilities during COVID-19
In a study published last month titled “Economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families of children with autism” researchers analyzed how families of children with developmental disabilities, including autism, faced significant economic disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic, using data from the Study to Explore Early Development, a case control study designed for young children with developmental disorders.
UW professor studies ‘sin tax’ on unhealthy products
University of Wisconsin assistant professor in economics Martin O’Connell is investigating the theoretical effects of a sin tax, which are placed on products that have external costs — such as sugars, nicotine and alcohol. The idea behind implementing these taxes is decrease consumer consumption of unhealthy products, like soda, according to O’Connell’s research.
Wisconsin sees ticks active months ahead of schedule
Adult ticks, approximately half of whom are infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, are ready to feed earlier than usual this year.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases at the University of Wisconsin-Madison started to look for ticks in February, almost two months ahead of schedule.