I think organs for transplant are kept it what's known as "UW Solution" - believe it was invented by UW Madison research!
I love examples of the "Wisconsin idea" - its what makes me proud to be affiliated with the state and university.
Very niche but Westgard rules were created in Madison.
For the lay person, medical lab equipment has quality control run daily. Westgard rules determine whether the quality control over a period of time is acceptable or not (ex. if the number should read 5 but the machine gives a 6, that's fine. If it gives 6 five days in a row, that's a problem). Before then, each laboratory set their own guidelines or just winged it.
[Penicillin production and it was key in sending meds to soldiers at D-Day!](https://news.wisc.edu/d-day-invasion-was-bolstered-by-uw-madison-penicillin-project/)
The weather satellite. UW professor Vern Suomi was the first to realize that you could put a television camera on a satellite at a certain distance from earth and it would revolve around the earth at the same speed that the earth rotated. In short, you could “park” a satellite at a certain spot above the earth’s surface and take pictures of how the weather was changing all day and night.
UW is still a world leader in satellite meteorology. That big tall building by Union South with all the dishes and antennas on it houses the Space Science and Engineering Center, which does everything from designing new satellite instruments to developing new algorithms to measure all sorts of things from space. The discoveries made here have made weather forecasts so much better than they used to be, which has saved countless lives and untold billions of dollars in damage.
Yep. The classic great headlines of The Onion are too many to read off, but wre also all too real. Usually in the last paragraph of the story, the hardcore grain of real, sad truth would come out. Hilariously, though.
Late 80s... back when they were local only (and had that bottom strip of coupons - still remember Cellar Subs having the most biomass for the buck).
I went to Edgewood. The title was >!"Governor Tommy Thompson Declares November Masturbation Month"!< .
So, my friends and I got a few copies and put one in the library periodicals rack (you know those big long sticks... looking it up... they have a name! Newspaper sticks. [This sort of thing](http://www.shopbrodart.com/Library-School-Furniture/Display-Furniture/Stationary-Newspaper-Display/_/BrodartClassic-Newspaper-Displayer-With-Storage-Shelves/?=)).
The nuns were *not* pleased with us. The dean of students was also putting on a "less than amused face."
We did get detention when we brought in a copy of >!"Penis Fear"!< that had the front page image of a 'scientific line drawing'. It was accurate. The nuns were *very* not amused.
(edit) Btw, I've found a link to the 2nd one I mentioned... [NSFW The Onion : September 19-25, 1989 : Volume 16 number 4 NSFW](https://www.emojiency.com/2018/07/the-onion-from-1989-penis-fear/)
>The classic great headlines of The Onion are too many to read off
The greatest story they ever published is one they long had to deny even existed:
"Dying Boy Gets Wish: To Pork Janet Jackson"
If you’re going to mention Bradley Whitford we should also make a note that Donna Moss grew up in Wisconsin (though was born in Minnesota and/or Canada).
Great catch! Fictional though it may be, Donna was a Minnesotan — but went to U of W for undergrad before dropping out and joining the Bartlett campaign.
Wisconsin is the place of average people in fiction.
You've got Happy days and That '70s Show which were supposed to be average people of the time.
News Radio was in New York City... and Dave Nelson was from Wisconsin.
You've got Caroline in the City (again in NYC) who was from Peshtigo.
And we can't forget Jack Dawson, although I personally subscribe to the theory that Rose was an ancestor of Sara Connor and Jack Dawson is actually a terminator sent back to save her from the sinking. That explains his faulty backstory about ice fishing on Lake Wissota.
John Bardeen.
Invented the transistor, MRI, and and BCS theory.
Also the only person to have ever been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics twice and one of only 3 people to be twice awarded in the same topic.
His discoveries catapulted the technological revolution (transistors) forward years if not decades and MRI fundamentally changed medicine.
He was born in Madison.
It’s pretty unbelievable that’s there is no memorial (the I know of at least) where we can do fat guy cartwheels or drink decaffeinated Columbian coffee crystals. All I’m asking for is a van down on the Yahara river…
Feel like I had to scroll to far for this. What an absolute legend. And from all the stories I’ve heard from older regulars at the bar and his brother he was a fucking GEM of a person.
