Governor Scott Walker today visited the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Great Lake Cheese to award $700,000 state grants to support and promote entrepreneurship within the state’s $43 billion dairy industry.
Tag: featured
Caught in Trump’s Trade Fight: GE Factories in Wisconsin, South Carolina
Quoted: In Wisconsin, makers of industrial equipment and parts are also seeing costs rise with tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum and lumber, said Noah Williams, director of the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy.
That Time In The Middle Ages When The Devil Became A Lawyer
Quoted: This might seem like strange territory for a historian of the European Middle Ages but it’s one that’s quite familiar to Prof. Karl Shoemaker from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focus is medieval law, and he says that just this debate – how should the law be applied – was one that people of the period thought about almost constantly.
Ultrathin “stealth sheet” can hide and fake heat signatures
Metamaterials that cloak people and objects from radar, visible light or infrared are usually thick and heavy, but now engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed an ultrathin, lightweight sheet that absorbs heat signatures and can even present false ones.
Vietnam War: Wisconsin student turns paper into book on state’s MIA soldiers
MADISON – A news story posted on Facebook jolted Erin Miller when she read it in 2014.
College-money lessons you didn’t learn in high school
Quoted: A spending plan shows how overspending one week will leave you with a cash shortage the next week. Even a $50 shortfall can feel stressful, says J. Michael Collins, faculty director for the Center for Financial Security at University of Wisconsin, Madison.
The Supreme Court decided not to decide Wisconsin’s gerrymandering case. But here’s why it will be back.
On Monday, the Supreme Court surprised observers by deciding not to decide Gill v. Whitford, the high-profile case about partisan gerrymandering in Wisconsin. Instead, the court remanded the case back to Wisconsin district court to give the plaintiffs “an opportunity” to provide better evidence about whether they had the right to bring the suit at all.
By Barry Burden and David Canon
Military families can teach us about the cost of family separations
Piece co-written by Tova Walsh, an assistant professor of Social Work and Affiliate of the Center for Child and Family Well-Being.
Supreme Court faces major decision on partisan gerrymandering
Quoted: Though both cases involve challenges to partisan gerrymandering, Barry Burden, a political science professor and director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the justices could be having a hard time reconciling the different legal theories being argued.
Burden: No bright line ruling likely on SCOTUS gerrymandering cases
The U.S. Supreme Court soon may redefine how legislators get elected to office. Two high-profile cases that seek to rein in partisan gerrymandering are slated for decisions by late June. The rulings could be landmarks. But, however the court comes out, the fight against gerrymandering will be far from over.
Bees, climate change and Amish children: What do these UW projects have in common?
Studies of bees, climate change and Amish children are among the eight projects out of 70 receiving grants from one of UW-Madison’s largest endowments.
Some of Africa’s Biggest Baobab Trees Are Dying Off
Noted: Baobabs, especially old ones, can be more vulnerable to drought than their grizzled appearance might suggest, says David Baum, an ecologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But more evidence is needed, he says, to strengthen the link between climate change and the baobab deaths.
Study: In 2016, Wisconsin’s job market improved but the state’s poverty rate increased
Despite a robust job market, Wisconsin’s poverty rate increased to 10.8% in 2016, compared to 9.7% in 2015, according to a report released Friday by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Promises on North Korea are easy to make but hard to keep. Here’s why.
The June 12 summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in Singapore seems back on the calendar. But it’s not likely to result in the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Andrew Kydd is a professor in the University of Wisconsin’s department of political science.
Earth’s days used to be just 18 hours long, but the Moon changed that
If you’ve ever felt like there just aren’t enough hours in the day just be glad that you didn’t live on Earth 1.4 billion years ago. A new study led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin – Madison reveals that ancient Earth had much shorter days, and the 24-hour days that we experience in modern times come courtesy of the Moon.
