This week, stories about people trying their best to turn themselves into something else—like a badger. Or a professional comedian, in a language they didn’t grow up speaking.
Becoming a Badger
This American Life
Tag: featured
UW-Madison engineering student receives awards for developing noise cancellation theory
Daily Cardinal
UW-Madison formally congratulated Chris Nguyen, a fourth-year biomedical engineering major, Monday morning at Engineering Hall for winning the grand prize in General Electric’s “Unimpossible Missions: The University Edition” competition.The challenge asked participants to debunk common idioms such as “A snowball’s chance in hell,” or, for Nguyen, “You can’t unring a bell.” Noise cancellation technology and research on sound waves were used to help Nguyen support his theory.
2016 Could Be Fact-Checking’s Finest Year—If Anyone Listens
Wired
Noted: “We don’t behave at all like the ideal picture of engaged citizens neutrally and dispassionately analyzing the evidence before casting their ballot,” says Lucas Graves, a journalism professor at the University of Wisconsin and author of Deciding What’s True: The Rise of Political Fact-Checking in American Journalism.. “It’s not how people work.”
Why Supermarket Bacon Hides Its Glorious Fat
Bloomberg
Quoted: “We’ve had the [rear window] regulation now for 40-some years,” said Andy Milkowski, who worked in research and development at Oscar Mayer for three decades and currently teaches in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “It’s one of those automatic things you don’t even think about. But people understand what bacon is. They understand that when they fry it up, it’s going to have a lot of fat.” Exactly. Maybe it’s time for a package that embraces that reality.
To stop sexual assault, alcohol abuse and racism, UW encourages bystanders to act
Wisconsin State Journal
If your friend has had a few too many beers, you can take away his glass, or suggest going to get some food to distract him from drinking more.
‘Facebook needs an editor’: media experts urge change after photo dispute
The Guardian
Noted: Still, it’s in Facebook’s best interest in the long run to become a reliable and reputable system for news, said Kathleen Culver, director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
For millennials, 9/11 and its aftermath shaped their view of the world
The Allentown, Pa. Morning Call
Noted: Connie Flanagan, a University of Wisconsin professor who studies young adults and civic identity, said the most reliable predictor of volunteerism, voting and other forms of engagement are the everyday values families share with their children at a young age. But she also acknowledged the importance of reflection that begins in the mid- to late teens as young adults face leaving home and think seriously about what they want to do with their lives.
Mike Leckrone & the UW Marching Band “Wake Up” WKOW viewers during Badger Bash
WKOW-TV 27
You could say his face is just as famous as Bucky’s… UW Marching Band Director Mike Leckrone says the band is rearing to go for this season at Camp Randall.
Sotomayor reflects being on the high court during UW-Madison visit
WKOW-TV 27
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor called her job a “blessing and a curse” while speaking to a packed theater on University of Wisconsin-Madison’s campus Thursday.
Professor talks about 50th anniversary of ‘Star Trek’
WISC-TV 3
Derek Johnson, associate professor of media and culture studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison, talks about the 50th anniversary of Star Trek on Live at Four.
Sotomayor: More needed on adequate representation
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor told a crowd Thursday that the nation should do more to make sure people have adequate legal representation.
Pick ’em For Yourself And The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry
WXPR-FM, Rhinelander
If you want to get your hands dirty next week you can get some food for yourself and benefit local food pantries. The UW-Madison Agricultural Research Station east of Rhinelander, along with the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association and area food pantries host a ’A Night On The Farm’.
‘I’m A Justice, But Also A Human,’ Sotomayor Says At UW-Madison
Wisconsin Public Radio
United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor made the nation’s highest court seem much more human during her remarks Thursday at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Who decides what’s true in politics? A history of the rise of political fact-checking
Poynter.org
Fact-checking may have gone mainstream in recent years, but it’s still controversial. That’s according to Lucas Graves, a professor and former magazine journalist who wrote the newly released “Deciding What’s True: The Rise of Political Fact-Checking in American Journalism.”
UW partners with WPT for show on new farming challenges
Wisconsin State Farmer
The University of Wisconsin–Madison and Wisconsin Public Television have partnered for “Wisconsin’s Homegrown Farmer,” a program about the challenges facing a new generation of farmers that will begin airing Sept. 8.