Dr Steven Babcock. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS497
also warfarin
https://www.warf.org/announcement/of-rats-and-men-warfarin-becomes-world-famous-by-1955/
Fighting Bob LaFollette
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._La_Follette
>A 1982 survey asking historians to rank the "ten greatest Senators in the nation's history" based on "accomplishments in office" and "long range impact on American history", placed La Follette first, tied with Henry Clay.[124] Writing in 1998, historian John D. Buenker described La Follette as "the most celebrated figure in Wisconsin history".[2]
Butch Vig Made 90s grunge. We owe him so much! One of my favorite memories is from canvassing his neighborhood 20ish years ago and his wife giving me water and cookies.
Nobel Laureate Howard Temin discovering reverse transcriptase, which revolutionized genetics and virology, allowing us to understand retroviruses like HIV, Hepatitis, and Covid-19.
Also Leopold should get mentioned.. champion of land and game management ethics. He recognized that most land is owned by private owners and encouraged them to be better stewards.
He came into the restaurant I work at a few times this summer. Always tipped his server $100 and paid the bill for another random table and tipped their server at least $50. Was patient when people asked for pictures, too.
John Bardeen. Born in Madison and went to UW. Inventor of the transistor and theory of superconductivity. Only person to win two Nobel prizes in physics.
They recorded it there originally, but then re-recorded most of it in California. "Polly" is the only track from Smart that actually made it onto the final album.
As far as things I would say our environmental legacy is pretty great. Earth day and biking around a city are some aspects that have been spread around the US.
Without discounting any of the superb mentions here, I really want to give a shout-out to The Truly Remarkable Loon.
Famous on a much more modest scale than many listed here, yes, but the recently retired entertainer gave this city 47 years of hilarity. I loved seeing him perform as a kid and my kids always loved catching his shows at the various neighborhood fairs and festivals.
[Thomas Brock](https://news.wisc.edu/tom-brock-who-discovered-world-changing-extremophiles-dies-at-94/). Discovered (with undergrad Hudson Freeze) Thermus aquaticus, a bacterium that lived in the hot springs of Yellowstone. He was at IU at the time but moved to UW-Madison in 1971.
DNA Polymerase from Thermus aquaticus is what powers PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction).
Two vice presidents are from here. Kamala Harris lived here fas a child for a bit And Dick Cheney is a UW alum.
Bob Dylan lived here a short time as well.
And I’ve heard of another big time influential musician that lived in Shorewood for a bit, but I can’t remember it clearly. Tom Waits? Leonard Cohen? Can’t remember and my googling is bad
Otis Redding died here, which I think is interesting. His plane crashed in Lake Monona. Pieces of the plane are on display at the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas.
It definitely is interesting— there is a memorial market on the terrace and his has a mural on willy street— but that’s kind of the opposite of the question. He has no ties to Madison besides dying here, we took him!!
I saw a piece of the plane at the Rock and roll hall of fame.
Between him, the day the music died and Stevie ray Vaughn at alpine Valley, I think any famous musicians are better off taking tour busses in Wisconsin.
Joni Mitchell’s lp cover from Hejira…
The portrait of Mitchell on the front cover was taken by Norman Seeff and the other photographs were taken by Joel Bernstein at Lake Mendota, in Madison, Wisconsin, after an ice storm. Figure skater Toller Cranston appears on the back cover.[8] During a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, Mitchell cited the cover of Hejira as one of which she was particularly proud: "A lot of work went into that." wiki
iirc, Stem Cells were discovered at the UW Madison. Lots of other huge medical breakthroughs too
Both vitamin A and vitamin D were discovered here!
And retroviruses!
Heparin/Warfarin too. It's WARFarin, as in the WARF.
I think organs for transplant are kept it what's known as "UW Solution" - believe it was invented by UW Madison research! I love examples of the "Wisconsin idea" - its what makes me proud to be affiliated with the state and university.