A day used to be less than 19 hours long 1.4 billion years ago
t’s not just you – the days really are getting longer. More than a billion years ago, the moon used to be about 40,000 kilometres closer, which made Earth spin faster. Back then, the days were less than 19 hours long. (Paywall)
The days are getting longer – but very, very slowly
As the Earth’s rotation gradually winds down, the moon moves further away. Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Stephen Meyers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Alberto Malinverno at Columbia University in New York calculate that over the past 1.4bn years the moon has drifted about 44,000km from Earth to a distance of 384,400km
Innovative UW researchers win Shaw science awards
Two researchers at UW-Madison have been selected as recipients of the 2018 Shaw Scientist Awards, each getting $200,000 in seed funding to continue their innovative research work.
Revealed: Why days on Earth are getting longer
As the moon moves away, the Earth is like a spinning figure skater who slows down as they stretch their arms out, explained Professor Stephen Meyers, professor of geoscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Think days are short now? They once lasted just 18 hours
“As the moon moves away, the Earth is like a spinning figure skater who slows down as they stretch their arms out,” explained Professor Stephen Meyers, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
No lie-in this morning? Thank the Moon’s gravitational pull
“As the moon moves away, the Earth is like a spinning figure skater who slows down as they stretch their arms out,” said Stephen Meyers, co-author of the study and a geoscience professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Falling short on time? Earth might have 25 hours in a day in the future
The study author of geoscience Stephen Meyers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison explained the relation between Earth’s spin and the location of Moon as that of a spinning figure skater and his arms. The way skater slows down his spinning speed by stretching his arms out, the spinning speed of Earth is slowing down as the moon is distancing itself from the planet.
The Moon is causing days on Earth to get longer
Using a new statistical method called astrochronology, astronomers peered into Earth’s deep geologic past and reconstructed the planet’s history. This work revealed that, just 1.4 billion years ago, the moon was significantly closer to Earth, which made the planet spin faster. As a result, a day on Earth lasted just over 18 hours back then, according to a statement from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Can state force Foxconn to install solar panels for public use?
Quoted: Jack Huddleston, emeritus professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said trying to re-open negotiations now would be “pretty risky” for the state.
Watch in Real Time as American Airlines 1897 Tries to Escape a Hail Storm From Hell
Noted: Rick Kohrs, a graphic artist at NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, created this image of the plane’s “terrifying track.” He superimposed AA 1897’s flight path from Flight Aware with weather data from GOES-16, the latest sat from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) program. These sats capture storms as they develop, giving meteorologists a space-based tool to predict storms and warn people about ones that exist.
How the Moon may one day give us 25-hour days
forgets memory cardResearchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have worked out that around 1.4 billion years ago, a day on Earth lasted 18 hours. “This is at least in part because the Moon was closer and changed the way the Earth spun around its axis,” the Daily Mirror reports.
Map-making on a budget
Shanan Peters, a geologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, is the principal investigator on the Macrostrat project, which is an online encyclopaedic atlas for geological data. Although most of the Macrostrat mapping data are publicly available, importing them required “a fair bit of time”, Peters says.
Days are longer than they used to be due to moon moving away from earth, study finds
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that 1.4 billion years ago the moon orbited much closer to the planet, altering the way it spins on its axis.The study also said the moon will continue to move away from Earth, making our days even longer.
The Moon Is Making Every Day on Earth Longer Than the Last, Study Shows
The new study, co-authored by Stephen Meyers, Ph.D., a professor of geoscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Alberto Malinverno, Ph.D., a research professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, isn’t just about the moon. The researchers initially set out to find a way to accurately study the many phases that our planet has undergone since its beginning, both in terms of its geology and its place in the solar system.
Wish you had more time in the day? A day on Earth could soon last 25 HOURS – and it’s thanks to the moon
Study author Professor of geoscience Stephen Meyers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said: “As the moon moves away, the Earth is like a spinning figure skater who slows down as they stretch their arms out.”
Days Are Longer Now Because the Moon Moves Away from Earth (Study)
Once upon a time, when the moon was closer to our planet, a day only had 18 hours. According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers, about 1.4 billion years ago, the moon was orbiting Earth a lot closer than it is now, altering the way it spins on its axis.
Moon to give us longer days
Study author Professor of geoscience Stephen Meyers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said: “As the moon moves away, the Earth is like a spinning figure skater who slows down as they stretch their arms out.”
