An anonymous listener in the Rhinelander area recently asked: What are snow fleas? Where do they live and what do they eat? Interviewed: P.J. Liesch, (UW) Extension entomologist and Director of the UW-Madison insect diagnostic lab.
Category: Research
UW project investigates sustainability potential of eating insects
UW postdoc, Global Health Institute investigate social, environmental implications of insect consumption.
Three UW professors receive Simons Fellowships in mathematics
Simons Fellowship funding allows professors to focus on research, travel to conferences.
Planting more trees in cities may be a solution to rising temperatures
Professor Monica Turner from the University of Wisconsin-Madison investigated the effects and how trees can be used in the future to prevent rising global temperatures.
Evers Aims To Increase Unemployment Benefits, Lower Barriers
But compared to neighboring states, Wisconsin state unemployment benefits fall short, said Sarah Halpern-Meekin, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Human Ecology.
Here’s how many trees are required to cool a city street
That’s why researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, decided to start measuring. They strapped some sensors to a bike, and sent an able-bodied person around the city of Madison to test temperatures at regular intervals along blocks with varying levels of tree cover. They published their results Monday in the journal PNAS.
Throw Shade at Climate Change By Planting More Trees
And, according to a new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, they play a big role in keeping towns and cities cool.
Most styrofoam isn’t recycled. Here’s how 3 startups aim to fix that
Andrea Hicks, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin, Madison published a recent study that looked at the environmental impact of polystyrene through its life cycle.
UW-Madison Communication and Civic Renewal research team: Wisconsinites want nonpartisan redistricting and a voice for political minorities
Column: Our Communication and Civic Renewal research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison asked 1,015 Wisconsinites who they thought should control redistricting in our state: the state Legislature or an independent, nonpartisan commission. Fifty-three percent of adults said they preferred the nonpartisan commission while only 13 percent favored the idea of state lawmakers controlling the process themselves.
UW-Madison researcher receives grant from French government to study plankton
Carol E. Lee, a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology, will research the ability of plankton to adapt and evolve with the Earth’s changing climate, with funding from the Make Our Planet Great Again initiative.
UW-graduate creates philanthropic fitness app
A UW-Madison graduate developed a new mobile app, for users keep track of fitness goals, while making a philanthropic impact.
Report: Climate Change Brings Rising Temperatures, Extreme Weather To Great Lakes States
The Environmental Law & Policy Center commissioned the study by researchers from several universities, including Daniel Vimont, director of the Nelson Institute Center For Climatic Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Astrobiology seminar aims to inspire a look into the bounds of life
With like-minded researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Vincent helped form a new campus group by the name of OoLALA – Origins of Life, Artificial Life and Astrobiology. The founders of OoLALA hope it can coordinate the dozens of labs that are addressing some aspect of astrobiology and inspire others to join the work.
UW-Madison settles with U.S. government for $1.5 million over ‘technical accounting issue’
UW-Madison agreed to pay the U.S. government $1.5 million for allegedly overcharging federal agencies on the money it receives for research projects, the Western District Court of Wisconsin announced Thursday.
Climate change is taking a toll on the $20 billion ski industry
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words – Chan Zuckerberg Science Initiative
“I love being able to record and study the behavior and function of living organisms under physiological conditions?—?without harming them, and without them realizing that they’re being observed.”?—?Michael Weber, Morgridge Institute for Research, in affiliation with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Flamingo Project.
Saving energy saves lives and alleviates healthcare costs caused by air pollution, study says
According to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, saving energy could also save lives and alleviate the costs of health problems caused by air pollution.
Great Lakes states are warming faster than the rest of the country, more flooding is in store, new report says
Noted: A report released on Thursday, largely from scientists at Midwestern universities, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, highlight current and future impacts of climate change on the Great Lakes.
In 2020 the road to the White House runs through Wisconsin (and Democrats there are moving far to the left)
Consequently, a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison economics professor Noah Williams and Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty research director Dr. Will Flanders shows how expanding Medicaid could result in the crowding-out of private insurers and the sky-rocketing of private-sector health care costs to nearly $600 million per year, even after the savings to the state.
UW-Madison scientists make key discovery on protein that’s a major focus of cancer research
New work by two University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers provides crucial insight into a major medical mystery: how a protein that normally protects cells from tumors is induced to abandon its mission.
UW scientists discover pathway behind common cancer gene
UW-Madison researchers have discovered one way a gene that usually protects against tumors can, when mutated, spur cancers of the breast, ovaries, lung and bladder.
UW-Madison Professor Presents Plan to Halve Child Poverty In 10 Years
Thirteen percent of children in the U.S. are living in families with incomes below the poverty line. Beyond what this ends up costing the country — estimated to range between $800 billion and $1.1 trillion annually — this has implications for children’s health and development. We talk with an economist about his plan to cut child poverty in half over ten years.
Guest: Timothy Smeeding
Study: Lack of affordable housing affects health
The study, released Tuesday, is a collaborative effort between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It uses the most recent available data from a range of sources, much coming from last year.