UW-Madison research team receives grant to study reversal of blindness
Wisconsin State Journal
A research team at UW-Madison was selected to work on a project designed to reverse blindness.
Biegel: Here’s to You, Madison
The Players' Tribune
In Madison, if you put your ear to the ground, you can hear it. If you close your eyes on a fall night, you can hear it. If you wander down Monroe Street, you can hear it.
The 10 Best Universities on Twitter
Universities.com
Ranked No. 10, UW-Madison: This university has pride like none other. While many fail at the art of bragging modestly, UW-Madison proves through retweets from current students and big name publications like TIME, that whether it be their gorgeous sunsets or their outsourcing of the top CEOs, they are proud of their accomplishments.
UW-Madison Marching Band preps for big weekend in Green Bay
WKOW-TV 27
With more than 50 hours of sweat and two-a-days, the badger marching band is preparing for a busy weekend ahead.
Badgers sports: Lee Evans, Jeff Sauer among 8 members in UW’s Hall of Fame Class of 2016
Wisconsin State Journal
The University of Wisconsin announced eight new members as part of its Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2016 on Monday.
New UW Director of Community Relations Seeks to Fill Everett Mitchell’s “Beautiful Vision”
Madison365
“I’m having all of these introductory meetings across the city, the county, and campus and all of these people I’m meeting are visionaries,” says Leslie Orrantia. “Whether its leaders of faith communities, leaders on campus, civic leaders … these people are saying that Madison has it. We can make it in Madison. That makes me very excited.”
New rules for small drones set by FAA
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: “The new regulations remove the requirement for a pilot’s license with a new license called the remote pilot command license, which is really just a written exam,” said drone expert Chris Johnson, a University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering professor and pilot. “It’s not actually flight training, which has been the requirement up to now.”
Map librarian finds 1966 crash site
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Fifty years ago this November, a B-52 Stratofortress bomber crashed into a hill in Wisconsin’s Northwoods, killing all nine people on board.
Families grow with ‘snowflake’ adoptions
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: According to Alta Charo, professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the idea of embryo adoption is morally acceptable to most people. Even those who consider in vitro fertilization objectionable often consider the leftover embryos as humans deserving dignity and life. The Catholic Church, for example, has been at the forefront condemning in vitro fertilization, but has no official position on embryonic adoption.
Wisconsin’s Veterans Law Center finds a new way to go where it’s needed
Big Ten Network
It was a phone call that Laura Smythe was tired of receiving. Every week, Smythe was fielding numerous calls from veterans or their family members or their friends, all with a similar refrain. While they had heard about the University of Wisconsin’s Veterans Law Center and were in need of its help, they lacked a means of transportation to get to one of the monthly clinics the center held in Madison.
Our view: Increase investment in UW
LaCrosse Tribune
It’s time for Wisconsin to increase its investment in its public universities. After too many years of huge cuts by both Democrats and Republicans, the University of Wisconsin System deserves the additional $42.5 million investment it is seeking in the next state budget. The key word is investment.
Statewide K-9 training held at Camp Randall Stadium
WKOW-TV 27
Law enforcement agencies from around the state got ready for Badgers football game days at Camp Randall Stadium with a special training session.
The Interesting Way Curiosity Can Improve Your Health
Huffington Post
Noted: Are you squirming a little? Curiosity piqued? If you’re still reading to find out the answer to the riddle, you may exemplify a form of motivation identified in many psychology research findings, more recently a study led by Evan Polman, Ph.D., an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Big Question: Is Justice Department Right To Close Privately-Run Prisons?
WPR
Noted: Interview with Professor Cecelia Klingele. Private prisons are less safe and less effective than government-run prisons, according to the United States Department of Justice, and will soon no longer be used by the federal government.
Eyes in the sky
Isthmus
A new generation of satellites is sending back an unheralded amount of data, measuring air pollution, pollen, smoke and much more. But is anyone paying attention? And is the data even available? NASA recently tapped Tracey Holloway, a UW-Madison environmental studies professor, to make sense of the data.
