http://www.news.wisc.edu News stories from the University of Wisconsin-Madison en-us In high school, computer programmer Tim McGowan enrolled in advanced-placement Latin. When it came time to study for the big exam, he was ready to admit that languages weren't his thing. Kiera Wiatrak wiatrak@wisc.edu 2009-11-24T15:19:00-00:00 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:19:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/17406 http://www.news.wisc.edu/17406 Leaf-cutter ants, which cultivate fungus for food, have many remarkable qualities. Terry Devitt trdevitt@wisc.edu 2009-11-19T19:28:00-00:00 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:28:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/17398 http://www.news.wisc.edu/17398 This week, scientists are revealing the genetic instructions inside corn, one of the big three cereal crops. Corn, or maize, has one of the most complex sequences of DNA ever analyzed, says University of Wisconsin-Madison genomicist David Schwartz, who was one of more than 100 authors in the article in the journal Science. Dave Tenenbaum djtenenb@wisc.edu 2009-11-19T19:17:00-00:00 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:17:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/17397 http://www.news.wisc.edu/17397 Roughly 15,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, North America's vast assemblage of large animals - including such iconic creatures as mammoths, mastodons, camels, horses, ground sloths and giant beavers - began their precipitous slide to extinction. Terry Devitt trdevitt@wisc.edu 2009-11-19T19:08:00-00:00 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:08:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/17396 http://www.news.wisc.edu/17396 Although states are moving quickly to put in place election procedures that allow for early voting, allowing people to cast ballots ahead of Election Day often results in lower turnout, according to research from a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison political scientists. Stacy Forster forster2@wisc.edu 2009-11-17T15:40:00-00:00 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:40:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/17372 http://www.news.wisc.edu/17372 Rising water temperatures are kicking up more powerful winds on Lake Superior, with consequences for currents, biological cycles, pollution and more on the world's largest lake and its smaller brethren. Chris Barncard barncard@wisc.edu 2009-11-16T16:36:00-00:00 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:36:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/17364 http://www.news.wisc.edu/17364 A new study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests that people can train their minds to stay focused. 2009-11-13T16:58:00-00:00 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:58:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/17359 http://www.news.wisc.edu/17359 Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health have eliminated cervical cancer in mice with two FDA-approved drugs currently used to treat breast cancer and osteoporosis. Dian Land dj.land@hosp.wisc.edu 2009-11-09T20:17:00-00:00 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:17:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/17345 http://www.news.wisc.edu/17345 Becoming "hard of hearing" is a standard but unfortunate part of aging: A syndrome called age-related hearing loss affects about 40 percent of people over 65 in the United States, and will afflict an estimated 28 million Americans by 2030. Dave Tenenbaum djtenenb@wisc.edu 2009-11-09T20:06:00-00:00 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:06:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/17344 http://www.news.wisc.edu/17344 The Expanding Your Horizons program, a daylong conference designed to expose young women to careers in science, technology, engineering and math, has touched thousands of Wisconsin women during its 50-year history at UW-Madison. Jill Sakai jasakai@wisc.edu 2009-11-03T15:10:00-00:00 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:10:00 GMT http://www.news.wisc.edu/17301 http://www.news.wisc.edu/17301