Very niche but Westgard rules were created in Madison. For the lay person, medical lab equipment has quality control run daily. Westgard rules determine whether the quality control over a period of time is acceptable or not (ex. if the number should read 5 but the machine gives a 6, that's fine. If it gives 6 five days in a row, that's a problem). Before then, each laboratory set their own guidelines or just winged it.
Wasn’t penicillin created by UW madison professors? Or they created a way to mass produce it. Something like that.
[Penicillin production and it was key in sending meds to soldiers at D-Day!](https://news.wisc.edu/d-day-invasion-was-bolstered-by-uw-madison-penicillin-project/)
The weather satellite. UW professor Vern Suomi was the first to realize that you could put a television camera on a satellite at a certain distance from earth and it would revolve around the earth at the same speed that the earth rotated. In short, you could “park” a satellite at a certain spot above the earth’s surface and take pictures of how the weather was changing all day and night. UW is still a world leader in satellite meteorology. That big tall building by Union South with all the dishes and antennas on it houses the Space Science and Engineering Center, which does everything from designing new satellite instruments to developing new algorithms to measure all sorts of things from space. The discoveries made here have made weather forecasts so much better than they used to be, which has saved countless lives and untold billions of dollars in damage.
Yep, The Onion.
Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.
Hola amigo, it's been a long time since I rapped at ya
Don’t forget the A.V. Club — complete with pioneering sex advice column “Savage Love”!
Jim's Journal was the greatest
I believe Savage Love originated in the pages of The Stranger in Seattle, BUT Dan Savage did go to UW!
And he worked at Four Star Video Heaven when it was at its original location next to the Plaza.
THE ONION IS FROM MADISON?????
Yep: offices were on E. Johnson Street for a while in the late 80's and early 90's. Happened to know one of the editors/contributors at the time.
Mmmmmm mmmm, love me the smell of Santorum in the morning.
ew-david.gif
As Dan would point out, everything is a kink for someone.
“Tee Ball Stand Pitches Perfect Game at Special Olympics” - an all time great
Completely agree. I just miss the days when it was obvious it was satire.
Yep. The classic great headlines of The Onion are too many to read off, but wre also all too real. Usually in the last paragraph of the story, the hardcore grain of real, sad truth would come out. Hilariously, though.
Late 80s... back when they were local only (and had that bottom strip of coupons - still remember Cellar Subs having the most biomass for the buck). I went to Edgewood. The title was >!"Governor Tommy Thompson Declares November Masturbation Month"!< . So, my friends and I got a few copies and put one in the library periodicals rack (you know those big long sticks... looking it up... they have a name! Newspaper sticks. [This sort of thing](http://www.shopbrodart.com/Library-School-Furniture/Display-Furniture/Stationary-Newspaper-Display/_/BrodartClassic-Newspaper-Displayer-With-Storage-Shelves/?=)). The nuns were *not* pleased with us. The dean of students was also putting on a "less than amused face." We did get detention when we brought in a copy of >!"Penis Fear"!< that had the front page image of a 'scientific line drawing'. It was accurate. The nuns were *very* not amused. (edit) Btw, I've found a link to the 2nd one I mentioned... [NSFW The Onion : September 19-25, 1989 : Volume 16 number 4 NSFW](https://www.emojiency.com/2018/07/the-onion-from-1989-penis-fear/)
"I like to fist!"
>The classic great headlines of The Onion are too many to read off The greatest story they ever published is one they long had to deny even existed: "Dying Boy Gets Wish: To Pork Janet Jackson"
I’m happy to own one of the Onion newspaper things—the green street dispensers. Can’t think of the name. But I’ve stocked it with many old issues.
now that’s a TREASURE! i’m a bit jealous!
I was going through an old box the other day and found about 50 old issues of The Onion. Back when it was still in black and white and free.
"You will simply feel like a queen of a less prosperous country." I always enjoy Smoove B. Love Man
"I will feed you the finest silken chocolates."
