A new machine learning tool developed by UW computer vision researchers can create realistic videos from audio files alone – including speeches by President Barack Obama.
July 11, 2017
The latest news from the UW
July 6, 2017
Policy and progress in the Arctic: Essays by students in the Jackson School’s International Policy Institute
Graduate student fellows with the International Policy Institute in the UW Jackson School of International Studies have begun publishing a 13-part series of blogs exploring aspects of the intergovernmental Arctic Council as a 21st-century institution.
July 5, 2017
First battery-free cellphone makes calls by harvesting ambient power
UW engineers have designed the first battery-free cellphone that can send and receive calls using only a few microwatts of power, which it harvests from ambient radio signals or light. It’s a major step forward in moving beyond chargers, cords and dying phones.
Public Notice: Availability of final Environmental Impact Statement and proposed shoreline public access plan
The Final 2018 Seattle Campus Master Plan and Final EIS are available online at http://cpd.uw.edu/cmp/about and at the following libraries: Seattle Public Libraries Central, University, and Montlake branches; UW Libraries Suzzallo (Reference Division) and Health Sciences branches.
July 3, 2017
Q & A: Janelle Taylor on ‘exemplary friends’ of people with dementia
Dementia affects millions of people around the world; the World Health Organization estimates 9.9 million new cases each year, and the total number of people with dementia is expected to nearly triple by 2050. And for every person with dementia, there are family members and friends who also experience their loved one’s decline. University of Washington anthropology professor Janelle Taylor started researching dementia about 10 years ago, after her father died and she and her siblings had to step up…
June 29, 2017
Anind K. Dey named dean of the UW’s Information School
Anind K. Dey has been named dean of the Information School at the University of Washington, President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Jerry Baldasty announced this week. Dey comes to the UW from Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, where he is the Charles M. Geschke professor and director of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute. His appointment is subject to approval by the UW Board of Regents. “Anind brings great knowledge, insight and experience to the iSchool and the UW,”…
UW oceanography senior finds plastic microfibers are common on Puget Sound beaches
A UW undergraduate in oceanography sampled tiny pieces of plastic on 12 Puget Sound beaches. She found that plastic fragments are widespread, and include some surprising sources.
Study shows high pregnancy failure in southern resident killer whales; links to nutritional stress and low salmon abundance
A multi-year survey of the nutritional, physiological and reproductive health of endangered southern resident killer whales suggests that up to two-thirds of pregnancies failed in this population from 2007 to 2014. The study links this orca population’s low reproductive success to stress brought on by low or variable abundance of their most nutrient-rich prey, Chinook salmon.
As metro areas grow, whites move farther from the city center
In the middle of the 20th century, cities began to change. The popularity of the automobile and the construction of interstate highways fueled the growth of suburbs, while discriminatory housing policies segregated neighborhoods and helped create the phenomenon of “white flight” away from downtowns. Decades later, the average white person still lives farther from the city center than the average person of color, a University of Washington researcher says, even with the resurgence of downtown living in many…
June 27, 2017
Brain signals deliver first targeted treatment for world’s most common movement disorder
For the first time, University of Washington researchers have delivered targeted treatment for essential tremor – the world’s most common neurological movement disorder – by decoding brain signals to sense when patients’ limbs are shaking.
Distant earthquakes can cause underwater landslides
New University of Washington research finds large earthquakes can trigger underwater landslides thousands of miles away, weeks or months after the quake occurs.
June 26, 2017
The New York Times recognizes UW student policy recommendations
Seeking to protect coastal communities from these devastating impacts, an interdisciplinary team of UW students authored a policy case for lawmakers. Their case won the inaugural APRU-New York Times Asia-Pacific Case Competition, besting submissions from 31 universities across the Americas, Asia and Australasia
Microscope can scan tumors during surgery and examine cancer biopsies in 3-D
A new UW microscope could provide real-time results during cancer-removal surgeries, potentially eliminating the 20 to 40 percent of women who have to undergo multiple lumpectomy surgeries because cancerous breast tissue is missed the first time around.
June 20, 2017
UW-led scientists ‘closing the gap’ on malaria in India
The National Institutes of Health has renewed a major grant that funds a University of Washington-led research center to understand malaria in India.
