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Curiosities: Why do stars appear to twinkle in the night sky?
Courtesy European Space Agency (ESA/Hubble). Stars twinkle because we view them through our atmosphere, says James Lattis, director of University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Place. “Seen from the...
View ArticleCuriosities: How do frogs, toads and other amphibians survive the Wisconsin...
Amphibians are at great risk during the winter but employ several strategies for getting through, says Scott Craven, professor of forest and wildlife ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison....
View ArticleCuriosities: Why is Pluto not considered a planet?
Until 2006, astronomers had not carefully defined “planet,” says James Lattis, director of the UW Space Place. Asteroids were not considered planets because they are too small and numerous. Likewise,...
View ArticleCuriosities: Why do I get a streak of images from LED taillights when I scan...
You are seeing positive afterimages, says James Ver Hoeve, a vision scientist at University of Wisconsin-Madison. “If you stare at a bright red line on a white background and look away, you’ll see a...
View ArticleCuriosities: How high can bugs fly?
“We can pick up insects at 5,000 or 6,000 feet,” says Phil Pellitteri of the UW-Madison insect diagnostic lab. “But wind is a big factor in insect movement, and it’s hard to know whether they are...
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Curiosities: Why, when I see wind generators on a windy day, are some...
There are several possible reasons why a turbine may be still even when the wind is blowing, says Giri Venkataramanan, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at UW-Madison. The turbine...
View ArticleCuriosities: What is the flattest thing in the world?
The answer depends on many factors, including how the measurement is made and the scale of interest. “A mountain can look very rough, but if you focus on a meadow from an airplane, it may look very...
View ArticleCuriosities: Is global warming evident in temperature records and warming...
Indeed, and winter is actually warming faster than summer in Wisconsin, says Ankur Desai, an assistant professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “The annual...
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Curiosities: Is anything harder than diamond?
People have made that claim, but the verdict is not in, says Don Stone, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Scientists even debate how best to...
View ArticleCuriosities: Why are some crops planted in spring and others in fall?
Temperature sensitivity is the primary determinant in when crops can be planted, says horticulture professor Irwin Goldman. For most fruit and vegetable crops in Wisconsin, that means planting in...
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