Opinion and analysis

Recent opinion and analysis pieces written by UW-affiliated experts. See The Conversation for only the analysis pieces.

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Full archive of opinion and analysis stories

• Opinion: Marvel’s ‘Ironheart’ reimagines AI through a black girl’s lens | Forbes6 days ago
  "What might the virtual assistant in your phone sound like if the artificial intelligence that powered it emerged from the consciousness of a Black girl from Chicago?" writes Timeka Tounsel, associate professor of Black studies in communication at the UW. Golden M. Owens, assistant professor of cinema & media studies at the UW, is quoted.
• Opinion: Trump is stress testing the nation’s courts | Washington State Standard1 week ago
  "The judiciary may be the only bulwark preventing the collapse of our democracy," writes Donna Gordon Blankinship. Hugh Spitzer, professor in the UW School of Law, is quoted.
• Analysis: Could Iran really make a nuclear weapon? | Forbes1 week ago
  "Whether Iran has actively sought a nuclear weapon remains unanswered, but there is no doubt it pushed the limits of its enrichment program too far, and not by a little," writes Scott Montgomery, lecturer of international studies at the UW.
• Opinion: What makes ‘Boys in the Boat’ shell house special is in danger | The Seattle Times1 week ago
  "The UW has proposed defacing alterations that are now under review by the Seattle Landmarks Board. If this plan proceeds without substantial changes, Seattle will lose what makes this building nationally significant — its original architectural form, living history and historical relationship to the lake," write Judy Rantz Willman, co-chair of UW Shell House Advisory Board; Marilyn Oliver Bard; and Peter Steinbrueck.
• Analysis: Family and friends shoulder the real cost of dementia — $224B in unpaid care | The Conversation2 weeks ago
  "About 5.5 million Americans live with dementia, requiring US $53 billion in annual medical spending on doctor visits, hospitalizations, medications, home health aides and nursing homes. But the true cost of dementia care in the U.S. is far higher because it relies heavily on unpaid care from family and friends," writes Amy Lastuka, lead research scientist at the UW Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
• Opinion: Patients hurt most by Aetna-UW Medicine contract failure | The Seattle Times2 weeks ago
  "On June 1, Aetna and UW Medicine failed to agree on a new insurance contract. More than 50,000 Aetna members learned that every UW hospital, clinic and doctor was now out-of-network, forcing them to choose between paying sky-high bills or abandoning physicians they’ve trusted for years," writes Dr. Ryan Clodfelter.
• Opinion: Connecting communities across state serves UW's public mission | Yakima Herald-Republic2 weeks ago
  "The reality of our lives in Washington is that people want to connect. Our faculty have a desire to understand how wheat becomes a loaves of bread on tables throughout our state and world. How children, elders and all in between can live well and flourish in our state. How to assure that a student from Spokane, Sprague, Omak, Colville, Tacoma, Sedro Wolley, Olympia — can find their way home — as aspiring physicians, teachers, scientists, musicians, leaders, winemakers, and as the citizens and neighbors we need most," writes Ed Taylor, UW vice provost and dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
• Opinion: Education: Teacher training | The Seattle Times2 weeks ago
  "The Seattle Times editorial board misrepresents educational research and promotes a deeply flawed evaluation of teacher preparation," co-write Wayne Au, professor of educational studies and acting dean of diversity and equity at UW Bothell; Mia Tuan, dean of the UW College of Education; and Rachel Endo, professor and dean of education at UW Tacoma, in a letter to the editor.
• Opinion: 'Foolhardy at best, and deceptive and dangerous at worst': Don't believe the hype — here's why artificial general intelligence isn't what the billionaires tell you it is | Live Science4 weeks ago
  "Unfortunately, the goal of creating artificial general intelligence isn’t just a project that lives as a hypothetical in scientific papers. There’s real money invested in this work, much of it coming from venture capitalists," co-writes Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW.
• Opinion: Add this to the list for improving education: teacher training | The Seattle Times1 month ago
  "When trying to solve the riddle of declining student scores, policymakers and advocates point in every direction, blaming overlarge classes, low funding and socioeconomic disadvantage. Much less scrutinized are educators themselves, though virtually every expert credits teachers with having the greatest impact on student outcomes," writes the Seattle Times editorial board. The UW is mentioned.