June 19, 2017
To connect biology with electronics, be rigid, yet flexible
Researchers uncover design principles to make polymers that can transport both ions and electrons, which will help create new devices like biosensors and flexible bioelectronic implants
June 16, 2017
What the bond between homeless people and their pets demonstrates about compassion
A video camera captures an interview with a man named Spirit, who relaxes in an outdoor plaza on a sunny afternoon. Of his nearby service dogs, Kyya and Miniaga, he says, “They mean everything to me, and I mean everything to them.” In another video, three sweater-clad dogs scamper around a Los Angeles park, while their companion, Judie, tells their backstory. And in still another clip, Myra races her spaniel mix, Prince, down a neighborhood street. The images have an…
June 14, 2017
Gov. Inslee appoints UW second-year law student Jaron Goddard as new student regent
Gov. Jay Inslee has named Jaron Goddard as the next student member of the University of Washington Board of Regents for the 2017-18 school year.
June 13, 2017
Abstraction, family memories — even a touch of voodoo — highlight annual graduate show at Henry Art Gallery
Absurdity and abstraction, artistic dualisms, long-held family memories — and even some gentle voodoo — mingle together in the annual exhibition by UW art and design graduate students, on display through June 25 at the Henry Art Gallery.
Tribal gaming certificate addresses economic reality of Indian reservations
Managing a casino might not be the first career path envisioned with a degree from the University of Washington. But 22 tribes across Washington state depend on tribal casino resorts to provide jobs, generate revenue to operate tribal governments and promote economic development. So for UW students who call those reservations home – or simply want a job in Indian Country – the gaming industry looms large. That’s the thinking behind a professional program that, for the first time, will…
June 8, 2017
UWTV, CSNE executive director win Northwest Chapter Emmy Award
UWTV and Eric Chudler, executive and education director of UW’s Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering, received an Emmy® Award from the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences on Saturday for the program “BrainWorks: Exercise and the Brain” in the Health/Science Program/Special category.
Wide-Open accelerates release of scientific data by automatically identifying overdue datasets
WideOpen is a new open-source tool developed at the UW to help advance open science by automatically detecting datasets that are overdue for publication. Already, more than 400 datasets have been made public as a result.
New enrollment management unit announced: Enrollment Information Services
The Division of Enrollment Management has reorganized and created a new shared-services unit — Enrollment Information Services.
Distinguished educator and humanitarian Dr. Johnnetta Cole to speak at UW’s 142nd Commencement Saturday
About 5,700 graduates, along with 50,000-plus family members, friends, faculty and other observers, are expected to attend the 142nd University of Washington commencement ceremonies June 10 at Husky Stadium.
June 7, 2017
Scientists discover a 2-D magnet
A team led by the University of Washington and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has for the first time discovered magnetism in the 2-D world of monolayers, or materials that are formed by a single atomic layer. The findings, published June 8 in the journal Nature, demonstrate that magnetic properties can exist even in the 2-D realm — opening a world of potential applications.
‘Scales of Struggle’: Historians of labor, working class to convene at UW
Issues of social justice, incarceration and the politics of race and gender — past and present — will be the focus as hundreds of scholars, teachers, labor activists and artists gather at the UW June 22-25 for the annual conference of the Labor and Working-Class History Association.
June 6, 2017
Hiding in plain sight: new species of flying squirrel discovered
A new study published May 30 in the Journal of Mammalogy describes a newly discovered third species of flying squirrel in North America — now known as Humboldt’s flying squirrel, or Glaucomys oregonensis. It inhabits the Pacific Coast region of North America, from southern British Columbia to the mountains of southern California.
June 5, 2017
‘Documents that Changed the Way We Live’: Podcast by UW’s Joe Janes now a book
A popular podcast by Joe Janes of the UW Information School is now a book. “Documents that Changed the Way We Live” is being published this month by Rowman & Littlefield.
June 2, 2017
UW, UW Bothell scientists explain new discovery in gravitational wave astronomy
The announcement that a third collision of black holes has been detected three billion light years away validates the work of hundreds of scientists, including teams at the University of Washington and UW Bothell.