Siemers, Shaver to be recognized by WDE this fall
Randy Shaver, a UW-Madison professor in the Department of Dairy Science and Extension dairy nutritionist, will be honored as the Industry Person of the Year.
UnDisciplined: The Ecologist And The Microbiologist
Adrian Treves is an expert on the coexistence and conflicts between humans and wildlife, and especially carnivores like wolves, bears and big cats. He is a professor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he founded the Carnivore Coexistence Lab. EmilyClare Baker is now a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Oregon. Her doctoral research at the University of Wisconsin helped reveal the genes that make lager yeast love cold and sugar.
NASA’s latest cubesat candidates include a solar sail test
Polar Radiant Energy in the Far Infrared Experiment (PREFIRE) from University of Wisconsin-Madison. This mission is composed of two satellites that will monitor far-infrared radiation and determine its role in Arctic warming, sea ice loss, ice sheet melt and sea level rise.
Study cited in Wisconsin debate on expanding Medicaid and taking federal money called ‘garbage’
Noted: The study — released last month by Republican lawmakers at a news conference at the state Capitol — was by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and the Center for Research On the Wisconsin Economy, or CROWE, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Six months after $100M partnership announcement, UW-Madison and Foxconn mum on details
In late August, UW-Madison announced a partnership with Foxconn Technology Group that Chancellor Rebecca Blank said would be the largest research partnership in the university’s history. But more than six months later, it’s hard to tell what kind of progress has been made on the deal.
Meet the Foxhounds: UW-Madison group forms in opposition to Foxconn
Recent reports about the company’s shifting plans, including a Foxconn executive acknowledging that the bulk of jobs at the Racine County facility will be for research and engineering rather than blue-collar manufacturing, are seen by some as more potential job opportunities for college graduates. Foxhounds interpreted the news differently, seeing the university as increasingly important to Foxconn’s bottom line and recognizing an opportunity to apply pressure on the partnership.
Wisconsin Dairy Farmers Say It’s Go Creative, Or Go Out Of Business
He is among hundreds of farmers who were in Madison this week for the annual business conference of the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin.
State News: Fossil Fuels, Rail Expansion, School Breakfast
A new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center on Wisconsin Strategy – or COWS – has concluded that Wisconsin could generate jobs and improve public health by transitioning its energy system away from fossil fuels.
Great Lakes tsunamis found to spur rip currents
Chin Wu, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, headed a team that studied what caused the July 4, 2003 events that spurred seven drownings on Lake Michigan.
Why The Scientific Debate Over A UW Bird Flu Study Isn’t Going Away
A University of Wisconsin-Madison laboratory is set to resume experiments that could build the foundation of an early warning system for flu pandemics.
Video: UW researchers work on cutting number of kids in poverty in half by 2029
UW professor of economics and public affairs Timothy Smeeding is one of the researchers who worked on the congressionally-mandated study.
Expert: Select manure technology that fits the farm
Larson is an assistant professor in the Biological Systems Engineering Department at UW-Madison and a biowaste specialist with UW-Extension. She performs research and extension/outreach applications of biowaste management including handling, treatment and processing of biological waste streams, including manure.
Horseshoe crabs are aquatic spiders, ground-breaking study shows
Horseshoe crabs have been crawling on our planet for nearly half a billion years, yet for all the brains we evolved in our measly half-million-year existence, we never did figure out what they actually are. Now a genetic study published this weekend in the journal of Systematic Biology finds evidence for the theory first postulated in the year 1881: the horseshoe crab is not a crab after all. It is a sister group to Ricinulei, the hooded tick spider.
Insects could be an untapped source of new antibiotic drugs
“The insects are doing the searching for us,” added co-author of the study, Cameron Currie, a bacteriologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Tony Evers says Wisconsin has ‘disrespected science as a way to solve problems’
Gov. Tony Evers said he is seeking to change the state’s attitude toward science through proposed spending increases for higher education in his state budget, which provides University of Wisconsin System campuses with $150 million more in funding.
Flu Research Once Banned Because It Was Deemed Too Dangerous is Set to Resume
According to the report, one of the labs at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, will resume testing in a few weeks after researchers received a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH’s) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in Bethesda, Maryland.
Hillary Clinton’s claims about voter suppression in Georgia and Wisconsin
Some studies show that voter ID laws favored by Republicans have a deterrent effect, especially on minority voters, who tend to vote for Democrats. Wisconsin enacted a voter ID law before the 2016 election. A study from the University of Wisconsin found that the new requirements deterred thousands of eligible voters in two counties from casting ballots.
Neuroscience Readies for a Showdown Over Consciousness Ideas
He has been developing a competing theory in collaboration with its originator, the neuroscientist Giulio Tononi of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Election Loss: Her Latest Excuse
“The Supreme Court’s ruling in 2013 had no bearing on Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin-Madison study she relied on for her 40,000 estimate says its findings from two counties should not be extrapolated to form statewide conclusions. Her spokesman did not cite any study for the 80,000 estimate. Voter registration in Georgia did not decline from 2012 to 2016.”
