UW researchers have discovered a high-performance polymer that could make inexpensive, organic solar cells competitive with silicon-based cells.
August 7, 2013
The latest news from the UW
UW researchers report on genome of aggressive cervical cancer that killed Henrietta Lacks
Henrietta Lacks was the subject of bestselling book on the HeLa immortal cell line, the most used of its kind in labs around the world. The UW scientists are the first to publish under new policy, established through agreement with Lacks’ family.
August 6, 2013
News Digest: UW wins two CASE awards, cosmic ray detectors being assembled, informant testimony questioned, Honor: Charles Johnson
UW wins two Council for Advancement and Support of Education awards || Local high school students, teachers assembling cosmic ray detectors || Triple exoneration aided by UW’s Innocence Project Northwest || Charles Johnson recipient of Humanities Washington Award
Documents that Changed the World: Einstein’s letter to FDR, 1939
The latest installment in the popular podcast series by Joe Janes of the UW Information School is about the famous physicist being persuaded to warn FDR of a growing atomic threat from Germany.
August 5, 2013
Compile and create: Early book collecting examined in Jeffrey Todd Knight’s ‘Bound to Read’
Jeffrey Todd Knight, UW professor of English, discusses his new book, “Bound to Read: Compilations, Collections, and the Making of Renaissance Literature.”
Abused children found to smoke more as teens and adults
Researchers have long suspected some kind of link between childhood abuse and smoking. But in an interesting twist, UW researchers found a connection not between whether or not an abused child will ever begin smoking, but to how much they smoke once they do start.
August 1, 2013
Brain chemistry changes in children with autism offer clues to earlier detection and intervention
Between ages three and 10, children with autism spectrum disorder exhibit distinct brain chemical changes that differ from children with developmental delays and children with typical development.
Burnt sugar-derivative reduces muscle wasting in fly and mouse models of muscular dystrophy
A trace substance in caramelized sugar, when purified and given in appropriate doses, improves muscle regeneration in insect and animal models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Scientists review the ecological effects of sea ice loss
A UW atmospheric scientist is co-author of a review paper, published this week in the journal Science, looking at the ecological consequences of sea ice decline.
Lost and Found Film: ‘History and Industry, 1965’
The title of the latest Lost and Found Film — “History and Industry, 1965” gives away the “where” and the “when” of the mystery footage —it’s the “what” and “why” parts that film archivist Hannah Palin is interested in.
July 31, 2013
University presidents urge President Obama, Congress to address “innovation deficit”
University of Washington President Michael K. Young today joined more than 160 other university presidents and chancellors in calling on leaders in Washington to close what they call the “innovation deficit.”
July 30, 2013
Fifty years of ecological insights earn UW biologist international award
Biologist Robert Paine has been awarded this year’s International Cosmos Prize that carries a cash award of about $408,000 and has previously gone to well-known conservationists such as David Attenborough and the leaders behind the Census of Marine Life project.
Santa’s workshop not flooded – but lots of melting in the Arctic
Widespread media reports of a lake at the North Pole don’t hold water — but scientists who deployed the monitoring buoys are watching closely as Arctic sea ice approaches its yearly minimum.
July 29, 2013
Planetary ‘runaway greenhouse’ more easily triggered, research shows
It might be easier than previously thought for a planet to overheat into the uninhabitable “runaway greenhouse” stage, according to new research.
Natural affinities – unrecognized until now – may have set stage for life to ignite
It might not have been just happenstance that caused components of RNA and the earliest “cell” membranes to be in the right place at the right time to spark life.
UW welcomes Denzil Suite, vice president for student life
The University of Washington on July 29 welcomed Denzil Suite as vice president for student life.
July 28, 2013
Breakthrough in detecting DNA mutations could help treat tuberculosis, cancer
Researchers have developed a new method that can look at a specific segment of DNA and pinpoint a single mutation, which could help diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer and tuberculosis.