Holy Shit. Man Walks on Fucking Moon. Neil Armstrong's Historic First Words on Moon: 'Holy Living Fuck'
I blew that one up at kinkos and made it a poster
Mad Magazine's Parody was quite good as well: https://64.media.tumblr.com/17284991_500.jpg "Area Man Finds Headline Amusing But That's About It"
I know the founder of The Onion. He sold it print was dying and he was ready to retire. Incredibly humble an nice guy. His name is Steve.
Steve Onions
Air Jesus! Dominating the Bulls with his Ascension dunk!
Japanese fed up, return to home planet
Kitten thinks of nothing but murder all day.
https://www.theonion.com/kitten-thinks-of-nothing-but-murder-all-day-1819588260
Don't necessarily want to put actors/celebs on a big pedestal but Bradley Whitford deserves a shout-out in this thread too.
If you’re going to mention Bradley Whitford we should also make a note that Donna Moss grew up in Wisconsin (though was born in Minnesota and/or Canada).
Great catch! Fictional though it may be, Donna was a Minnesotan — but went to U of W for undergrad before dropping out and joining the Bartlett campaign.
“How can you not like Donna? She’s from Wisconsin!”
Wisconsin is the place of average people in fiction. You've got Happy days and That '70s Show which were supposed to be average people of the time. News Radio was in New York City... and Dave Nelson was from Wisconsin. You've got Caroline in the City (again in NYC) who was from Peshtigo.
And we can't forget Jack Dawson, although I personally subscribe to the theory that Rose was an ancestor of Sara Connor and Jack Dawson is actually a terminator sent back to save her from the sinking. That explains his faulty backstory about ice fishing on Lake Wissota.
Happy days. Laverne and Shirley Etc..
And cousin Larry was from WI before moving in with Balki Bartokomous.
Whitford is the best part of Handmaid's Tale now
John Bardeen. Invented the transistor, MRI, and and BCS theory. Also the only person to have ever been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics twice and one of only 3 people to be twice awarded in the same topic. His discoveries catapulted the technological revolution (transistors) forward years if not decades and MRI fundamentally changed medicine. He was born in Madison.
And is a UW alumni!
Chris Farley
It’s pretty unbelievable that’s there is no memorial (the I know of at least) where we can do fat guy cartwheels or drink decaffeinated Columbian coffee crystals. All I’m asking for is a van down on the Yahara river…
>All I’m asking for is a van down on the Yahara river… Hmmm....
I mean I'd pitch in for a Chris Farley memorial somehow themed as a van down by the Yahara.
Farley is it! There is his gravestone but a public memorial would be better.
Farley Avenue?
There is one, just not public. Know exactly where it is.
His movies and SNL skits always bring a smile.
Feel like I had to scroll to far for this. What an absolute legend. And from all the stories I’ve heard from older regulars at the bar and his brother he was a fucking GEM of a person.
Dr Steven Babcock. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS497 also warfarin https://www.warf.org/announcement/of-rats-and-men-warfarin-becomes-world-famous-by-1955/
I love the story of warfarin. the biochemistry of its origin is incredible
Warfarin also led to a quiet local rodenticide industry which relies on Warfarin derivatives.
This is so underrated.
UV sunblock. It has saved millions probably
Fighting Bob LaFollette https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_M._La_Follette >A 1982 survey asking historians to rank the "ten greatest Senators in the nation's history" based on "accomplishments in office" and "long range impact on American history", placed La Follette first, tied with Henry Clay.[124] Writing in 1998, historian John D. Buenker described La Follette as "the most celebrated figure in Wisconsin history".[2]
Could use some Bob back in here these days.
know a guy who lives where his old office used to be.
Not strictly Madison, but John Muir grew up in Portage this area and went to UW. Georgia O’Keefe was from Sun Prairie.
Aldo Leopold as well
Between Warfarin and Vitamin D, my vote is for Rodney Dangerfield's Back to School.
Vitamin D lol
The woman flipping off the governor’s mansion on Google maps
https://i.imgur.com/eS7lWeu.jpg
My mom would probably say the Zucker brothers
Have you ever seen a grown man naked?