An unintended consequence of the GOP tax law: bigger pensions for some
Because of the new tax law, many companies got more serious about saving for retirement last year. According to a new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the GOP tax bill likely led some companies to increase their defined-benefit pension contributions in 2017.
UW makes worldwide reputation list again
UW-Madison has once again been recognized as one of the world’s top learning institutions.
Studies of space, hearing and DNA attract $1 million awards
Three researchers share the neuroscience prize for studying how we hear: A. James Hudspeth of the Rockefeller University in New York, Robert Fettiplace of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Christine Petit of the College of France and the Pasteur Institute in Paris. They provided insights into how cells of the inner ear transform sound into electrical signals the brain can interpret.
Avoiding GMO food might be tougher than you think
Quoted: The USDA only just announced how they would require manufacturers to disclose GM ingredients, though the law was enacting back in 2016, and the new rules don’t use the term “GMO” or even “GM.” Instead, they opt for “BE” or “bioengineered,” perhaps to avoid using loaded terminology. “I’m not sure how much people will know that term,” says Dominique Brossard, a communications professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison specializing in life science issues like GMOs. “I don’t think it’s going to be very easy for people to find out [which foods are genetically modified].”
Our lives depend on carbon capture. But the tech is far from ready.
Meeting the climate goals of the Paris Agreement is going to be nearly impossible without removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
-Gregory Nemet is an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Trump applying 19th-century remedies to 21st-century problems
Is it a trade dispute with China, or is it a trade war? If the latter, is it on hold, or not? The flip-flops in America’s trade relationship with China are coming in ever more frequently, as President Trump issues and rescinds threats.
-Menzie Chinn is a professor of public affairs and economics at the University of Wisconsin. His research examines the empirical and policy aspects of macroeconomic interactions between countries.
For love of country
Emmanuel Urey could not read until he was a teenager. He grew up in a tiny, impoverished and embattled village called Gormue in an isolated part of Liberia. Only when he and his family fled to Guinea to escape the civil war destroying his country did Urey finally have access to a school.
Is Mental Illness Hereditary?
In 2013, a study funded by the National Institute of Health found that five mental disorders — autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia — share genetic roots. And in 2015, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison studied a family of rhesus monkeys and concluded the risk of developing anxiety is passed from parents to their children.
New Study Connects Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder To Higher Risk Of Other Health Issues
New research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center found that adults living with autism spectrum disorder may face a higher risk of developing certain health issues — like cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive problems — than the rest of the population.
Further proof that triclosan is bad for us: the common ingredient in toothpaste and soaps has been linked with colon cancer and gut inflammation
Our team and researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison used germ-free mice—which have absolutely no bacteria in their gut—and found that feeding triclosan to these animals had no effect. This finding suggests that the harmful effects of triclosan are due to changes in the microbiome.
Estonia Is About To Roll Out Free Public Transport Across The Whole Country
Quoted: “It makes sense to have free public transport paid for by taxation, as it’s beneficial for the whole of society, not only those who use public transportation,” says João Peschanski, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who has examined free public transit systems around the world.
Morgridge Institute launches virology center
The Morgridge Institute for Research at UW-Madison has created a center to expand research on viruses and develop drugs or vaccines that target families of viruses.
The concept of a thousand-year rainstorm is legitimate but limited. Here’s what you should understand about it
Quoted: A 1,000-year rain event, as its name implies, is exceptionally rare. It signifies just a 0.1 percent chance of such an event happening in any given year. “Or, a better way to think about it is that 99.9 percent of the time, such an event will never happen,” explained Shane Hubbard, a meteorological researcher at University of Wisconsin’s Space Science and Engineering Center.
Starbucks closed more than 8,000 stores for an afternoon of bias training. Will it work?
Quoted: The short answer: It’s hard to say. One of the biggest problems with bias training is that so few people have evaluated whether it’s effective, said Patricia Devine, a professor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison who focuses on how to manage prejudice in society. Some studies have also found that, when done the wrong way, these kinds of trainings can actually make the problem worse.
