Illuminating Discovery Hub
Events from this organizer
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SoundWaves: Atomic Scale
Hamel Music Center 740 University Avenue, Madison, WI, United StatesThis academic year, SoundWaves is exploring scales. Join us for this first edition diving into the atomic scale - and Klezmer scales!Gaze into the world of the unimaginably small with an evening exploring the atomic scale. What is quantum computing and how does it work? How do atoms in metals organize themselves into hierarchies? As part of Klez Fest Midwest, this special SoundWaves event will feature more live music than ever, with the duo of Krakauer & Tagg, featuring brilliant klezmer clarinetist David Krakauer and pianist Kathleen Tagg, performing and explaining what gives klezmer music its characteristic style and sound (it’s [...]
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Crossroads of Ideas: Living and Learning with Animals
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, De Luca Forum, Madison, WI, United StatesFrom the mellowest Labrador to the wiliest coyote, experts in animal behavior & wildlife management discuss human interactions with canines.Join UW–Madison’s Dr. David Drake and Carroll University’s Dr. Mindy Waite for an engaging Crossroads of Ideas conversation exploring the dynamic relationship between humans and animals, both wild and domestic. From what we can teach animals to what they can teach us, how retrofitting animals into the human world has changed our relationships, and discovering new insights into behavior, adaptation, and the possibilities for living together in a changing world. Hosted by Director of the WID – Illuminating Discovery Hub.
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SoundWaves: Micro Scale
Hamel Music Center 740 University Avenue, Madison, WI, United StatesThis academic year, SoundWaves is exploring scales. In this second edition, we will be zooming in on the micro scale!Our second SoundWaves event of the season explores the Micro Scale, looking at things that are very small in size. What is a microbiome? What’s going on in the Earth’s water? What is microeconomics? What happens when you look at rhythm and pitch on a micro scale? Find out at SoundWaves.
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Crossroads of Ideas: Quantum Frontiers
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, De Luca Forum, Madison, WI, United StatesPresented in celebration of 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.Quantum science might sound like it belongs in the lab or a science fiction novel, but its impact is already woven into our daily lives—from the technology in our phones to the future of computing and medicine. Join the Wisconsin Quantum Institute’s Aws Albarghouthi (Computer Science) and Matthew Otten (Physics) for a moderated discussion with Katerina Moloni, exploring the fascinating science of the quantum world and why understanding it matters for all of us. This Crossroads of Ideas conversation will pull back the curtain on quantum science, revealing [...]
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Crossroads of Ideas: How Failure Fuels Innovation
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, De Luca Forum, Madison, WI, United StatesPart I in our Productive Failure Mini-SeriesFailure is often seen as a setback—but in science and entrepreneurship, it can be the spark that drives breakthroughs. In this first installment of our Productive Failure Mini-Series, explore how missteps, unexpected results, and strategic pivots shape discovery, strengthen ideas, and fuel innovation. Through real-world examples from the laboratory and the startup landscape, this conversation reveals how embracing uncertainty and learning from what doesn’t work can open the door to transformative success.
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Amalgam Improv Presents Yes and Science Improv Workshop
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, De Luca Forum, Madison, WI, United StatesFREE WORKSHOP! Better Science Communication through ImprovThis 2-hour workshop is designed for graduate students, post-docs, staff, and faculty in STEM related fields who want to sharpen their ability to communicate effectively and adaptively. In research and industry alike, ideas often need to be shared in real time with diverse audiences- from colleagues and collaborators to decision-makers and the public. This session provides a lively, low-stakes space to build confidence in handling the unexpected and the ability to pivot one’s communication. Through fun applied improv practice, participants will experiment with spontaneous speaking, respond to mistakes, and network.
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Amalgam Improv Presents Yes and Science Improv Workshop
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, De Luca Forum, Madison, WI, United StatesFREE WORKSHOP! Better Science Communication through Improv
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Amalgam Improv Presents Yes and Science Improv Workshop
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, De Luca Forum, Madison, WI, United StatesFREE WORKSHOP! Better Science Communication through ImprovThis 2-hour workshop is designed for graduate students, post-docs, staff, and faculty in STEM related fields who want to sharpen their ability to communicate effectively and adaptively. In research and industry alike, ideas often need to be shared in real time with diverse audiences- from colleagues and collaborators to decision-makers and the public. This session provides a lively, low-stakes space to build confidence in handling the unexpected and the ability to pivot one’s communication. Through fun applied improv practice, participants will experiment with spontaneous speaking, respond to mistakes, and network.
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Amalgam Improv Presents Yes and Science Improv Workshop
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, De Luca Forum, Madison, WI, United StatesFREE WORKSHOP! Better Science Communication through Improv
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Crossroads of Ideas: The Upside of AI Failure
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, De Luca Forum, Madison, WI, United StatesWhat failure in AI can teach us, and how it can inspire innovation, critical thinking, and resilience.Failure is part of progress, especially in the fast-moving field of artificial intelligence. This Crossroads of Ideas event, part of our three-part mini-series on “productive failure,” brings together David Fields (UW-Madison Department of East Asian Studies) and Rob Nowak (UW-Madison Computer, Data & Information Sciences) to explore what happens when AI technology falls short. From real-world research that didn’t go as planned to the broader implications for society, this conversation highlights how failures can deepen our understanding, shape future innovation, and help us navigate technology’s [...]
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SoundWaves: Macro Scale
Hamel Music Center 740 University Avenue, Madison, WI, United StatesThis academic year, SoundWaves is exploring scales. In this second edition, we will be zooming out to the macro scale!
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Crossroads of Ideas: When Antibiotics Fail
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, De Luca Forum, Madison, WI, United StatesPart 3 in the productive failure miniseries!How do we manage when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines? What are our options? WID's Marc Chevrette and Tiny Earth's Sarah Miller discuss lifesaving drugs: how they are discovered & what we can do to keep them potent.
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Crossroads of Ideas: Memory in Motion
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, De Luca Forum, Madison, WI, United StatesArt, Science, and the Living Nature of Memory- featuring Viviane Silveras, John Yin, and hosted by Guy Thorne.In this Crossroads of Ideas conversation, we explore the dynamic life of memory through the artistic lenses of film and painting alongside the analytical lens of science. Featuring Viviane Silvera, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of the Arts 2026 Artist in Residence, the event highlights her 2025 Telly Award winning film See Memory which invites audiences to visualize a reality where abstraction, emotion, and evolving ideas converge. Created from more than 30,000 hand-painted stills, See Memory weaves together cutting-edge research and deeply personal storytelling [...]
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SoundWaves: Astronomical Scale
Hamel Music Center 740 University Avenue, Madison, WI, United StatesThis academic year, SoundWaves is exploring scales. In this final edition, we will be zooming WAY out to the Astronomical scale!SoundWaves combines scientific lectures about the world with live classical music performances. Each event revolves around a theme, exploring it first from many scientific angles and then through the lens of music. The program starts and concludes with a live performance of music related to the evening’s theme.On April 24, 2026, SoundWaves wraps up the academic year of exploration of scale with Astronomical Scale. How can we understand the hugeness of the universe? How do we build the robotics to explore [...]
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Sci-prov
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, De Luca Forum, Madison, WI, United StatesScience Meets Improv ComedyJoin 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.Light refreshments and cash bar available. Tickets are free and registration is requested to ensure adequate seating.Parking: The closest parking ramps to the Discovery building are Lot 80 (Union [...]