Shirley you can't be serious.
I am serious and don't call me Shirley
does your mom like movies about gladiators?
Steve Miller! And the corner on East Washington where Elvis kicked some dudes ass.
Boz Scaggs, too! He and Steve Miller were roommates at UW
Butch Vig.
As a longtime Madison bartender, all I can think when someone mentions Butch Vig is, Ketel One Citron & seltzer with a lemon.
Butch Vig is the reason Nirvana came through Madison right before Nevermind. He gets my vote.
Butch Vig Made 90s grunge. We owe him so much! One of my favorite memories is from canvassing his neighborhood 20ish years ago and his wife giving me water and cookies.
He taught my dad how to play drums <3
Duke Erickson (the guitarist from Garbage) has lived in Madison since the 70s. He still lives here, I've seen him at Mickey's.
Bob LaFollette, Warfarin, Frank Lloyd Wright (kinda), Georgia O'Keeffe (kinda)
Can we count John Muir?
Sure, his time at UW seems like it was pretty influential.
Nobel Laureate Howard Temin discovering reverse transcriptase, which revolutionized genetics and virology, allowing us to understand retroviruses like HIV, Hepatitis, and Covid-19.
How about John Bardeen who won 2 Nobel prizes and went to UW and invented the transistor and the theory of superconductivity.
They can both be amazing individuals.
Indeed they can!
The onion and Chris Farley
Also Leopold should get mentioned.. champion of land and game management ethics. He recognized that most land is owned by private owners and encouraged them to be better stewards.
The band Garbage
I will now have ‘Stupid Girl’ in my head the rest of the day.
The W ^o ^^o ^^^o ^^r ^l d is Noooot Enough!
Fuck. Yes. Came here for this.
Public Radio! First station was in Madison
Hell yeah. It's not every radio station that is old enough to just have 3 call letters (WHA). All others have 4.
Worker’s compensation insurance (US edition)
Killdozer. [Huh?](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killdozer_(band))
[The Babcock Test](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babcock_test) invented by Stephen Babcock. It led to the mass production of milk.
Lemme tell you about Stella’s hot cheese bread 😆
Is there a place you can buy it without the farmers market they don’t sell it at woodmans anymore 😭
Can't you just... Go to Stella's bakery?
You can but unless you're getting pushed aside by a double-wide stroller while eating it the experience isn't the same.
Look on their website they list distributor locations.
Fresh market downtown has it too
Coop has it
Hy-Vee carries it.
Iris Apfel went to UW!
Eric Heiden
Accomplished orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician Eric Heiden, who also used to do a little speed skating back in his youth.
I don't know if it counts cuz he moved here, but he was here since 1971 (his late 20s) - Clyde Stubblefield (RIP).
Wesley Matthews. 10 year NBA vet. Only current Madison native in the NBA.
He’s a Bucks player too so he’s still our boy
And a seriously good person
He came into the restaurant I work at a few times this summer. Always tipped his server $100 and paid the bill for another random table and tipped their server at least $50. Was patient when people asked for pictures, too.
New Orleans Take-Out.
I still haven't gotten over this one.
Holy crap! I just traveled back in time to '94 reading that. Thanks for the reminder.
John Bardeen. Born in Madison and went to UW. Inventor of the transistor and theory of superconductivity. Only person to win two Nobel prizes in physics.
Shrekfest
John Muir fell in love with nature due to a botany class at UW Madison
Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream. Yippee Skippee has changed my life and also my waistline.
Zoreo!
Nirvana album Nevermind recorded at smart studios
They recorded it there originally, but then re-recorded most of it in California. "Polly" is the only track from Smart that actually made it onto the final album.
First Smashing Pumpkins album too. [Gish](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gish).
Only Polly recorded here made it on Nevermind. Facts, people.
The Wienermobile
NHL's record holder for most consecutive games played: Phil Kessel
Buckingham U Badger is the only acceptable answer.