July 25, 2013
Dental school mourns alumnus Dr. Vincent G. Kokich
The Northwest has the best summer in the nation. But why?
University of Washington ranked eighth in country by Forbes
The University of Washington was ranked eighth among public universities in the country (excluding federally-funded military academies) in the quality of undergraduate education, according to Forbes.
Video: Building the Galapagos penguin population
July 24, 2013
Fish-ear bones offer clues to health of ocean, species
Literary arts: Discarded books become art in UW Summer Youth Programs class
Can a book be a sculpture? Sure — at UW Summer Youth Programs, it’s all part of the creative process.
July 23, 2013
Pain of artificial legs could be eased by real-time monitoring
University of Washington engineers have developed a device that tracks how much a person’s limb swells and shrinks when inside a prosthetic socket. The data could help doctors and patients predict how and when their limbs will swell, which could be used to build smarter sockets.
July 22, 2013
Geochemical ‘fingerprints’ leave evidence that megafloods eroded steep gorge
For the first time, scientists have direct geochemical evidence that the 150-mile long Tsangpo Gorge, possibly the world’s deepest, was the conduit by which megafloods from glacial lakes, perhaps half the volume of Lake Erie, drained catastrophically through the Himalayas when their ice dams failed during the last 2 million years.
July 19, 2013
Nighttime heat waves quadruple in Pacific Northwest
Nighttime heat waves — events where the nighttime low is unusually hot for at least three days in a row — are becoming more common in western Washington and Oregon.
July 18, 2013
Board of Regents — August 8 Meeting Canceled
The meeting of the Board of Regents for Thursday, August 8, is canceled. The next Regular Meeting of the Board is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 12, in the Petersen Room of the Allen Library. Agendas and schedule will be available after noon on Friday, Sept. 6.
Falling from windows is serious risk for small children
A few safety measures can help those with young children at home reduce the chance of window falls.
UW launches record 17 startup companies
The University of Washington launched a record 17 startup companies this fiscal year.
A warmer planetary haven around cool stars, as ice warms rather than cools
In a bit of cosmic irony, planets orbiting cooler stars may be more likely to remain ice-free than planets around hotter stars. This is due to the interaction of a star’s light with ice and snow on the planet’s surface.
Arts Roundup: Art exhibits and 2013-14 drama, World Series schedules
Even in July, there are UW arts events to take in, as the sun and clouds battle for attention overhead. Plus, the School of Drama and UW World Series announce their 2013-14 seasons.
July 17, 2013
Northwest scientists using drones to spy on nature
July 16, 2013
UW Medicine hospitals rank highly in latest U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals
U.S. News publishes Best Hospitals to guide patients who need a high level of care because they face a difficult surgery, a challenging condition, or added risk because of other health problems or age.
News Digest: UW unveils events calendar, ocean expedition blog
New UW events calendar now available || Follow ocean expedition via bilingual blog, photo page
UW welcomes Azita Emami, dean of School of Nursing
Azita Emami recently joined the School of Nursing as the Robert G. and Jean A. Reid Dean.
Eye-tracking could outshine passwords if made user-friendly
University of Washington engineers found in a recent study that the user’s experience could be key to creating an authentication system that doesn’t rely on passwords.
July 15, 2013
Ecological forces structure your body’s personal mix of microbes
Researchers hope to build a predictive model of the human microbiome to study what affects this massive biological system and to design ways to manipulate the microbiome to achieve desired clinical outcomes.
UW welcomes Michael Bragg, dean of the College of Engineering
The UW welcomes today (July 15) Michael B. Bragg as dean of the College of Engineering.
July 14, 2013
Some volcanoes ‘scream’ at ever-higher pitches until they blow their tops
Swarms of small earthquakes before a volcanic eruption can come in such rapid succession that they create a signal called harmonic tremor. A new eruption analysis from Alaska’s Redoubt Volcano shows the harmonic tremor glided to higher frequencies, then stopped abruptly just before six eruptions in 2009.
July 12, 2013