• Opinion: Harvard as symbol and target | The New York Times1 month ago
  "Among the many points of complaint in Steven Pinker’s opinion essay are statistics that show a lack of 'viewpoint diversity' among university faculty. As a retired university professor, may I suggest that this is unlikely to change despite the pressures from the Trump administration?" writes Phil Bereano, professor emeritus of technology and public policy at the UW, in a letter to the editor.
• Opinion: Trump’s new ‘gold standard’ rule will destroy American science as we know it | The Guardian1 month ago
  "The new executive order allows political appointees to undermine research they oppose, paving the way for state-controlled science," co-writes Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW.
• Editorial: Air report a warning of things to come | The Seattle Times1 month ago
  "Seattle’s reputation for being clean and green took a little bit of a hit in the latest American Lung Association 'State of the Air' report," writes the Seattle Times Editorial Board. Robin Evans-Agnew, professor of nursing and healthcare leadership at UW Tacoma, is mentioned.
• Opinion: Federal cuts: ‘Assault on research funding’ | The Seattle Times1 month ago
  "The current assault by President Donald Trump and the GOP on research funding at the National Institutes of Health and more than 100 universities will cause many deaths from preventable disease. Most of us who are over 60 are still alive because of vaccines (such as for polio, measles, diphtheria, pneumonia, COVID-19 …) plus many newly discovered medicines. In my case, I am still healthy because of antibiotics, birth control pills for family planning and the drug Synthroid for daily use after thyroidectomy. What medicines that were discovered in the past 75 years by NIH funding are helping you survive?" writes Margaret Byers, research professor emeritus of neurobiology and biophysics in the UW School of Medicine.
• Opinion: The loss of Bartell Drugs weighs heavy on a city rich with assets | The Seattle Times1 month ago
  "After the many misfortunes Seattle has suffered since it received yet another nickname — Superstar City... the most damaging might be losing so many businesses in the central core and downtown," writes columnist Jon Talton. A UW study is referenced.
• Analysis: Empathy can take a toll — but 2 philosophers explain why we should see it as a strength | The Conversation1 month ago
  "Empathy can make people weaker – both physically and practically, according to social scientists. Consider the phenomenon known as “empathy fatigue,” a major source of burnout among counselors, nurses and even neurosurgeons. These professionals devote their lives to helping others, yet the empathy they feel for their clients and patients wears them down, making it harder to do their jobs," co-writes Colin Marshall, associate professor of philosophy at the UW.
• Analysis: Evidence shows AI systems are already too much like humans — will that be a problem? | The Conversation1 month ago
  "In a comprehensive meta-analysis, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, we show that the latest generation of large language model-powered chatbots match and exceed most humans in their ability to communicate. A growing body of research shows these systems now reliably pass the Turing test, fooling humans into thinking they are interacting with another human," co-writes Jevin West, a professor in the Information School at the UW.
• Opinion: Why Medicaid is vital for Tacoma and Washington state | Tacoma News Tribune1 month ago
  "If we care about public health and economic stability, defending Medicaid should be non-negotiable. It’s one of the smartest investments our country can make. The attempts to dismantle it aren’t just misguided - they threaten the health, dignity, and financial security of millions of Americans," writes Naima Aden, a student at UW Tacoma.
• Opinion: We need a new model of global health aid | The Seattle Times2 months ago
  "The Trump administration’s cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development and other aid funding for global health are cruel and catastrophic. One estimate just published in the journal Nature suggests that up to 25 million people could die over 15 years because of the cuts to TB, HIV/AIDS, family planning, and maternal and child health programs. Cancellations of National Institutes of Health funding for global health research contribute to the devastation," writes James Pfeiffer, professor of global health and of anthropology at the UW.
• Opinion: Crime: ‘Climate of fear’ | The Seattle Times2 months ago
  "As a University of Washington student studying Law, Societies, and Justice, I’ve learned how media and law enforcement narratives shape public perceptions of crime, often more than facts. Danny Westneat’s “Call me a nut — and they did — but we should be glad crime is falling” (May 3, Local News) gets it right. Data shows crime in Seattle is down, yet many continue to deny it due to the climate of fear," writes Molly Charrier in a letter to the editor.
