Ideas and discoveries

• Mother-of-pearl: Classic beauty and remarkable strength July 2, 2007 While the shiny material of pearls and abalone shells has long been prized for its iridescence and aesthetic value in jewelry and decorations, scientists admire mother-of-pearl for other physical properties as well.
• Engine industry master's program graduates its first class June 28, 2007 Back in 2003, Rick Geisheker, a design engineer for Briggs & Stratton in Milwaukee, didn't mind driving to the University of Wisconsin-Madison once or twice each year to attend seminars on the engine industry. But when Kevin Hoag, the director of continuing engineer education for the College of Engineering, told him about a new opportunity to earn a master's degree in engineering through his personal computer, he knew the university was onto something.
• Jets from neutron star rival those made by black holes June 27, 2007 A team of astronomers led by a UW-Madison scientist has found that neutron stars produce jets of energy and matter that rival those produced by black holes.
• Major bioenergy initiative takes flight in Midwest June 26, 2007 A consortium of universities, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories and businesses led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison to explore the vast potential of bioenergy was awarded one of three major new DOE bioenergy research centers, it was announced today (June 26).
• Brain scans show meditation changes minds, increases attention June 25, 2007 For hundreds of years, Tibetan monks and other religious people have used meditation to calm the mind and improve concentration. This week, a new study shows exactly how one common type of meditation affects the brain.
• UW-Madison employee shines light on solar power, energy conservation June 22, 2007 A UW-Madison employee has demonstrated his commitment to the environment by switching to solar power for most of his energy needs.
• Engineers develop higher-energy liquid-transportation fuel from sugar June 20, 2007 Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and combine it with water molecules and sunshine to make carbohydrate or sugar. Variations on this process provide fuel for all of life on Earth.
• Concrete canoe team wins fifth straight national title June 18, 2007 Racing and exhibiting a 20-foot, 176-pound boat named Descendent, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Concrete Canoe Team did more than just buck the laws of physics this weekend: Despite stiff competition, the team earned its fifth consecutive national title at the American Society of Civil Engineers 20th annual National Concrete Canoe Competition, held June 14 through 16.
• Global villain or strategic genius? Neither, asserts new book on Henry Kissinger June 18, 2007 In examining the complicated and controversial legacy of Henry Kissinger, UW-Madison historian Jeremi Suri creates a portrait of a man whose political career was motivated by deep moral convictions, yet the outcomes of many of his policies were viewed as morally horrendous.
• Training grants a boon to research, scientists June 14, 2007 David Beebe is living proof of the value of training grants such as the Biotechnology Training Program.
• UW Digital Collections puts Wisconsin Blue Book online June 7, 2007 More than 150 years of the Wisconsin Blue Books go online starting today in the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections. The digitization project provides worldwide open access on the Internet to facts and figures on the government, people, industry, lifestyle and history of the state of Wisconsin.
• Research probes seniors’ plans for end-of-life care June 6, 2007 A new UW-Madison study offers insight into a critical part of end-of-life planning.
• Midwest transportation coalition addresses regional freight challenges June 5, 2007 Ten Midwest state departments of transportation have formed a coalition enabling them to tackle issues related to freight transportation.
• Veterinarians embrace opportunity for public-health training June 4, 2007 UW-Madison's new master of public health program is opening opportunities for students in all areas of health, including veterinary medicine.
• Research points to arctic strategies for Norway May 31, 2007 Plans for sustainable development in Norway's arctic region got a boost this month with the release of a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate students.
• With a big assist from NASA, UW-Madison launches astrobiology push May 31, 2007 With the help of a $6.5 million grant from NASA, Wisconsin researchers will join the hunt for extraterrestrial life and early life on Earth by developing techniques and instruments to read the chemical signatures living organisms leave in rocks and minerals.
• Mutant parasites, unable to infect hosts, highlight virulence genes May 30, 2007 With a single approach, microbiologists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have identified dozens of clues to how human parasites may infect their hosts.
• Study to examine impact of culture on aging process May 30, 2007 A UW-Madison study is analyzing the consequences of cultural differences in people's emotional and physical health as they age.
• Freshman engineers seize the wind…and a new opportunity May 29, 2007 Inspired to reinvigorate his teaching after a yearlong sabbatical, electrical and computer engineering professor Giri Venkataramanan decided to try an experiment. During spring semester 2007, he challenged the freshman in his introductory engineering class to build a functioning wind turbine from scratch.
• Research may yield improved treatment for diseased lungs May 24, 2007 A multi-institutional team of engineers, scientists and clinicians from the University of Wisconsin-Madison will study large-artery biomechanics that could play a role in heart failure in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.