Quoted: According to John Magnuson, professor of limnology at the UW-Madison, Lake Mendota froze over on January 12.
‘It’s global warming. Simple as that’: Expert predicts extreme weather impacts on Lake Mendota ice activities
NBC-15
Category: UW Experts in the News
China’s 2019 birthrate lowest in 70 years of communist rule
Al Jazeera
US-based academic Yi Fuxian, senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told the AFP news agency that even though China has abolished its One Child Policy, there has been a shift in the mindset of the population, with people now used to smaller families.
Study: Madison city with the best work-life balance in the country
NBC-15
Quoted: “Madison, because it’s a university town and because it’s a state capitol, has that wonderful mix of lots of opportunities, lots of highly educated people, lots of ideas, lots of energy,” says Dr. Christine Whelan, School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Madison.
Women Make Up Less Than 8% Of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees
Quoted: A nominating committee of about 30 artists, scholars and record industry insiders draws up the ballot each year. Craig Werner was on that committee for 18 years. An Emeritus professor of Afro-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Werner is also a music writer and he has no problem with the nomination process.
“The issues are much more what happens to that ballot once it goes to the larger electorate,” Werner says. Then he sighs. “Well, I’m just going to say it: I think that the electorate makes dumb decisions on a regular basis.”
Good news: USDA scientists are recalculating calorie counts
New Food Economy
Quoted: “That’s useful information to have and important to indicate on food labels,” says Bradley Bolling, an assistant professor of food science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who wasn’t involved in USDA’s nut research.
Brain Parasite Strips Rodents of Fears of Felines—and So Much More
Smithsonian Magazine
Quoted: If confirmed, the findings widen the scope of Toxoplasma’s effects. Just because the parasite isn’t as targetted as previously thought, doesn’t mean it’s no longer considered a master manipulator, says Laura Knoll, a parasitologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who wasn’t involved in the study,
How sports fans respond to their teams’ wavering odds of winning
EconoTimes
Quoted: Sundays, then, are spent watching win probabilities bounce around like an errant onside kick. This made me and my colleague Evan Polman, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, wonder about how people interpret predictions that change.
How The ‘Phase 1’ US-China Trade Deal Will Affect Wisconsin Agriculture
Wisconsin Public Radio
Quoted: University of Wisconsin-Madison political scientist Jon Pevehouse said even if all tariffs are lifted, there’s no guarantee Wisconsin farmers will get their Chinese markets back.
Jo Handelsman on the Surprising News That the Earth is Running Out of Dirt
Alda Communication Training
That’s Dr Jo Handelsman, who studies microbes at the University of Wisconsin – not only the vast array of microbes that live on and in us, but also the even greater number that lurk in the soil beneath our feet. I talked with Jo about why both the microbes within and below us are so important to our survival. But we began our conversation, which took place last fall, talking about the weather…which—these days—often leads to talk that’s far from small.
Are wolves partly to blame for the dairy crisis? No. Tiffany misses the mark.
PolitiFact Wisconsin
Quoted: Mark Stephenson, director of the Center for Dairy Profitability at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in an email to PolitiFact Wisconsin that wolves haven’t come up as a factor in his conversations with milk producers.
Horse ranch near the Dells blames ‘heartbreaking’ loss of 14 horses on toxic beetles
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: After Kolb told Kanarowski-Peterson it looked like blister beetle poisoning, she began picking through the alfalfa hay and found what looked like beetles. Samples were sent to PJ Liesch, an extension entomologist and director of the Insect Diagnostic Lab at UW-Madison.
While Liesch has seen blister beetles in Wisconsin yards on occasion — usually in late spring or early summer — it’s a “fleeting phenomenon” for a few days, and he’s not aware of any other cases of beetles being found in hay in Wisconsin.
“Overall I would say that (blister beetles) are not uncommon if you know when and where to look for them,” he said. “To have them occur in hay or animal feed, that seems to be a very rare occurrence.”
Hay tainted by toxic beetles kills 14 horses in Wisconsin
AP
Quoted: University of Wisconsin-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab director PJ Liesch said blister beetles comprise an entire family of beetles that can be found worldwide, including nearly 30 species in Wisconsin that aren’t typically on hay and alfalfa during harvest.
Lake experts, city crews encouraging community to use less salt in an effort to help environment
WISC-TV 3
Quoted: “We put about 500 tons (of salt) a year into Lake Mendota in an average winter. It’s gone from a background concentration of 1 mg of salt per liter to about 50, so it’s about 50 times higher than it was back in the 1940s,” said Hilary Dugan, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor and limnologist.
