Events

How America Funds Discovery – Research, Innovation, and What Comes Next. How we fund research shapes what questions get asked, which ideas have the opportunity to grow, and how discoveries move into the world. For decades, the U.S. has relied heavily on a university-centered model, but the landscape of research funding is evolving, with new approaches and priorities emerging. Join us for a conversation about the future of research funding in America! CONTACT: 316-4390, info@wiscifest.org URL: https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/event/crossroads-of-ideas-funding-the-future-of-science/

*Note: actual end time may vary.* Celebrate curiosity statewide - October 15-25th!. The 2026 Wisconsin Science Festival is once again taking 10 days to celebrate science, art, and technology all across the state! Visit our website, wiscifest.org, to browse hundreds of events in over 55 counties throughout Wisconsin. CONTACT: 316-4390, info@wiscifest.org URL: https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/find-an-event/

*Note: actual end time may vary.* Unleash your curiosity with the 2026 Wisconsin Science Festival BioBlitz. Take part in a 10-day, statewide BioBlitz as part of the 2026 Wisconsin Science Festival! Share your observations in the iNaturalist project and learn more about to participate at wiscifest.org/bioblitz! CONTACT: 316-4390, info@wiscifest.org URL: https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/bioblitz/

Where science meets improv!. Join the Illuminating Discovery Hub and Amalgam Improv for an evening fusing science and spontaneous improv comedy like no other at Sci-Prov! Sci-prov combines science and improv in creative, funny, and never before seen ways. Scientists will present their work in short, digestible presentations followed by brief Q&A, all of which can become fodder for the improv scenes. The improv scenes are created on the fly & unique to each show. CONTACT: 316-4390, info@wiscifest.org URL: https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/event/sci-prov/

*Note: actual end time may vary.* Celebrate curiosity statewide - October 15-25th!. The 2026 Wisconsin Science Festival is once again taking 10 days to celebrate science, art, and technology all across the state! Visit our website, wiscifest.org, to browse hundreds of events in over 55 counties throughout Wisconsin. CONTACT: 316-4390, info@wiscifest.org URL: https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/find-an-event/

*Note: actual end time may vary.* Unleash your curiosity with the 2026 Wisconsin Science Festival BioBlitz. Take part in a 10-day, statewide BioBlitz as part of the 2026 Wisconsin Science Festival! Share your observations in the iNaturalist project and learn more about to participate at wiscifest.org/bioblitz! CONTACT: 316-4390, info@wiscifest.org URL: https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/bioblitz/

The best show in town!. Get ready to rock your curiosity at the WhySci Variety Show—a high-energy mashup of science talks, artful performances, and live music! Hosted by the always-entertaining Ben Rush! Opening remarks featuring Wisconsin Public Radio’s Lee Rayburn. This event is part of the 2026 Wisconsin Science Festival! CONTACT: 316-4390, info@wiscifest.org URL: https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/event/the-why-sci-variety-show/

*Note: actual end time may vary.* Unleash your curiosity with the 2026 Wisconsin Science Festival BioBlitz. Take part in a 10-day, statewide BioBlitz as part of the 2026 Wisconsin Science Festival! Share your observations in the iNaturalist project and learn more about to participate at wiscifest.org/bioblitz! CONTACT: 316-4390, info@wiscifest.org URL: https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/bioblitz/

*Note: actual end time may vary.* Celebrate curiosity statewide - October 15-25th!. The 2026 Wisconsin Science Festival is once again taking 10 days to celebrate science, art, and technology all across the state! Visit our website, wiscifest.org, to browse hundreds of events in over 55 counties throughout Wisconsin. CONTACT: 316-4390, info@wiscifest.org URL: https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/find-an-event/

How to Trust Your Imperfect GeoAI Model. Hosted by the GeoDS Lab@UW-Madison Co-sponsored by the UW-Madison Data Science Institute. Guest Speaker: Dr. Peng Luo, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Iowa. Abstract: This talk will discuss several recent works on spatially explicit uncertainty quantification, including geographically aware conformal prediction for spatial models, uncertainty quantification for geospatial explainable AI, and regionally risk-controlled spatial decision-making. CONTACT: 262-2139, song.gao@wisc.edu URL: https://geography.wisc.edu/geods/

Where do we come from? Where does anything come from?. This new series of SoundWaves brings together leading academic researchers and live music to explore origins at every scale – from the birth of the universe to the first human communities. Each edition pairs scholars from distinct disciplines with a musical program to answer the oldest questions we know. This first SoundWaves event of the year launches our year-long exploration of Origins. Part of the Wisconsin Science Festival and Klez Fest! CONTACT: 316-4390, info@wiscifest.org URL: https://www.wisconsinsciencefest.org/event/soundwaves-origins-the-birth-of-everything/