Major Decisions Remain On The U.S. Supreme Court’s Docket For June
Quoted: Through the end of June, justices are expected to hand down decisions on 29 more cases, said Ryan Owens, a professor of political science and affiliate law faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The next opinion day is scheduled for Monday, June 4, Owens said, and decisions will likely come every other day after that.
Wisconsin Milk Production Slows As Tough Prices, Snowy Spring Take A Toll On Farms
Quoted: Bob Cropp, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the slowdown in milk production is good for milk prices, which have remained at low levels for the last three years thanks to an abundance of milk on the market.
Resilience is the new happiness
For adults, developing resilience might make all the difference between keeping a job or burning out. A small May 2018 study from researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds, published in Frontiers for Psychology, found that as little as two weeks of “compassion meditation” made subjects more resilient in the face of human suffering, meaning they were able to look at struggle non-judgmentally and respond with compassion rather than becoming distraught themselves.
University of Wisconsin researchers study bats, mosquitoes
A recently published study by University of Wisconsin researchers found the bats they studied ate 17 different types of mosquitoes, including nine that are potential carriers of the West Nile Virus.
Demand For Wisconsin Farm Land Remains Strong
Quoted: “That surprised me,” said Arlin Brannstrom, associate professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “I thought there would be some dampening in that enthusiasm for land ownership given the weak prices we’ve seen for agricultural commodities, in particular milk. But I think there’s still a lot of demand.”
How to be happy without earning more
Hsee says that research with University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Bowen Ruan and Zoe Y. Lu reveals a nuance in the relationship between curiosity and happiness.
Chancellor Rebecca Blank: Wisconsin and the future of undergraduate education
Public education has been one of our greatest success stories as a nation.Our country pioneered in making public elementary and high schools available to all children and created land-grant public universities that made college possible for citizens from all backgrounds.
A mesmerizing story
Shawn Francis Peters couldn’t believe his luck. After writing 2012’s The Catonsville Nine: A Story of Faith and Resistance in the Vietnam Era (Oxford University Press), the instructor in UW-Madison’s Integrated Liberal Studies Program was searching for an intriguing Upper Midwest-based true-crime subject when Harry Hayward entered his life.
Attention, America: We’ve All Been Saying Gerrymander Wrong
Barry Burden, director of the University of Wisconsin’s Elections Research Center , finds his students and fellow academics puzzled when he uses the hard G in speeches and lectures. “Sometimes a person will ask, ‘What word did you just say? What is that word?’” Mr. Burden said.
Why Facebook will never die
Quoted: “Almost everybody comes back,” says Catalina Toma, associate professor of communication science at the University of Wisconsin. “Social networking sites tap into what makes us human: we like to connect with others.”
The 10 best cities for new grads starting out
Madison is #1. Wisconsin’s capital has lots of young educated adults, in part because it’s home to the state’s flagship campus, the University of Wisconsin. Combined with its low unemployment rate and high percentage of workers in management, business, science or arts jobs, Madison vaults to the top. Though its median income for those 25 and older with bachelor’s degrees, $46,275, is average among other cities in the top 10, the median gross rent, $981, is relatively affordable. As a result, rent as a percentage of income, 25%, is among the lowest in the top 10, and about average for all cities in this analysis.
Structural Dynamics Challenges in Launch
Matt Allen, Associate Professor in Engineering Physics at UW-Madison, discusses the physics behind rocket design. Allen highlights the structural dynamics, the vibration limits, and the amount of engine thrust that is necessary to successfully launch a spacecraft into space.
New study suggests future hurricanes will be slower and wetter as Earth warms
Quoted: Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas on Aug. 26, 2017, and lingered in the region for nearly a week. As much as 60 inches of rain fell in the storm, setting a U.S. rainfall record. More than 20 inches of rain fell across about 29,000 square miles. No storm rivals Harvey, said Shane Hubbard, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin who made and mapped that calculation.
Don Blankenship Announces Third-Party Bid for West Virginia Senate Seat
Quoted: “It looks to me like West Virginia intended for there to be a ban on sore losers, including in legislation this year. It looks like they were intended to stop someone like Blankenship,” said Barry C. Burden, the director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “However, the law is not written perfectly.”