When I heard the name, ""Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery,"" the image that immediately came to mind was Disney Epcot's fake Imagination Institute, complete with Wayne Szalinski from ""Honey, I Shrunk the Audience."" This may have originated from the fact that I am a Disney freak and somehow relate most things back to the Mouse, but it also stems from the too-good-to-be-true illusion I got when hearing details of the interdisciplinary research facility.
There's been a lot of hype. WID was constructed under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards for energy efficiency—using 50 percent less energy and water than other UW–Madison research facilities—and is powered by geothermal energy. With the collaboration of both private and public research groups, The discovery potential is extraordinary. This potential will attract world-class researches and grants. Its beautiful architecture and locally-focused restaurants will become iconic.
I decided to check out Monday's series of grand opening events to see if this hype was warranted. The publicity for WID is well-deserved. My first thought was, ""where am I?"" The facility looks like a Los Angeles hotel. There are gardens, a helix staircase, waterfall bench clock structures, waterfalls that light up in a Fibonacci sequence when you walk by and chimes that sound to reflect your movement. It took five minutes to realize what I assumed was a swanky bar was actually where Babcock ice cream will be sold.
Ah, yes. Babcock ice cream means I'm in Wisconsin. And of course there is a new flavor to celebrate the opening, according to Kathleen Gallagher of the Journal Sentinel, which includes UW's patented HyRed cranberries and dark chocolate ribbons.
WID is easily the most impressive building on campus. Walking around, I was, as a quote on the wall said, ""in a constant state of discovery.""
Then there's the science. Bruce Alberts, editor of Science Magazine and former president of the National Academy of Sciences, told Gallagher, ""people in Wisconsin may not recognize the great university you have here. It's a fantastic source of ingenuity and leadership.""
After listening to the conversation between Santae Kim, the Morgridge Institute for Research Director, and John Wiley, the WID Director I agree. I was amazed at the immense potential for ingenuity in the building.
I'm not scientifically-literate, so the areas of research just sounded intense. But the idea behind the collaboration and mission of the institute's research is something I can understand. It is what makes this facility unique. Kim explained that if you ""want to harness discovery to solve societal problems, it is unlikely that one path will do it."" Wiley added, ""nature doesn't recognize our disciplines."" The building is designed with transparency in mind to force researchers to work together and, both literally and figuratively, rub shoulders. As Kim pointed out, a lot of researchers have the answers to other researchers' problems.
This collaboration will hopefully lead to a faster discovery to delivery process, and that's the exciting part. The facility has the potential to ""unleash more local commercialization of the UW's world-class research,"" as Gallagher noted.
Pro-life protestors would argue that my too-good-to-be-true opinion ignores the ethical and moral implications that the private research side will encounter, namely stem-cell research. Jamie Thomson, the first researcher to isolate and grow human embryonic stem cells, will be one of the many pioneers working for the private research side at WID. But this is exactly why WID is ground-breaking. Stem-cell research can lead to cures for Alzheimer's, blindness, Parkinson's disease and other human illnesses. It's invigorating to think that these breakthroughs may emerge right here on campus. Todd Finkelmeyer of the Cap Times found that these private researchers are not on UW payroll, and their facilities are financed through private funds, yet they still use UW's outstanding facility. It seems UW has found a funding loophole, and I'm grateful. According to the Badger Herald, Governor Doyle believes ""politics and religion need not decide where science should be going."" Finally.
Kim noted researchers can't just be happy with discovery; they need to extend their efforts to connecting that research to tangible societal impact. It seems clear to me that the vibrancy of the facility, as well as the breakthroughs at both the public and private level, will have no problem impacting the world in unimaginable ways. At WID, researchers are finally free to discover.
Melissa Grau is a sophomore intending to major in journalism. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