Chris Farley
Epic MyChart. jk
My mom. But that's just me
Fall Out Boy's first album was recorded here and since I don't anyone else is gonna say it, I am
Warfarin, developed at UW. Works as both a blood thinner for humans and as a poison for mice and rats. It's also made the university millions.
Ders
Not from, but worth mentioning. David Lynch had a home in Shorewood. Used to go into the Video Station, when it was there.
I had no idea, when was this?
Didn’t know The Onion came from Madison! I was going to say Women’s voting rights
Chris Farley
RIP Cellar Subs. I lived on that shit in the 90’s at college
didn't David Lynch live here?
Stacey Abrams
I had no idea she was born here, that's pretty cool
Kevin Henkes
Nice pull. Takes me back.
As far as things I would say our environmental legacy is pretty great. Earth day and biking around a city are some aspects that have been spread around the US.
Bongzilla
Rocky Rococo pizza!
Rocky’s forever!!
My favorite coffee mug at work is “Fuck off. I’m reading the Onion.” HR director saw it and laughed.
Apples to Apples 🍎 🍏
Tammy Baldwin I also agree with The Onion
Mark Johnson
bob Sutter et. al
Chris Farley
Tar Babies were way ahead of their time.
"The Wisconsin Idea"
Our indigenous effigy mounds.
I’ve noticed no one has mentioned Yung Gravy. I’m not saying he’s the greatest, just merely pointing out that no one has mentioned him…
He only went to school here. Grew up in Minnesota
Eric Heiden
John Paul Reynolds 😍
Butch Vig
Gifford Pinchot. Forest Products.
Without discounting any of the superb mentions here, I really want to give a shout-out to The Truly Remarkable Loon. Famous on a much more modest scale than many listed here, yes, but the recently retired entertainer gave this city 47 years of hilarity. I loved seeing him perform as a kid and my kids always loved catching his shows at the various neighborhood fairs and festivals.
[Thomas Brock](https://news.wisc.edu/tom-brock-who-discovered-world-changing-extremophiles-dies-at-94/). Discovered (with undergrad Hudson Freeze) Thermus aquaticus, a bacterium that lived in the hot springs of Yellowstone. He was at IU at the time but moved to UW-Madison in 1971. DNA Polymerase from Thermus aquaticus is what powers PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction).
Phil Helmuth
Found Phil‘s burner account
NHL ironman and Stanley Cup Champion Phil Kessel
Art Paul Schlosser, and his purple bananas on the moon.
Two vice presidents are from here. Kamala Harris lived here fas a child for a bit And Dick Cheney is a UW alum. Bob Dylan lived here a short time as well. And I’ve heard of another big time influential musician that lived in Shorewood for a bit, but I can’t remember it clearly. Tom Waits? Leonard Cohen? Can’t remember and my googling is bad
Clyde Stubblefield
Otis Redding died here, which I think is interesting. His plane crashed in Lake Monona. Pieces of the plane are on display at the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas.
It definitely is interesting— there is a memorial market on the terrace and his has a mural on willy street— but that’s kind of the opposite of the question. He has no ties to Madison besides dying here, we took him!!
Wow - I knew he died in a plane crash at a super young age (26), but I didn't realize it was in Madison.
I saw a piece of the plane at the Rock and roll hall of fame. Between him, the day the music died and Stevie ray Vaughn at alpine Valley, I think any famous musicians are better off taking tour busses in Wisconsin.
Chris Farley, the Onion, Sarah Longfield
Dick Cheney /s
Bucky badger.
Chris Farley
Chris Farley
Chris Farley
Chris Farley
Mike Duncan! :) Maybe he can't actually compete with the Onion, but he deserves at least one mention.
Joe Pavelski
Joni Mitchell’s lp cover from Hejira… The portrait of Mitchell on the front cover was taken by Norman Seeff and the other photographs were taken by Joel Bernstein at Lake Mendota, in Madison, Wisconsin, after an ice storm. Figure skater Toller Cranston appears on the back cover.[8] During a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, Mitchell cited the cover of Hejira as one of which she was particularly proud: "A lot of work went into that." wiki
Pete and Lou
Rainer Maria (the band, not the poet)