Quoted: “Like a lot of good things, more and more people began to recognize that these are useful tools,” said Katy Culver, a UW-Madison journalism professor. “These are useful in lives; theyâ??re useful at work, and so more and more people began to adopt them. Also, I think the technology really changed.”
Noted: Potato blight was confirmed this week in a Dane County home garden, the third place the disease was found in potatoes in Wisconsin, a state official said Tuesday.
The Dane County case was found near Oregon in a garden that also had diseased tomatoes. The home is near an organic tomato operation that had been infected, UW-Madison plant pathologist Amanda Gevens said.
Quoted: Andrew Taylor, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Bolz Center for Arts Administration.
Want to ride out the recession? Think long-term.
That was Michael Kaiserâ??s advice to Wisconsin arts companies big and small Monday in the Capitol Theater in the Overture Center. Kaiser, head of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., is 21 cities into his cross-country “Arts in Crisis” tour. Heâ??ll eventually visit at least 65 cities.
(Also participating in the conversation: Andrew Taylor, head of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at UW-Madison)
As millions of students head back to campus this month, college and university health care workers are stocking up on masks and flu-fighting drugs such as Tamiflu as they encourage students to get both annual seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine in mid-October.A University of Wisconsin committee brainstormed how to get food to sequestered students in dorms and what routine appointments to halt at the student health center if thereâ??s an influx of flu patients, says epidemiologist Craig Roberts. “We think about it almost constantly.”
(Roberts is clinical assistant professor with the School of Medicine and Public Health at University Health Services.)
Quoted: University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin.
Tim Flood thinks oakleaf hydrangeas are wonderful plants. He has seen them thrive in parts of Milwaukee, Chicago and Madison, and heâ??s tried three times to grow them at his home in Watertown – without success.
“I suppose if I were to plant one on the east side of a nice brick structure with just the right micro-climate, I might get it to survive,” says Flood, a self-described “plant nerd” who has a bachelorâ??s degree in ornamental horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is vice president of the McKay Nursery Co. in Waterloo. “So I am not giving up.”When it comes to growing trees, shrubs and perennials, most experts agree you shouldnâ??t throw in the trowel too quickly.
“Plants can fail for many reasons,” says Ed Lyon, director of UW-Madisonâ??s Allen Centennial Gardens. “And many of those reasons can be avoided.”
Quoted: Charles Franklin, a University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor.
Quoted: At Eulau, as at several previously excavated Neolithic mass graves, â??the attackers seem to have been members of the same cultural group, perhaps neighbors,â? remarks anthropologist T. Douglas Price of the University of Wisconsinâ??Madison.
With so many options on the market for programs, pills and treatments to help you kick the habit, how can you tell which is the best method to use? Time asked Dr. Michael Fiore, a professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and founder of the schoolâ??s Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention.
Quoted: Dr. Gwen McIntosh, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said most kids experience some degree of homesickness when beginning college, especially if they are leaving their hometown or community.
Quoted: Cooperative efforts between states are difficult and unlikely because of the federalist system, said Dennis Dresang, a retired University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor who is an expert on federalism. Each state is unique, and merging laws, programs and regulations is difficult.
Quoted: Barry Burden, a professor of political science at University of Wisconsin-Madison who focuses his research on U.S. elections, says New York may be ripe for strategic voting, because it has a partisan split between upstate and downstate voters and a high volume of city residents owning upstate homes.
Quoted: With a history intertwined with the cityâ??s, the Progressiveâ??s leftist voice is one â??a lot of people in Madison pay attention to,â? said Katy Culver, a journalism teacher at UW-Madison.
Q. I saw some cloud pouches hanging down from another cloud. What are they?
A. There was a nice case of these lumpy lobes of clouds called mammatus about two weeks ago near sunset over Madison.
Quoted: The state hasnâ??t had any outbreaks of late blight since 2002, according to UW-Madison plant pathologist Amanda Gevens.
Q: Are there more food recalls now? Why?