Winter is missing from much of the Northern Hemisphere this year. When will it show up?
The Washington Post
Although the cold lodged over the frozen north is intense, it covers a historically small area for this time of year. Jonathan Martin, a professor of meteorology at the University of Wisconsin, wrote in an email that the size of the “cold pool” over the Northern Hemisphere, which is indicated by temperatures of 23 degrees or lower a mile above ground, ranks as the smallest on record for December and early January.
Cambridge Analytica used these 5 political ads to target voters
Quartz
Quoted: “Facebook allowed [Cambridge Analytica] to combine different data sources in a way that allowed them to understand voters maybe better than voters themselves did,” Dietram Scheufele, a science of communication professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Quartz when the scandal first broke.
The Virtuous Midlife Crisis
Wall Street Journal
Quoted: “The midlife journey will be more difficult for a good chunk of them because of heightened problems of inequality,” says Carol Ryff, director of the Institute on Aging at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and principal investigator of a large study on midlife in the U.S. She pointed to a recent rise in “deaths of despair” among middle-aged adults driven in part by drug overdoses, alcohol abuse and suicide.
Making a better school lunch from scratch
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison Professor Jennifer Gaddis believes the answer to school lunch reform is, in part, making lunches free for every student and returning to made-from-scratch cooking in cafeterias. She explores these ideas and more in her book, “The Labor of Lunch — Why We Need Real Food and Real Jobs In American Public Schools,” published in November.
Small but toxic beetles kill 14 horses on Mauston horse ranch
Wisconsin State Journal
Quoted: According to PJ Liesch, director of the UW-Madison Insect Diagnostic Lab, blister beetles comprise an entire family of beetles that can be found worldwide.
Dairy Margin Coverage
Farm and Dairy
Quoted: But the only major difference between MPP and DMC, says Mark Stephenson, is the cost and coverage levels, not the basic concept. Stephenson is the director of dairy policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
Meditation can better the brain. Are we morally obligated to meditate?
Vox
Quoted: “A little bit of empathy is important, because we need to be able to detect another person’s suffering in order to be helpful,” Richard Davidson, a prominent University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist who’s spent decades studying meditation in the lab, told me. “But empathy by itself can be toxic.”
Yes To recalls unicorn face masks after complaints of burns
Today
Quoted: “They can look very similar,” Dr. Apple Bodemer, an associate professor of dermatology at The School of Medicine and Public Health at University of Wisconsin-Madison, told TODAY. “With an irritant reaction that can happen to anybody who puts the product on their skin.”
Autism’s genetic drivers may differ by sex
Spectrum News
Quoted: The findings support the idea that women can sustain a larger genetic hit than men without having autism, a phenomenon called the ‘female protective effect,’ says Donna Werling, assistant professor of genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who was not involved in the work. But the mechanisms that might protect women are a mystery.
Wisconsin egg production hits record-high: USDA report
NBC-15
Quoted: Ron Kean, a poultry specialist with UW-Extension, said the industry is changing.“I think the egg demand has been increasing over the past 10 to 15 years,” he said.
Number of people dying from cancer falling in Wisconsin
NBC-15
Quoted: Dr. Howard Bailey, Director at the UW Carbone Cancer Center, says when it comes to cancer research the national numbers mirror what doctors are seeing locally.
Cybersecurity expert warns of threat
NBC-15
Quoted: Dave Schroeder, UW-Madison Cybersecurity Expert, said Iranian cyber bots or other foreign actors could still retaliate following the recent attacks.
Lawyers fight over $6.75 million estate of Terrill Thomas, the man who died of thirst in the Milwaukee County Jail
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: Howard Erlanger, a University of Wisconsin law professor, said that while an 11th-hour claim may raise eyebrows it could be legitimate.
“It’s not implausible as a fraud but it’s also not implausible as a genuine story,” Erlanger said.
What U.S. State Population Changes Mean for American Elections
Newsweek
Quoted: Professor Barry C. Burden, director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Newsweek the changes will not be large but probably give Republicans a “slight boost.”
The Gene Drive Dilemma: We Can Alter Entire Species, But Should We?
The New York Times
Qutoed: LAs Alta Charo, a professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, says of our genetic-engineering capability, “At a very instinctive level, there’s a sense that these are things humans are not supposed to be doing.”
