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The latest news from the UW

May 9, 2024

Navy Growler jet noise over Whidbey Island could impact 74,000 people’s health

As often as four days a week, Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island fly loops overhead as pilots practice touch-and-go landings. The noise is immense. New research from the University of Washington shows that the noise isn’t just disruptive — it presents a substantial risk to public health.

May 2, 2024

Qiang Fu, Raymond Huey elected to National Academy of Sciences

Two University of Washington researchers are among the newly elected members of the National Academy of Sciences. Qiang Fu, professor of atmospheric sciences, and Raymond Huey, professor emeritus of biology, are among those recognized with one of the highest honors a scientist can achieve.

May 1, 2024

ArtSci Roundup: Frontiers of Physics Lecture, “Influencers, Platforms and the Rise of the Follower Economy”, Cie Hervé KOUBI Performance and more

This week, head to Kane Hall for the Frontiers of Physics Lecture on the James Webb Space Telescope’s discoveries, enjoy Cie Hervé KOUBI’s performance at Meany Hall, learn about “Influencers, Platforms, and the Rise of the Follower Economy” during the Communications Colloquium, and more. May 6, 5:30 – 8:30 pm | Andrew L. Markus Memorial Lecture: Melayu Malay — Mystery Miracle, Kane Hall Professor Hendrik Maier (University of California, Riverside) will deliver the Department of Asian Languages & Literature’s 2024 Andrew…

UW’s campaign to restore the ASUW Shell House exceeds goal, showcases community support

Before the oars dip their blades signaling the beginning of the Windemere Cup, before hundreds of flag-draped boats parade from Portage Bay to Lake Washington to open the boating season, the campaign to save the ASUW Shell House at the University of Washington already can be called a winner. 

Virtual reality environment for teens may offer an accessible, affordable way to reduce stress

Working with teens, UW researchers have designed RESeT: a snowy virtual world with six activities intended to improve mood. In a 3-week study of 44 Seattle-area teens, researchers found that most used the technology about twice a week without being prompted and reported lower stress levels after using the environment.

April 30, 2024

Scientists solve chemical mystery at the interface of biology and technology

A University of Washington-led study has solved a mystery about organic electrochemical transistors: Why there is a lag when they are switched on. In the process paved the way to custom-tailored OECTs for a growing list of applications in biosensing, brain-inspired computation and beyond.

April 26, 2024

New circuit boards can be repeatedly recycled

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington developed a new PCB that performs on par with traditional materials and can be recycled repeatedly with negligible material loss. Researchers used a solvent that transforms a type of vitrimer — a cutting-edge class of polymer — into a jelly-like substance without damage, allowing solid components to be plucked out for reuse or recycling. With these “vPCBs” (vitrimer printed circuit boards), researchers recovered 98% of the vitrimer and 100% of the glass fiber.

April 25, 2024

ArtSci Roundup: “AI, Art and Copyright” Roundtable, “How to Center Intersex” Community Gathering, Indigenous Foods Symposium and more

This week, listen to the roundtable on “AI, Art, and Copyright,” attend the second annual Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies Spring Community Gathering, check out the Living Breath of wəłəbʔaltxʷ Indigenous Foods Symposium, and more. April 30, 4:30 – 6:30 pm | Anton Hur, “Translator Jetlag: Voice and the World We Build” | Translator’s Lecture, Husky Union Building In this talk, Anton Hur will examine the idea of voice in literary translation. He will focus on the practice of “triangulation,”…

Video: UW professor on ‘The Boys in the Boat,’ Nazi Germany and the 1936 Olympics

The film version of “The Boys in the Boat,” released on Dec. 25, was inspired by the University of Washington men’s rowing team that won a gold medal at the 1936 Olympics. It’s based on the 2013 book by Daniel James Brown. But there is more to the story than the improbable victory by UW student-athletes from small towns and working-class backgrounds. The 1936 Olympics were held in Berlin, following a failed movement in the United States and Europe to boycott the…

Author Daniel James Brown and MIT atmospheric chemist Susan Solomon to receive honorary degrees at UW’s 2024 Commencement

The University of Washington 149th Commencement is scheduled for Saturday, June 8, at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. This year, the UW will recognize best-selling author Daniel James Brown and Susan Solomon, a professor of environmental science and chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Both will receive honorary degrees for their contributions to the humanities and sciences.

Q&A: UW research shows neural connection between learning a second language and learning to code

New research from the University of Washington shows the brain’s response to viewing errors in both the syntax (form) and semantics (meaning) of code appeared identical to those that occur when fluent readers process sentences on a word-by-word basis, supporting a resemblance between how people learn computer and natural languages.

