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Dig For Dinosaur Fossils With Emily Graslie

October 14, 2020 - 11:05am

On this edition of The Explorer’s Club, we tag along with Emily Graslie, host of the PBS show "Prehistoric Road Trip." We learn about the ancient history of places like South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming by discovering fossils, clams, dinosaur bones and more!

Why Do Songbirds Sing? Because It Feels Good, Researchers Say

October 9, 2020 - 3:20pm

Have you ever wondered why songbirds sing so much? It’s long been known that the song is meant to attract a mate and defend territory, but new research suggests there’s more to the songbird’s instinct to sing — because the chemical rush to their brains it inspires feels good.

WisContext: Wisconsin's Urgent, Imperfect, Transparent, Confusing, Essential COVID-19 Data

October 1, 2020 - 5:30pm

Wisconsin's public health agencies each day release a deluge of data about where and how quickly COVID-19 is spreading. The river of information helps communities gauge everything from where to expect new outbreaks to which hospitals are likely to see a flood of patients.

Wisconsin Earns C Grade On Infrastructure Report Card

September 28, 2020 - 5:50am

Wisconsin earned a mediocre score of C on the 2020 Report Card for Wisconsin Infrastructure, scoring highest in energy and waste. Poor scores in transit and roads pulled down its grade-point average, according to the report card written by more than 50 civil engineer volunteers across the state who awarded grades...

The Historical Lessons Embedded In Alchemical Recipes

September 26, 2020 - 9:15am

Pamela Smith's science history students at Columbia University spend a semester taking medieval alchemical recipes and re-creating them in a lab.

Educational Video Game Executive Breaks Down How Games Can Impart Real-World Skills

September 23, 2020 - 5:30am

A founding member of the Wisconsin Games Alliance, Jennifer Javornik of Filament Games said there are demarcations between traditional video games and educational games, particularly that games designed to educate are supposed to foster feelings of confidence, get the users to hone their skills and help them feel engaged.

Wisconsin Ponders Self-Driving Vehicles

September 21, 2020 - 5:15am

Autonomous vehicle technology is expected to be more widely available in a decade if not sooner, with far-reaching ramifications, particularly for public transit, according to a 2019 report issued by the Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory, which is located on the UW-Madison campus.

Isaac Newton's Secret Alchemy

September 19, 2020 - 9:20am

Isaac Newton wrote more than a million words on alchemy over his lifetime, conducting decades' worth of alchemical experiments. But he did it all in secret. For centuries after his death in 1727, few people knew the extent of Newton’s alchemical work.

WisContext: Why Wisconsin's State And Local Coronavirus Updates Differ Day To Day

September 17, 2020 - 12:00pm

There are a couple key reasons for why the daily state and local health department updates about COVID-19 reports often appear different.

Well Sampling Completed In Southwestern Wisconsin Study, But Questions Remain About Contamination

September 16, 2020 - 8:00am

Researchers have completed the fourth and final round of private well sampling to determine sources of fecal contamination in wells that were previously flagged for issues as part of an ongoing groundwater study in southwestern Wisconsin.

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Science and Technology

Dig For Dinosaur Fossils With Emily Graslie

Why Do Songbirds Sing? Because It Feels Good, Researchers Say

WisContext: Wisconsin's Urgent, Imperfect, Transparent, Confusing, Essential COVID-19 Data

Wisconsin Earns C Grade On Infrastructure Report Card

The Historical Lessons Embedded In Alchemical Recipes

Educational Video Game Executive Breaks Down How Games Can Impart Real-World Skills

Wisconsin Ponders Self-Driving Vehicles

Isaac Newton's Secret Alchemy

WisContext: Why Wisconsin's State And Local Coronavirus Updates Differ Day To Day

Well Sampling Completed In Southwestern Wisconsin Study, But Questions Remain About Contamination

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