Almost every day for the last 24 years, my father and I have traded emails about Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day. We started the tradition when I was in fifth grade and he was 38, just a few years older than I am now. The rules are simple: Once we review the chosen word and its example sentences, whoever reads the email first forwards it to the other, including a short sentence typed up to put the day’s special word to use.
February 4, 2026
Research
Infleqtion And University Of Wisconsin–Madison Show Faster, More Reliable Qubit Readout
Infleqtion, a global leader in quantum sensing and quantum computing, announced research results from a collaboration with the University of Wisconsin–Madison that demonstrate a more reliable way to measure individual quantum bits, or qubits, without interrupting ongoing circuits. The work addresses one of the central challenges in quantum computing by enabling faster computation cycles while preserving fragile quantum states.
Higher Education/System
UW System president says AI can help move Wisconsin forward
Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman says artificial intelligence is no longer an abstract idea, but is now transforming how the state’s public universities operate.
Rothman penned an op-ed on the future of AI and higher education Monday ahead of the Thursday Board of Regents meeting where he said there will be a “robust discussion” on the topic.
Campus life
UW-Madison professors increasingly integrating AI despite lingering concerns
As students return to campus this semester, professors are once again evaluating how artificial intelligence can, and cannot, be a tool for learning in their classrooms.
Despite concerns about generative AI impeding learning, some professors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are choosing to address and even integrate AI into their course syllabi.
UW-Madison a cappella group headed out West for collaboration opportunity
Some students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are gearing up for a collaboration with national brands ahead of the 2026 Super Bowl.
Members of the student a cappella group Fundamentally Sound are getting flown out to San Francisco for a collaboration with the NFL, Marriott Hotels and a secret artist.
Public Health identifies 2 more measles exposure locations in Madison
Two locations have been added to the list of possible exposure to measles in Madison, Public Health Madison & Dane County announced Tuesday, after the county recorded its first measles case of 2026 Monday.
A UW-Madison student living in an off-campus apartment tested positive for measles, the university said Monday, and 4,000 people who may have been exposed have already been notified.
Tariffs, inflation have hiked cost of Lakeshore visitor center by $4.7 million, UW-Madison says
UW-Madison is seeking approval to increase the budget for its Lakeshore Nature Preserve visitor and research facility by $4.7 million, citing setbacks from higher tariffs and inflation on building materials.
The UW Board of Regents on Friday will consider raising the budget for the Frautschi Center, named after the late UW-Madison alumnus and Madison philanthropist W. Jerome Frautschi, who died Jan. 10.
Community
Questions remain after Findorff worker injured in downtown Madison fall
Questions remain unanswered days after a Findorff construction worker was seriously hurt falling 50 feet from an almost 30,000-pound beam in downtown Madison.
Findorff said operations were paused on the site and the company is working closely with authorities to determine the cause of the incident. The company issued this update to WMTV on Saturday.
Athletics
Their goal is gold: Madison sends 7 athletes to compete in Milan
The University of Wisconsin-Madison will send five current players from the women’s hockey team and seven past players, the most the school has ever sent to a single Olympics (UW-Madison sent 11 players to the 2022 Games in Beijing). Four of the current players will suit up for Team USA; one, freshman Adéla Šapovalivová, will play for Team Czechia.