Archive for the ‘Science and Technology’ Category


Tar sands - Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Canada’s oil-drenched sands give it the second-largest oil reserves in the world. Using the “tar sands” pollutes air and water, destroys forests and could cause cancer. Should we leave oil sands alone?



Scraps of ancient textiles found - Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Flax, the basis for linen, was spun and dyed, and lost in the mud. More than 30,000 years later, microscopic flax fibers provide the first cord in archeological history.



Phony science - Thursday, June 4th, 2009

New study finds 2 percent of scientists admit faking data; 14 percent say colleagues have done it. Problems are most common in drug and other medical studies.



Happy Thanksgiving! We celebrate eating — and food. - Thursday, November 20th, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving! We celebrate eating — and food. Hungry: Is that your “food clock” ringing? Why does a fruitfly need to smell? How does bitter taste to you? And could eating MSG make you fat?



Green as a garbage dump? Waste rots, makes energy… - Thursday, November 6th, 2008

Decay is part of life, and death. When garbage decays in a landfill, or manure decays in a tank, the result is methane. Is this natural gas a problem — or an opportunity?



Running short of copper, phosphorus, rare elements - Thursday, September 11th, 2008

Without phosphorus fertilizer, millions would starve. A shortage of copper — and electricity — could short-circuit our economy. Without many obscure elements, we would not have LCDs and cell phones. Should we act to prevent future shortages?



Questioning candidates - Thursday, August 28th, 2008

The candidates are skirting issues related to environment, energy and science policy. Heard promising plans for greener energy, solid science advice, or coping with the decline of oil? We neither…



Mechanical mouth makes debut - Thursday, May 15th, 2008

To measure the molecules that give food taste, you need a standardized eating machine. One has finally arrived, courtesy of food technologists in France (of all places!). Meet the mechanical masticator!



Reprocessing nuclear fuel: A cure that’s worse than the disease? - Thursday, February 28th, 2008

With the Nevada waste dump 20 years late, deadly radwaste still piles up. Would removing the plutonium for new fuel aid proliferators or help with waste storage? The debate continues.



Political equation (1) Election + science = ? - Thursday, February 14th, 2008

Use a cellphone? Love nature? Fear cancer? Then how can you hate science? Epidemics, environment, technology: We’ve got questions for the marathoners running (still?) for prexydent.


« Older Entries


Cool Science Images

SciMax Theater

SciMax Theater


Virtual Science!

You are currently browsing the archives for the Science and Technology category.

Archives

Stories for science standards
Teacher Activity Pages
Talk to Us
Join mailing list
Twitter | Facebook
About this site | RSS

©2009 University of Wisconsin
Board of Regents

Twitter