Quoted: Playing to fears around worst-case scenarios can be a powerful tactic. Dietram Scheufele, who studies scientific and political communication at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, says that scientists are generally much worse than activist groups at shaping public opinion, in part because they tend to rely on logical reasoning and facts, while activist groups are more likely to tap into unconscious values and emotions — like using the term “Frankenfoods” to describe G.M.O.s.
‘It still kills people’: Wisconsin at high risk of flu cases
NBC-15
Quoted: “It still kills people. So the average person who is healthy who gets the flu, of course, your risks are pretty low. But again people with some of these risk factors, people with some of these extremities of the ages can get it and it can be really severe,” says Joseph McBride, an associate professor of infectious disease at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Why We Need Real Food & Real Jobs In American Public Schools
KALW
Guests: Jennifer E. Gaddis, assistant professor of Civil Society and Community Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison & author of The Labor of Lunch: Why We Need Real Food and Real Jobs in American Public Schools
Climate change is playing havoc with Mexico’s monarch butterfly migration
The Washington Post
Quoted: “The question we’re asking is ‘Can one of the world’s most adaptive insects adapt to climate change?’” asked Karen Oberhauser, who studies the species at the University of Wisconsin. “We are changing the conditions and just waiting to see.”
The Energy 202
The Washington Post
Quoted: “The question we’re asking is ‘Can one of the world’s most adaptive insects adapt to climate change?’” asked Karen Oberhauser, who studies the species at the University of Wisconsin. “We are changing the conditions and just waiting to see.”
The search for Eden: in pursuit of humanity’s origins
The Guardian
Quoted: “It’s a powerful metaphor but it also turns out to be a deeply mistaken one,” says anthropologist John Hawks of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in an article for the science newsletter Aeon. Instead he argues that our evolutionary history is more like a braided river, a band of streams that weave into and out of each other before eventually merging over hundreds of thousands of years into the same huge channel.
Associate Professor discusses the possible impacts of airstrikes on U.S
NBC-15
Quoted: UW Associate Professor Samer Alatout said any kind of war, whether that’s a third World War or a regional war in the Middle East, all depends on Iran’s reaction.
Making the most of winter
NBC-15
Quoted: Dr. Claus Andersen is professor of Scandanivan studies at UW-Madison. Andersen said he embraces ’hygge’ this time of year. “I would describe it as a danish concept used to describe situations and a certain atmosphere of extraordinary coziness and contentment.”
Amid partisan clashes, Tony Evers ‘partially delivered’ on campaign promises in first year
Wisconsin State Journal
“I think the governor has had a challenging year because he’s entered an environment that, first of all, is divided government the first time Wisconsin has experienced that in eight years, and it’s divided government where parties are pretty hostile towards one another,” said Barry Burden, political science professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
With 2020 in sight, dark-money sites look to distribute their versions of the news
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison journalism professor Lewis Friedland said that in hundreds of in-person interviews and thousands of surveys conducted by him and other researchers, Wisconsinites consistently say they aren’t sure what news sources to trust, but they want balanced reporting.
From service to science: NIH shifts focus of mentoring network aimed at boosting grantee diversity
Science
Quoted: “A growing body of evidence exists about how to create and sustain successful and inclusive mentoring relationships,” says Angela Byars-Winston, a professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin (UW), Madison, and chair of the committee that wrote the report. “We hope our report can catalyze [the] use of that evidence.”
How to forgive someone who has hurt you—and why you should
Popular Science
Robert Enright, a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education who has studied forgiveness extensively, says he understands the concern. But he feels the issue is actually a semantic one.
Here’s What You Missed In Wisconsin News Over The Holidays
Wisconsin Public Radio
Quoted: “When you look across these deaths you see this pattern of higher risk behaviors in rural communities and also less access to primary health care,” said Pat Remington, emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
For the Record: UW-Madison Political Science Professor Kathy Cramer
WISC-TV 3
An interview with Cramer.
Wood County groups host bipartisan panel on groundwater contamination
Wisconsin State Journal
The Jan. 6 panel, organized by the Wood County Citizens Groundwater Group, will include state geologist Ken Bradbury; U.S. Department of Agriculture microbiologist Mark Borchardt; Sarah Yang, a toxicologist with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services; and Yi Wang, a UW-Madison horticulturist.