Imaging Agent May Give Early Info on Success of Breast Cancer Therapy
Several imaging agents have been developed to monitor and examine changes in PR levels, and researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health now studied if the 18F-fluorofuranylnorprogesterone (18F-FFNP) imaging agent could be used for that purpose.
Evolving Research Is Exposing How Flu Crosses The Species Barrier
Three of Wisconsin’s better-known flu scientists over the past half-century are Bernard Easterday, Christopher Olsen and Yoshihiro Kawaoka, all of whom are affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. They spoke about their work at an Oct. 3, 2018 lecture for the Wednesday Nite @ the Lab series on the UW-Madison campus, recorded for Wisconsin Public Television’s University Place.
UW-Madison scientist allowed to resume controversial flu research
The work by campus scientist Yoshihiro Kawaoka involves modifying bird flu viruses such as H5N1 so they can spread among ferrets, an animal model for studying the flu in humans.
Driverless shuttle to arrive in Madison this fall
“It’s really just a demonstration project. Anyone can come and ride,” said Jon Riehl, a transportation systems engineer with the University of Wisconsin – Madison’s Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory.
Monarch Butterflies: Spring Migration And Habitat Restoration
Monarch butterflies are getting ready for a big journey north to Wisconsin. We’ll talk with UW–Madison Arboretum director Karen Oberhauser about the life cycles of monarchs and why it matters to us. We also learn what we can do to help restore their habitat.
A farm is more than fields: What contemporary black farmers can learn from the past
When is a farm not just a farm?
Monica M. White’s new, impressively researched book Freedom Farmers: Agricultural Resistance and the Black Freedom Movement (University of North Carolina Press, $28) highlights historical examples of black farmers using agricultural cooperatives “as a space and place to practice freedom.” And White explains how similar strategies are helping today’s underserved communities pool resources and alleviate poverty.
Wisconsin births decline to the lowest point in 40 years
Quoted: One major factor is that fewer teens are having babies. Teen births have dropped 60 percent over a decade, said David Egan-Robertson, of the UW-Madison Applied Population Laboratory.
“And in 2017, for the first time, teen births fell below 4 percent of total births,” he said. “So that’s quite a significant change. It’s been a very long-term process, but that’s a noticeable change in that age group.
Spider Silk Could Be Used As Robotic Muscle
Quoted: “This is a fantastic discovery because the torsion measured in spider dragline silk is huge, a full circle every millimeter or so of length,” says Pupa Gilbert, a professor of physics, chemistry, and materials science at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, who was not involved in this work.
How your workout structure can affect your post-exercise mood
Keep in mind, though, that psychology plays an important role. A University of Wisconsin study found that people were in a better mood when they picked their own intensity level instead of a prescribed moderate-effort workout, even though their endocannabinoid levels were higher after the latter.
Studies of Deadly Flu Virus, Once Banned, Are Set to Resume
One lab was led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka, at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, and the other by Ron Fouchier, at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam.
Wisconsin births decline to lowest point in 40 years
One major factor in the decrease in births is that fewer teens are having babies. David Egan-Robertson is with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Applied Population Laboratory. He says teen births have dropped 60 percent over a decade.
Bears that eat human food may hibernate less and age faster
The new research grew out of an earlier project to see what wild black bears across Colorado were eating, says study coauthor Jonathan Pauli, a community ecologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
Not moving increases risk for falls, UW nursing professor says
When older adults are hospitalized, they often don’t walk much because nurses fear falls and administrators fear financial penalties related to falls, according to Barbara King, an associate professor at UW-Madison’s School of Nursing.
Wisconsin births decline to lowest point in 40 years
David Egan-Robertson is with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Applied Population Laboratory. He says teen births have dropped 60 percent over a decade.
How to get young scientists thinking about ethics? Cartooning, say UW researchers
“Generally, the idea is to get the people who are more junior and who are doing the research, to be thinking about ethical issues — and to have some fun with it,” said Pilar Ossorio, a professor of law and bioethics at the UW-Madison and the Morgridge Bioethics Program lead.
Lake Sediment and Ancient Poop Track Environmental Changes at Cahokia
Along I-55 heading from Illinois into Missouri, just before St. Louis’s iconic Gateway Arch becomes visible, another monument rises into view—Cahokia Mounds, the remnants of the largest pre-Hispanic settlement north of the Mexican border.
Study: Horseshoe Crabs Really Are Arachnids, Just Like Spiders
Horseshoe crabs have never quite fit in with the rest of the ocean’s animals. Considered living fossils, their circular bodies and sharp tails are often presented as frightening. But horseshoe crabs aren’t scary, they’re just misunderstood. A new scientific study has created a definitive family tree for horseshoe crabs, showing that they’re best classified as arachnids.
Human Poop Reveals That Climate Change Caused The Fall Of Cahokia, A Medieval Native American City
Cahokia was an agrarian Native American community that rose to prominence around 1100 AD as the largest settlement north of Mexico prior to the colonial occupation of the Americas.