Jorgensen dominates Olympic triathlon: Badgers alumna wins as favorite
Duluth News Tribune
Hot favorite Gwen Jorgensen produced the perfect race to win the Olympic women’s triathlon gold on Saturday, the American unusually staying with her rivals on the bike before surging clear of defending champion Nicola Spirig-Hug on the run.
Berquam: UW program benefits all students
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Christian Schneider’s Aug. 12 column dismissing the value of programs promoting cultural understanding at universities read like it was inspired by the sort of touchy-feely “diversity training” lampooned on TV shows like “The Office.”What we’re actually doing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison this year is quite different. The issues we’re addressing are real and the new Our Wisconsin program is a rational, evidence-driven response to them.
Inside the epic quest for a more perfect taffy
Washington Post
If you’re hitting the beach this August, you may find yourself indulging in one of those characteristic treats of America’s boardwalks: saltwater taffy, made by a process conventionally known as “pulling” taffy. But if you’re a fluid dynamics professor at the University of Wisconsin, you might prefer to characterize it as “mixing” — mixing air with sugar, essentially. And you might start to get curious about the mesmerizing spirograph patterns traced by the rods on those taffy machines, and wonder, above all else, if there isn’t a more efficient way to achieve that silky result.
UW-Madison lab partners with teachers to create educational video games
Capital Times
Field Day Lab, a team of developers, researchers and engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, wants to change that. By working with middle school science teachers across the state, the team developed nine video games, released this week, that better suit student and teacher needs.
Olympics: Former UW runner Evan Jager earns silver medal in steeplechase with ‘perfect race’
Wisconsin State Journal
Evan Jager knows steeplechase history about as well as anyone.
ESPN GameDay to kick off at Lambeau Field
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
ESPN College GameDay will kick off the 2016 season at Lambeau Field.
D’Amato: Ex-Badger Evan Jager wins steeplechase silver
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The steeplechase has carried the stigma of being a last resort for American distance runners who can’t quite cut it in the faster 1,500 meters or the nobler 5K. Few actually aspire to run the 3,000-meter race, with its 28 leg-sapping barriers and seven water jumps. It’s always tough. It’s seldom pretty.
Why making a backup plan may set you up to fail
The Washington Post
Landing your dream job is a daunting prospect for anyone. So you might be forgiven for thinking that the smartest thing to do when pursuing an ambitious career is also thinking up a Plan B, in case your Plan A goes wrong. Right?
Random Lake lawyer to feature in UW campaign
Come Sept. 5, a billboard featuring attorney John Hawley will be erected on 14th Street and Niagara Avenue in Sheboygan.
UW-Madison study looks at concussions effect on academics
WISC-TV 3
A new study being conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nurses and the School of Medicine and Public Health will look at how concussions affect student athletes when they return to the classroom.
Fontes: The Demise of a Prison Lord
New York Times
On July 18, Guatemala’s most infamous — and powerful — prisoner, Byron Lima Oliva, was shot to death in the Pavón prison outside Guatemala City. While it was a fellow prisoner who, the authorities said, put two bullets in Mr. Lima’s head, in all likelihood the intellectual authors of the killing hail from the highest echelons of the state and the moneyed elite. In Guatemala, it is often impossible to tell where the state ends and the underworld begins.
How to Ease the Tensions in Milwaukee
Time.com
Noted: Fascinating research by psychologist Patricia Devine from the University of Wisconsin deals with breaking the prejudice habit. She explains how even people who hold beliefs and attitudes that are opposed to prejudice can act in discriminatory ways. This essentially happens because of implicit biases, automatic processes we all hold.
Wisconsinites Know More Than They Think About Financial Issues
WisContext
In recent years, communities, schools and families have sought to help people be better able to avoid money troubles by promoting financial literacy and, in turn, financial capability. A new national study shows these efforts are finding success in Wisconsin.
Sotomayor coming to Madison
Isthmus
Sonia Sotomayor grew up in a housing project in New York City. The daughter of native Puerto Ricans, her father died when she was just 9 years old. He never learned English. Her mother, an orphan, raised Sotomayor and her brother in the Bronx, in a neighborhood plagued by poverty and violence. Nevertheless, Sotomayor was always at the top of her class. In 2009, she became the first Latina and the third woman to be confirmed as an associate justice to the U.S. Supreme Court.