Heavy road salt use a growing problem, scientists say
USA Today
Quoted: Given the amount of salt used on roads, that’s a real problem, according to Hilary Dugan, a professor of integrative biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A 2017 study by her team found that nearly half of the 284 freshwater lakes in their sample in the Northeast and Midwest had undergone “long-term salinization.” One in 10 of them reached a threshold where scientists worry about impacts on aquatic life.
CDC: Leading Causes Of Preventable Death Impact Rural Residents More
Wisconsin Public Radio
Noted: “When you look across these deaths you see this pattern of higher risk behaviors in rural communities and also less access to primary health care,” said Pat Remington, emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
How big is America’s household debt burden today? Overall, not so bad
PolitiFact
Noted: “Student loan debt growth has outpaced other consumer loan types and is now second only to mortgage debt in terms of magnitude of total debt,” said Cliff Robb, a professor at the University of Wisconsin who specializes in personal finance.
Lightning can help predict rapidly intensifying storms
Tampa Bay Tribune
Noted: “We’ve been amazed by the lightning mapper,” said Derrick Herndon, a hurricane satellite specialist at the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies in a May interview. “We’ve had lightning systems before but they didn’t have the resolution this mapper has and this is doing a much better job of tracking how lightning changes in the storms.”
Lands’ End sees positive results in a return to its classic roots
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: “I do think there are signs that they’re fixing some of the key problems,” said Hart Posen, a business professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who has long kept an eye on Lands’ End.
Wisconsinites show season of giving is year-round
NBC-15
Noted: Mary Beth Collins, an expert on nonprofits at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, suggested that the general interest in giving during the holidays were due to special opportunities as well as their greater visibility.
Discoveries of ‘forever’ chemicals are growing across Wisconsin
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: “They can move freely in the environment and that’s why they end up everywhere,” said Christy Remucal, an aquatic chemist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “We are going to be dealing with them for a really long time.”
Pollution cases involving ‘forever’ chemicals are growing across Wisconsin
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
PFAS compounds have highly desirable traits that can both repel water and oil. “They can move freely in the environment and that’s why they end up everywhere,” said Christy Remucal, an aquatic chemist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “We are going to be dealing with them for a really long time.”
11 trends that changed the way we read this decade
The Washington Post
Noted: In 2014, the University of Wisconsin at Madison’s School of Education found that less than 3 percent of newly published children’s books were about black people. For a group of minority authors and publishing insiders, it was high time to confront the unbearable whiteness of being.
Fathers should be screened for postpartum blues, too
Reuters
Quoted: “Depression among new dads is a problem that too often gets overlooked,” lead author Tova Walsh, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Reuters Health.
US raises tobacco age to 21
Channel 3000
Noted: Director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention Dr. Michael Fiore said raising the age to purchase tobacco products will protect young teens from permanent damage caused by nicotine.
Wisconsin’s Voting Battles Could Be Pivotal To 2020 Election : NPR
NPR
Quoted:A judge in Wisconsin has ordered the names of more than 200,000 people removed from voter rolls. The outcome could make a difference to President Trump’s reelection effort. Featuring: Barry Burden
5G Cell Service Will Screw Up Weather Forecasts
Buzzfeed News
Quoted: “It’s just physics,” meteorologist Jordan Gerth of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, told BuzzFeed News. “You can’t just tell water molecules to change the channel, or use another frequency.”
Artificial Intelligence Is Rushing Into Patient Care – And Could Raise Risks
Scientific American
Quoted: AI systems that learn to recognize patterns in data are often described as “black boxes” because even their developers don’t know how they have reached their conclusions. Given that AI is so new and many of its risks unknown the field needs careful oversight, said Pilar Ossorio, a professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
New Day Weekend With Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul
CNN, New Day
Quoted: New Day Weekend With Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul – Barry Burden/Univ of Wis/Madison
This is what it’s like waking up during surgery
Inverse
Quoted: General anesthesia, in contrast, aims to do just that, creating an unresponsive drug-induced coma or controlled unconsciousness that is deeper and more detached from reality even than sleep, with no memories of any events during that period. As Robert Sanders, an anesthetist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, puts it: “We’ve apparently ablated this period of time from that person’s experience.”
‘Stunning piece of propaganda’: Journalists blast One America News series
POLITICO
Quoted: “I think this completely crosses a line,” said professor Kathleen Culver, director for journalism ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
The Legacy of China’s One-Child Policy is an Aging Population
Radio Free Asia
Quoted: Yi Fuxian, an expert on Chinese population issues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that an aging population will mean less economic activity and more demand for resources to care for them.