WHAM goes for it with fusion energy

A number of people sit at a control panel overlooking equipment, one of them stands and raises his hands in celebration.

Photo by Bryce Richter / UW–Madison

A fusion device at the University of Wisconsin–Madison generated plasma for the first time last month, opening a door to making the highly anticipated, carbon-free energy source a reality.

Over the past four years, a team of UW–Madison physicists and engineers has been constructing and testing the fusion energy device, known as WHAM (Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror) in UW’s Physical Sciences Lab in Stoughton, WI. It transitioned to operations mode in July, marking a major milestone for the years-long research project that’s received support from the U.S. Department of Energy.

From the article: "We think fusion will be as good at producing electricity as any energy source would be, and we think it might be even better to use it as a source of industrial heat for making things."

Row of red, white and black University of Wisconsin—Madison pennants with the Badgers motion 'W' hang at a sports event.

Badgers in Paris

Did you know several Badger and former Badger athletes are competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics? Find some great highlights and stories about these amazing athletes:

Bonus: A UW–Madison communication arts alum and NBC Sports production associate explained how she prepares to cover one of the world's biggest sporting events.

UW for You

Tar-getting troubles for farmers
Armed with data from eight states, a UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences research team has created free mobile software that helps farmers fight a devastating corn disease, tar spot.

Bringing learning through experience
Experiential learning at UW–Madison, whether a practicum, an internship or a capstone course, is a transformative approach to learning that prepares students for the professional world and provides employers with fresh insights.

Lurking illness gets spotlighted thanks to UW data
UW researchers’ data help power Dane County’s respiratory illness dashboard—a tool to provide local communities and people actionable information for staying healthy.

The Cheat Sheet

Gaming to learn. ● Great cheese starts in the pasture. ● Missing that inner voice? You're not alone! ● PFAS concentrate in lake foam. ● Does participatory budgeting lead to more engaged citizens? ● Too hot to sleep. ● Revolutionize electronics by replacing silicon. ● A step closer to treating the disease decimating North American bats. ● New collaborative project supports Native American foodways. ● Pregnancy safe deodorants. ● Can thunderstorms spoil milk?

Were U Wondering?

How to keep your dog safe in the summer heat?

A person sits on a dock during sunset, petting a dog, with sailboats in the background on a tranquil body of water.

Photo by Bryce Richter / UW–Madison

In this article from Inverse, Maria Verbrugge, a clinical instructor at UW School of Veterinary Medicine, offers advice on what to watch for and how to protect your canine companions as temperatures rise in the dog days of summer.

For more on pet care from UW–Madison experts, check out the "On Call: Ask a UW Veterinarian" series.

Can't Stop a Badger

A UW–Madison senior studying computer engineering and computer science finds inspiration to help others from the brother he lost.

UW–Madison, one of 18 members of the Biohealth Tech Hub consortium, is a key partner in the successful effort to gain $49 million in federal funding that will drive transformative medical innovation, workforce development and critical job growth across Wisconsin.

A promising therapy that treats blood cancers could now treat solid tumors more efficiently—a discovery that UW–Madison researchers made by chance.

Coming Up

May - September
UW–Madison 175th Anniversary State Tour
UW–Madison continues its anniversary celebrations throughout the state this summer. Upcoming state tour events include a visit to Chippewa Falls/Eau Claire on August 14.

June - August
Universe in the Park
Universe in the Park (UitP) is hosted at state parks throughout Wisconsin with UW–Madison experts giving talks, answering questions, and helping attendees view astronomical objects. Upcoming events include:

Peninsula State Park (Fish Creek) – August 3
Whitefish Dunes State Park (Sturgeon Bay) – August 10
Pattison State Park (Superior) – August 17
... and many more!

June - September
2024 CALS Field Days
Summer is field day season at the UW–Madison CALS Agricultural Research Stations. Over the course of the growing season, the stations host more than a dozen public events to share research updates and educational information with agricultural professionals, home gardeners and others. Upcoming events include:

Wisconsin Turfgrass Association Summer Field Day (Verona) – August 6
Garden Open House and Tour (Hancock) – August 15
Organic Agriculture Research Field Day (Arlington) – August 26

More events from UW–Madison

Picture This

A group of seven people stand shoulder-to-shoulder, holding white buckets and joyfully tossing seeds into the air in a field under a cloudy sky.

Since 1997, students, staff and volunteers have worked to restore what were once agricultural fields near Madison's Picnic Point to a vibrant tall grass prairie. Prescribed burns have been used as a tool to support land restoration efforts and research on campus and at the UW Arboretum dating back to Aldo Leopold.

In the photo above, students in the UW Biocore Core Curriculum gather to cast wildflower and prairie seeds, collected the previous fall, at the Biocore Prairie in the spring. Photo by Bryce Richter / UW–Madison.

For more on the annual cycle of burning and rebirth, read and view the Biocore Prairie photo essay.

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