When Wisconsin Ideas go global

A graphic that's a combination of two photos: A woman digging through dirt, and a person wearing cold weather clothes walking through the snow.

“Research unifies humanity on a global stage."

The Wisconsin Idea has stretched across the globe, with UW–Madison researchers at work on every continent—and even out of this world!

Learn about Badgers who are recording collisions between neutrinos in Antarctic ice, following the path of disease transmission in West Africa, tracking the monarch butterfly migration to and from Mexico, and identifying and recovering the remains of U.S. military service members in France who went missing in action.

UW for You

Working for rural Wisconsin
UW–Madison Extension’s Community Economic Development Program connects entrepreneurs in rural Wisconsin to skills and information that will help them thrive.

Bonus: read how Extension assists Wisconsin families who are navigating the complexities of handing the farm off to the next generation.

Six new Wisconsin community partnerships
UniverCity Alliance announced six new projects with Wisconsin communities including DeForest, Mount Pleasant, and Waupaca, as well as Chippewa, Jackson, and Iowa counties.

The Cheat Sheet

Can you eat that moldy cheese? ● Walleye struggle in early spring thaw. ● Six amazing discoveries from Venus exploration. ● Check your gait speed. It's vital. ● Ewe are what your grandparents ate. ● Why does the bank sell your mortgage? ● Monarch numbers drop. ● Five energizing facts about agrivoltaics. ● How plants and animals are reacting to our record February heat. ● Wisconsin is vying to be an elite tech hub. ● Pandemic purchases trigger buyer's remorse.

Were U Wondering?

Where does lightning strike?

Sunlight peeks through as storm clouds roll in over Lake Mendota near the Goodspeed Family Pier along the Memorial Union Terrace

Photo by Bryce Richter / UW–Madison

UW–Madison meteorologist Chris Vagasky discusses the what, where and why of understanding lightning behavior.

Can't Stop a Badger

UW–Madison researchers showed that air samplers placed in school cafeterias provided an accurate look at flu and COVID-19 virus levels, hinting at a new, non-invasive and anonymous way to keep track of disease outbreaks.

A team of UW–Madison scientists has developed the first 3D-printed brain tissue that can grow and function like typical brain tissue.

UW–Madison has launched several bold, new initiatives designed to address global challenges and innovate for the public good.

Coming Up

Science Exploration Expo at KidWind 2024
Discovery Building, Madison, WI | March 2 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
As part of the 2024 WI KidWind Challenge, this hands-on Science Exploration will offer interactive science stations to explore energy and sustainability.

Fantastic Fungi: Movers and Shapers of Forest Ecosystems
Mead Public Library, Sheboygan | March 16 | 11 a.m.
Dr. Glen Stanosz will discuss how fungi profoundly influence the initiation, development, composition, stability and evolution of forests.

Picture This

An inflatable model of the Statue of Libertty's head and crown is shown in front of Memorial Union, and is reflected in a puddle of water.

Unseasonably warm weather melted most of the snow and thinned the ice near UW–Madison's Memorial Union in early February, but the show went on for the annual Winter Carnival (with some modifications). The replica of the head of the Statue of Liberty, traditionally stationed on Lake Mendota, was placed on Library Mall where a puddle of water reflected the view as people walked past.

The Lady Liberty tradition began with a prank in 1979 by the Pail and Shovel Party, which made a campaign promise that, if elected to the Wisconsin Student Association, they would bring the Statue of Liberty to Madison. Photo by Jeff Miller / UW–Madison.

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