A Look At Student Moving Days Past
Wisconsin Public Radio
When it opened on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus in 1851, North Hall contained classrooms, offices, and housing; for four years, it was the entire university in a single building. About 30 students lived there with three faculty members and a janitor.
Can curiosity help us make healthier choices?
Toronto Star
Noted: With fortune cookies in hand, American researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Northwestern University approached 100 people and offered them the choice between the plain cookie and the chocolate-dipped one, at first without the promise of a revealing fortune. In this control group, the less-healthy cookie was far more tempting — with around 80 per cent of participants picking it.
Editorial: UW System budget request reasonable
Eau Claire Leader-Telegram
Years of budget cuts under both Republican Gov. Scott Walker and his predecessor, Democrat Jim Doyle, have made for a lean UW System.
If You Rely Too Much On Plan B, It Might Ruin Your Plan A
Lifehacker.com
It’s good to have backup plans in case your goals don’t work out in your career or life. However, if you spend too much effort on figuring out the details of your backup plans, it can make you less likely to really pursue your first plan.
UW ranks 7th worldwide in US patents issued to universities, report says
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison is one of the top universities in the world when it comes to getting patents for the work done here, according to a report released Friday.
Finding treasures among the discarded
WKOW-TV 27
For those in the midst of moving days in downtown Madison, there is a place where one person’s junk can become another person’s treasure. That place is the UW-Madison We Conserve program’s temporary drop-off donation site located on Lot 45 at 165 N. Mills Street.
Wisconsin ranked 24th all-time among college football programs
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
It’s a good day to be a Badger.The University of Wisconsin-Madison football team was recently ranked 24th in the Associated Press’ all-time Top 100 rankings. The AP has been ranking college football teams since 1936 and determined its top 25 of all time by counting how many times a team appeared on the poll (one point), the number of No. 1 rankings (two points) and AP championships (10 points).
Daily Beast Removes Article on Gay Olympians in Rio
New York Times
Quoted: Robert Drechsel, who retired last week as the James E. Burgess Chair in Journalism Ethics and director of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, described the article as “thoughtless, insensitive and unethical.”
Legal Help for Returning Wisconsin Veterans
Public News Service
Veterans coming home from overseas wars face challenges in adapting to life as a civilian, and many of those challenges involve legal questions. That’s why the UW Law School opened the Veterans Law Center in 2012. Today, at the Appleton Public Library, the Center has a mobile unit staffed with attorneys, paralegals, and volunteers to help veterans with their legal questions.
UW research fuels mini solar cells
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Imagine a smartwatch that’s powered by the sun rather than a lithium-ion battery. Or a contact lens that taps solar energy to adjust its focus automatically to help you see better.
Search for sterile neutrino goes dark
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
On the frigid central plain of Antarctica, where the sun rises only once a year, a set of 5,160 light sensors encased in a cubic kilometer of crystal clear ice sits poised to register the flash of passing quantum particles.
Homelessness on College Campuses
On a frigid seven-degree night last year, Brooke Evans, 23, entered the University of Wisconsin library in Madison, stomping her feet in her worn Adidas to get the feeling in her toes back.
UW-Madison to include digital records in national online library
Wisconsin State Journal
About 400,000 records kept by UW-Madison Libraries will be available online to students, genealogists and researchers as part of a nationwide digital collection.
Merging Medicine and Entrepreneurship: UW Health Docs Share Lessons
Xconomy
By the time Hans Sollinger helped launch a company for the first time, in 2004, he had performed hundreds of pancreas transplants. In the process, he had built a reputation as a prolific surgeon whose experience few of his peers could match. Sollinger, who practices at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, also known as UW Health, said that the high demand for his services over the years made his first foray into entrepreneurship somewhat jarring.
New fish virus found in Forest County
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
But samples from Pine Lake’s dead fish led to a scientific discovery in Goldberg’s laboratory at UW-Madison.
The downside to being prepared for failure
Boston Globe
New research suggests that having a Plan B is not necessarily a good idea. In the study “How backup plans can harm goal pursuit: The unexpected downside of being prepared for failure,” Jihae Shin and Katherine Milkman, researchers at the University of Wisconsin Madison and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, respectively, found that backup plans diminish the desire to achieve the primary goal in the first place.