A: 2009 has been a big year for food recalls, largely because salmonella-contaminated dried milk, pistachio nuts and peanut products affected thousands of items in a wide variety of food products, says Kathleen Glass, a microbiologist and associate director of the Food Research Institute at UW-Madison. “If you have a single whole food, from one manufacturing plant or one farm, the contamination event will have a much smaller effect.”
Quoted: UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin noted that Doyleâ??s approval rating in voter polls hovered at around 45 percent through his first term and reached 55 percent following his 2006 re-election, but is now at 31 percent following last yearâ??s economic meltdown.
The stateâ??s wasp population seems to be down this year, possibly because of the wetter spring and cooler summer.
Phil Pellitteri is a bug expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He says every summer he gets calls about wasp problems from farmerâ??s markets or outdoor restaurants. He says this year he hasnâ??t gotten any complaints.
Quoted: The observation is echoed by Peter Carstensen, an antitrust expert at the University of Wisconsin law school who closely watches the dairy industry.
“Where there is a competitive market for buying milk, dairy farmers are paid more. When DFA comes to dominate a market, then farmers are paid less. Monopolists behave like monopolies,” Carstensen says.
Quoted: “That story is a great story for any candidate, and theyâ??d love to have that,” said University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin.
The state’s wasp population seems to be down this year, possibly because of the wetter spring and cooler summer.
Phil Pellitteri is a bug expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He says every summer he gets calls about wasp problems from farmer’s markets or outdoor restaurants. He says this year he hasn’t gotten any complaints.
An historic plant disease that wiped out the Irish potato crop generations ago has been found in two commercial potato fields in Wisconsin.
The disease, phytophthora infestans, or late blight, has been confined to tomato plants here, so the discovery of the disease in two potato fields in two separate Wisconsin counties is raising concerns from state agriculture officials who are recommending homeowners destroy any tomato plants in their garden that show signs of late blight.
Quoted: University of Wisconsin-Madison plant pathologist Amanda Gevens
Quoted: Nationwide, roughly 30 percent of PhDâ??s in mathematical sciences are awarded to women compared with 5 percent in the 1950â??s, according to Janet Mertz, University of Wisconsin-Madison professor and co-author of the June study “Gender, Culture, and Mathematics Performance.”But while that may sound like a success, todayâ??s figure isnâ??t a lot higher than the period between 1890 and World War II, when 15 to 20 percent of top math degrees went to women, Mertz said. After the war women were told to give up their “Rosie the Riveter” jobs doing “menâ??s workâ??”to returning veterans ,and the volume of women continuing in these jobs and pursuing degrees in math plummeted.
Quoted: “I’m always getting calls about wasp problems, but this year, I’m not hearing a thing from the farmer’s markets or outdoor restaurants or some of the other places where they usually have problems,” said Phil Pellitteri, the extension entomologist with the University of Wisconsin, who monitors insect populations through a state diagnostic laboratory that he operates.
Quoted: As members of congress make use of their August recess to meet with their constituents, UW-Madison political science professor Ken Mayer says anger at such political forums is nothing new.
Quoted: “Every dollar you give in compensation is a dollar you canâ??t spend on programs and curatorial work,” said Andrew Taylor, director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at the University of Wisconsin.
People appear divided on how health care should be changed and whether the Obama administration is doing a good job on the issue. Recent polls suggest the heated town hall exchanges may have had an impact on people’s perception on how Congress and the president are doing on health care.
Audio: Charles Franklin: Professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He’s the co-founder of Pollster.com.
Quoted: “With him out, it actually allows national forces to come play a bigger role,” said University of Wisconsin-Madison political Science professor Charles Franklin.
Quoted: Prof. Ann Hoyt, an economist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who has done extensive research on cooperatives in many industries, said they could serve a useful purpose in health care â?? just as credit unions compete effectively with banks, prompting them to offer higher interest rates on deposits and lower rates on loans.
Video: The race for the next Governor is already on the minds of those in Wisconsin.
Professor Charles Franklin of the UW Political Science Department joined us on 27 news at 6 to put it all in perspective.