• Analysis: As US doubles down on fossil fuels, communities will have to adapt to the consequences — yet climate adaptation funding is on the chopping block | The Conversation2 months ago
  "It’s no secret that warming temperatures, wildfires and flash floods are increasingly affecting lives across the United States. With the U.S. government now planning to ramp up fossil fuel use, the risks of these events are likely to become even more pronounced," co-writes Meade Krosby, senior scientist at the UW Climate Impacts Group.
• Analysis: Trump targets NPR and PBS as public and nonprofit media account for a growing share of local news coverage | The Conversation2 months ago
  "Republicans in Washington have their sights — once again — on defunding public media," writes Matthew Powers, associate professor of communications at the UW.
• Opinion: Navigating unhealthy food culture on college campuses | The Seattle Times2 months ago
  "For a lot of college students, living alone is a brand-new experience. Amid pushing through classwork and maintaining a social life, staying healthy can be a cumbersome task. For many students, me included, work often takes priority over necessities like food and sleep. It’s not uncommon to resort to ultraprocessed, cheap, ready-to-eat meals," writes Shruti Badrish, a student at the UW. Michelle Averill, a teaching professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, is quoted.
• Opinion: The erosion of DEI threatens rights of people with disabilities, too | The Seattle Times2 months ago
  "A national campaign that is underway against Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility could undo decades of progress. Should they be implemented, these changes will curtail the rights of people with disabilities — your friends, colleagues, family and perhaps your current or future self — to community and civic participation. I know what is at stake because I have used accommodations that are under threat," writes Jennifer Mankoff, professor of computer science and engineering at the UW.
• Opinion: We found a workaround to Trump defunding science | The New York Times2 months ago
  "For over two years, nearly 200 other scientists and I had been working on the first full accounting of nature in America: an extensive report on its role in our health, economy and well-being. Now, with the revoking of a Biden executive order that called for the assessment, it was seemingly over," writes Phil Levin, professor of practice in environmental and forest sciences at the UW.
• Analysis: Claims of ‘anti-Christian bias’ sound to some voters like a message about race, not just religion | The Conversation3 months ago
  "President Donald Trump and members of his administration have long used allegations of anti-Christian discrimination as a rallying cry for supporters, arguing that policies and laws on issues like school prayer and LGBTQ+ rights threaten Christians’ right to express their beliefs," co-write the UW's Clara Wilkins, associate professor of psychology, and Rosemary (Marah) Al-Kire, a postdoctoral researcher of psychology.
• Opinion: Trump's NEH killed funding for my Holocaust translation project | The Forward3 months ago
  "For all that my project with co-translator Harriet Murav seems to align with the president’s supposed interest in fighting antisemitism, there it was: Our grant was being terminated, in accordance with 'an urgent priority for the administration,' as the NEH was 'repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda,'" writes Sasha Senderovich, associate professor of Slavic languages and literatures at the UW.
• Opinion: 'The Pitt' on Max captures doctors' reality — can AI help? | USA Today3 months ago
  "In 'The Pitt,' we see physicians navigating high-stakes decisions under intense pressure – a reality that mirrors my own. As physicians, we encounter many traumatic moments in a compressed time frame," writes Dr. Samuel Browd, professor of neurological surgery and the director of The Sports Institute in the UW School of Medicine.
• Analysis: White House plans for Alaskan oil and gas face some hurdles — including from Trump and the petroleum industry | The Conversation3 months ago
  "The second Trump administration has launched the next stage in the half-century-long battle between commerce and conservation over Alaskan oil and gas development. But its moves are delivering a mixed message to the petroleum industry," writes Scott Montgomery, lecturer of international studies at the UW.
• Opinion: GOP reparations bill is a bad sign for CA's Black Caucus | CalMatters3 months ago
  "At a time when the political climate calls for strong and steady leadership, many Black Californians are losing faith in the lawmakers they sent to Sacramento to deliver on a justice agenda anchored by reparations," Denise Amos writes. James Gregory, professor of history at the UW, is mentioned.

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