Flexible Career Accelerator Program offers a professional boost
University of Washington Continuum College is re-engineering education for working adults through a new program called Career Accelerator. The program boosts critical career knowledge for professionals, helping them achieve gains in data analytics, data science, machine learning, programming and project management.
Catching the IMSI-catchers: SeaGlass brings transparency to cell phone surveillance
University of Washington security researchers have developed a new system called SeaGlass to detect anomalies in the cellular landscape that can indicate where and when cell phone surveillance devices are being used.
June 1, 2017
Scientists launch global agenda to curb social and human rights abuses in the seafood sector
As the United Nations Oceans Conference convenes in New York, a new paper calls on marine scientists to focus on social issues such as human rights violations in the seafood industry
Why pot-smoking declines — but doesn’t end — with parenthood
Adults who smoke marijuana often cut back after becoming parents — but they don’t necessarily quit. The influence of a significant other and positive attitudes toward the drug overall, in addition to the onset of parenthood, also are factors in whether someone uses marijuana. It’s a changing landscape for marijuana use, as laws ease and cultural acceptance grows — in Washington state and elsewhere around the country. Against that backdrop, the study by the University of Washington’s Social Development…
Video shows invasive lionfish feasting on new Caribbean fish species
Researchers from the University of Washington and Smithsonian Institution have reported the first observed case of lionfish preying upon a fish species that had not yet been named. Their results, published May 25 in PLOS ONE, may indicate an uncertain future for other fish found in the largely unexplored deep-ocean coral reefs.
May 31, 2017
Arts Roundup: Harry Partch Ensemble, Defiant Requiem, Trans History in 99 Objects, Sueño, and School of Art graduation exhibitions
This week in the arts, hear the Harry Partch Ensemble perform with students and faculty; experience a concert-drama combining the music of Verdi with video testimony from survivors of the Terezí concentration camp; get a final look at the Henry’s exhibit from the Museum of Transgender Hirstory & Art; see an Obie Award-winning adaptation of Calderon de la Barca’s classic Life Is a Dream; and catch the next installments of the School of Art + Art History + Design’s Graduation Exhibitions. HARRY PARTCH ENSEMBLE: MUSIC…
Support for tidal energy is high among Washington residents
A new University of Washington study finds that people who believe climate change is a problem and see economic, environmental and/or social benefits to using tidal energy are more likely to support such projects. Also, connecting pilot projects to the electricity grid is an important factor in garnering public support.
May 30, 2017
Drone vs. truck deliveries: Which create less carbon pollution?
A new study finds that drone deliveries emit less climate-warming carbon dioxide pollution than truck deliveries in some — but not all — scenarios.
May 25, 2017
UW engineers borrow from electronics to build largest circuits to date in living eukaryotic cells
UW synthetic biology researchers have demonstrated a new method for digital information processing in living cells, analogous to the logic gates used in electric circuits. The team built the largest circuits published to date in eukaryotic cells, using DNA instead of silicon and solder.
UW anthropologist: Why researchers should share computer code
For years, scientists have discussed whether and how to share data from painstaking research and costly experiments. Some are further along in their efforts toward “open science” than others: Fields such as astronomy and oceanography, for example, involve such expensive and large-scale equipment and logistical challenges to data collection that collaboration among institutions has become the norm. Meanwhile, a variety of academic journals, including several in the Nature Research family, are turning their attention to another aspect of the research…
May 23, 2017
Arts Roundup: UW Sings, Sueño, School of Art IVA Honors + Juried Show, I Dig Dinos, and Manimou Camara
This week in the arts, hear The University Singers, Women’s Choir, and Men’s Glee Club on one stage; see award-winning playwright José Rivera’s adaptation of the classic Life is a Dream, dig dinos at the Burke; check out the latest installment of the School of Art Graduation Exhibitions; and listen to a master drummer performs with his students. UW SINGS Friday, May 26, 7:30PM| Meany Theater The University Singers, Women’s Choir, and Men’s Glee Club present their popular year-end concert, directed by Geoffrey Boers. More info….
Wolves need space to roam to control expanding coyote populations
Wolves and other top predators need large ranges to be able to control smaller predators whose populations have expanded to the detriment of a balanced ecosystem, a new study in Nature Communications finds.