Video: University of Wisconsin political scientist Charles Franklin discusses Gov. Jim Doyleâ??s decision not to run for another term.
The news that Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle would not seek a third term as governor touched off a political scramble Sunday, with his decision promising to rattle not only the race for governor but shake up the rest of the ticket as well. Also quotes UW-Madison political scientist Charles Franklin.
Quoted: “It used to be a big deal to see a million dollars a day spent in a presidential campaign, and we wouldnâ??t see that till after Labor Day,” said Ken Goldstein, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin who tracks advertising. To see many millions being spent each day in August, he said, underscores how high the stakes are.
Quoted: Alfonso Morales, an “open air market” specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said more and more people are trying to turn bric-a-brac — miscellaneous small articles collected for sentimental or decorative interest — into cash to cope with the harsh new reality of lost jobs, slashed hours and dwindling incomes.
Quoted: Charles Franklin, professor of political science at University of Wisconsin-Madison, noted that Doyle had struggled with his approval rating, which Franklin said had fallen into the low 30s in the past few months.
“It’s not at all clear anybody could have been a very popular governor given the budget and economic crises he faced in both terms,” said Franklin, a co-developer of pollster.com.
Quoted: Figure out your take-home pay after taxes and budget accordingly, said Michael Collins, a UW-Madison assistant professor of personal finance.
Many people know only their salary â?? an inflated number that gives you a false sense of wealth.
Quoted: UW-Madison political expert Charles Franklin said, with no incumbent, Wisconsinâ??s race for governor will be one of the most closely-watched in the country.
â??Clearly, both sides will be able to raise lots of money for their primaries,â? Franklin said.
Quoted: â??This should be one of (the) three or four (most competitive) races in the country,â? said UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin. â??Itâ??s hard to say itâ??s the top one, but it certainly ought to be on the top of everybodyâ??s list.â?
Q: How big is space?
A: Space is probably infinite, but we can see only the part that contains stars or galaxies whose light has been able to reach us, says Francis Halzen, a professor of physics at UW-Madison. The universe originated about 13.7 billion years ago with the Big Bang, so light cannot have been traveling for more than 13.7 billion years. “Since we know how old the universe is,” Halzen says, “and the speed of light, we can calculate the size of space we can see.
Noted: “We have a lot of students and staff and faculty who actually ask us how they can keep their laptops safe,” said Brian Rust, with the UW’s information technology group, Do IT.
Rust said security means more than just physicially locking the laptop up.
“You know, about all a cable lock will do is slow somebody down,” said Rust.
University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin said that should Gov. Jim Doyle elect not to seek a third term, his decision could actually benefit Wisconsin voters in the upcoming gubernatorial race.
“Because if Doyle were running for re-election, it would inevitably be a referendum on him,” said Franklin. “With him out of the race, it can be a competition between Republican philosophies and Democratic philosophies.”
Quoted: “Democrats will say â??we did the best we could in tough times and we have a vision for the future.â?? Republicans will say â??we would have done a much better job and hereâ??s our alternative view of the future,â??” said Charles Franklin, UW Political Science professor.
Quoted: Bioethicist Rob Streiffer of the University of Wisconsin-Madison
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Struggling with budget shortfalls that reach into the billions, several states are making deep cuts in college financial aid programs, including those that provide a vital source of cash for students who most need the money.
At least a dozen states are reducing award sizes, eliminating grants and tightening eligibility guidelines because of a lack of money. At the same time, the number of students seeking aid is rising sharply as more people seek a college education and need help paying the tuition bill because they or their parents lost jobs and savings during the recession.
Quoted: Assistant professor of educational policy studies Sara Goldrick-Rab, an expert on financial aid
Two murals at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Joliet — “The Agony in the Garden” and “The Ascension” — are getting an old look.
Tony Rajer, art conservator, author and part-time instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, began work on the paintings Aug. 3. Rajer estimates it will take six weeks, thousands of cotton swabs and about $15,000 to restore the murals that had been painted over in the 1970s. When complete, Rajer will apply a preservative coating to the murals.
