Conversations in Science

Recent evidence suggests that sleep has a core function involving the brain, and might be identifiable at the cellular level. Hear more from Prof. Chiara Cirelli, UW Department of Psychiatry.

Find out how Art & Science inspire each other, through a study of 'antilogous harmony' or the juxtaposition of two dissimilar things. Hear what happens when tuba and piano are combined in a sonata.

What does Judaism have to say about the relationship between science and religion? This lecture by Prof. Steven Nadler, UW Dept. of Philosophy, considers Maimonides attempts to resolve the perplexity of someone who is both religiously devout and scientifically informed, and discusses how the Jewish worldview can be understood in naturalistic and rationalistic terms.

This conversation is presented by Professor Norma Saldivar, the Director of the Arts Institute at UW Madison.

An overview on the nature of atmospheric aerosols and their influence on human health and climate. This conversation is presented by Professor Frank Keutsch from the Department of Chemistry at UW Madison.

New minimally invasive, video and robotic surgical techniques, while technically more challenging for surgeons, may ease patient recovery. In the past 5 years proof of their positive impact on long term outcomes for patient survival has emerged. Professor Tracey Weigel, Chief Thoracic Surgery for UW Hospitals, tells us more.

The frequency of large fires in the western US is increasing. The 1988 Yellowstone fires provided an opportunity to study a large, natural disturbance in an ecological system minimally affected by humans, offering new insights about the nature of change and how fires may affect future climate. Professor Monica Turner from the University of Wisconsin's Department of Zoology discusses these insights.

The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) is an emerging leader in using interdisciplinary, genomics-based methods to build a biofuels economy. To function as a center of excellence, the GLBRC will develop programs to bring bioenergy breakthroughs to members of the agricultural and private sector; stakeholders in the scientific, business, or academic community; and the public. This conversation with Professor Tim Donohue tells us more about the GLBRC goals.

Testosterone is a well-known male hormone crucial in the differentiation and maintenance of male characteristics. This presentation will examine a potential fetal origin for Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) that was discovered when female monkeys were exposed to fetal male levels of testosterone before birth. Understanding the developmental origins of PCOS provides the potential for clinical intervention before adulthood to prevent expression of the syndrome’s multiple signs and symptoms. Professor David Abbott of the University of Wisconsin Deptartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Wisconsin National Primate Research Center tells us more about this disorder.

Complex patterns are common throughout nature, from the distribution of the galaxies in the Universe to the organization of neurons in the human brain. It is generally assumed that such complex structure must have a complex cause, but it may be that the patterns spontaneously arise through the repeated application of simple rules. Professor Clint Sprott from the University of Wisconsin Department of Physics will talk and provide examples of self-organization in nature and will describe six simple computer models that can replicate the features of these patterns.

The mass media are full of messages implying that women and men are, psychologically, extremely different from each other. One example is John Gray's book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. In this talk Janet Shibley Hyde, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Women's Studies at the University of Wisconsin, examines the scientific data to see whether these claims are accurate.