Quoted: Amanda Gevens, a University of Wisconsin-Madison plant pathologist.
Gov. Jim Doyleâ??s chief legal counsel resigned yesterday after the Republican Party of Wisconsin filed a complaint with state regulators alleging that she was practicing law without a license.
â??Chandra Miller Fienen has voluntarily tendered her resignation. She realizes that she has placed this office in a difficult position,â? Doyle spokesman Lee Sensenbrenner said in a statement.
Quoted: UW-Madison professor of law and political science Howard Schweber
Here’s a swell idea (or not) for recent college grads having trouble finding a job: Sue the school from which you earned a degree. That’s what Trina Thompson is doing. According to an Aug. 2 article in the New York Post, the 27-year-old Thompson filed a lawsuit in Bronx Supreme Court late last month against Monroe College, which is based in the Bronx.
Thompson is seeking the $70,000 she spent on tuition, plus $2,000 for the emotional stress associated with an unsuccessful job search over the past three months. She says she has been unable to find gainful employment since earning her bachelor of business administration degree in information technology in April and claims the school’s Office of Career Advancement hasn’t provided her with the leads and career advice it promised.
Quoted: Steve Schroeder, director of UW-Madison’s Business Career Center, and John Archambault, director of career services in the College of Engineering.
Q. How long can bacteria live outside humans?
A. Bacteria have vastly different survival abilities, says Jeri Barak, an assistant professor of plant pathology at UW-Madison. Many species normally live in soil or water, but some of those that live in the human intestinal tract display extreme longevity outside the body.
Quoted: According to Joe Elder, a professor of sociology and a specialist on Pakistan at the University of Wisconsin, Mehsud has likely been under extreme surveillance for a long time now, whereas bin Laden has remained a moving target.
“With the assistance of Pakistani intelligence it’s much easier to track down and follow the head of the Pakistani Taliban. Many of them have been residing in the region for a long time,” said Elder. “It’s his home turf, so it’s an easier target.”
Quoted: Dr. Jonathan Temte, a family physician at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a member of the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, said much of the flu vaccine supply is routinely ordered early in the year, but he thinks large HMOs, university clinics and drugstore chains have been making big orders to get patients in early.
Quoted: “DEET has been used for a very long time with very few bad outcomes,” added Susan Paskewitz, a professor of entomology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. “People have killed themselves by drinking it, but you can do that with alcohol or salt. And a few have had neurological symptoms after application for long periods and high doses.”
Quoted: Peter Carstensen, a professor of law at the University of Wisconsin and an expert in antitrust laws, says he’s seen troubling developments in the U.S. dairy industry.
“And one of my recurring concerns has been the way in which dairy markets have become concentrated, with mergers that have created the present Dean Foods being a major source of concern,” Carstensen says. “I have expressed repeatedly my concerns that something should be done.”
“The bottom line is that these numbers are interesting,” said Frank Greer of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, who served on a panel that recently doubled the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for daily vitamin-D intake. “But I’m not ready to make a great hue and cry until we have more data. I think we should use them for further research to determine their significance.”
Quoted: Richard Slaughter, director of the UW-Madison Geology Museum, said Cave of the Mounds is a â??tour de force,â? in its geological education â?? providing thousands of children each year with their first cave experience.
Quoted: â??Weâ??re still independent,â? UW-Madison political science professor Kathy Cramer Walsh said of the state electorate Friday.
Quoted: UW-Madison researcher Steve Carpenter says the higher temperature shouldn’t affect walleye and perch.
Q: How many galaxies have humans discovered?
A: “We donâ??t know,” says Ed Churchwell, professor of astronomy at UW-Madison. “We know itâ??s a very large number.”
A new public opinion poll shows President Obama losing support in Wisconsin, more than he has nationally.
UW-Madison polling expert Charles Franklin says the report by Survey USA is in line with what other public opinion samplings have been showing lately, but it is worse in Wisconsin for the president.