April 18, 2024

ArtSci Roundup: Improvised Music Project Festival, Modern Abortion Around the World Panel, Taiwan’s Pop Music and more

This week, join the Jackson School for International Studies for a panel on Modern Abortion Around the World, head to Meany Hall for the Improvised Music Project Festival, celebrate Taiwan’s pop music, and much more. April 22, 3:30 – 5:00 pm | ‘Genbaku Otome: Reconsidering the “Hiroshima Maidens”’ with Kim Brandt (Columbia University), Thomson Hall The Jackson School of International Studies invites Research Scholar Kim Brandt, Columbia University, to discuss the significance of the Hiroshima Maidens. “Hiroshima Maidens” loosely translates…

April 17, 2024

Ice age climate analysis reduces worst-case warming expected from rising CO2

A detailed reconstruction of climate during the most recent ice age, when a large swath of North America was covered in ice, provides information on the relationship between CO2 and global temperature. Results show that while most future warming estimates remain unchanged, the absolute worst-case scenario is unlikely.

April 15, 2024

Q&A: How claims of anti-Christian bias can serve as racial dog whistles

A new University of Washington study showed that white and Black Christians perceived a politician concerned about anti-Christian bias as caring more about anti-white bias, being more willing to fight for white people and as less offensive than one concerned about anti-white bias.

April 11, 2024

ArtSci Roundup: Center for Environmental Politics talk, ‘What Makes a Good Art Critic?’, Yefim Bronfman at Meany Hall and more

This week, head to Meany Hall for multiple Grammy Awards recipient Yefim Bronfman’s performance, learn from panelists during “What Makes a Good Art Critic?”, explore “The Imperative Challenges of Sustainability for the Forgotten” during the Center for Environmental Politics’ talk, and more. April 15, 3:30 – 5:00 pm | TALK | ‘Silver Democracy: Youth Representation in an Aging Japan’ with Charles T. McClean, Yale University, Thomson Hall The UW Japan Studies Program invites Dr. Charles T. McClean to explore why…

New report ‘braids’ Indigenous and Western knowledge for forest adaptation strategies against climate change

Forests could also be potential bulwarks against climate change. But, increasingly severe droughts and wildfires, invasive species, and large insect outbreaks — all intensified by climate change — are straining many national forests and surrounding lands. A report by a team of 40 experts outlines a new approach to forest stewardship that “braids together” Indigenous knowledge and Western science to conserve and restore more resilient forestlands. Published March 25, the report provides foundational material to inform future work on climate-smart adaptive management practices for USDA Forest Service land managers.

April 9, 2024

UW joins $110M cross-Pacific effort to advance artificial intelligence

The University of Washington and the University of Tsukuba have entered an innovation partnership with NVIDIA and Amazon aimed at furthering research, entrepreneurship, workforce development and social implementation in the field of artificial intelligence. This U.S.-Japan academic partnership is part of a broad, $110 million effort to build upon the strong ties between the U.S. and Japan and to continue to lead innovation and technological breakthroughs in artificial intelligence.

Everyday social interactions predict language development in infants

In a study published April 8 in Current Biology, University of Washington researchers found that when the adult talked and played socially with a 5-month-old baby, the baby’s brain activity particularly increased in regions responsible for attention — and the level of this type of activity predicted enhanced language development at later ages.

April 5, 2024

Q&A: The growing trend of environmental, social and governance assurances in corporate America

Voluntary reports that discuss environmental, social and governance issues — or ESG issues — have become a major trend in corporate America over the past decade. Shawn Shi, University of Washington assistant professor of accounting in the Foster School of Business, is conducting ongoing research on the topic.

April 4, 2024

Q&A: Eclipses aren’t just good for jaw-dropping views — they’re also opportunities for stellar science, says UW astronomer

Eclipses past and present aren’t just opportunities for incredible sights. Generations of researchers have used them to study phenomena ranging from the sun itself to the fabric of the universe. UW News intervewed Emily Levesque, author and associate professor of astronomy, about what scientists past and present have learned by studying eclipses.

What four decades of canned salmon reveal about marine food webs

University of Washington researchers have shown that levels of anisakid worms — a common marine parasite — rose in two salmon species in the Gulf of Alaska and Bristol Bay over a 42-year period. The team discovered this by studying salmon caught, killed and canned from 1979 to 2021. Since anisakid worms have a complex life cycle involving multiple types of hosts, the researchers interpret their rising numbers as a potential sign of ecosystem recovery, possibly driven by rising numbers of marine mammals thanks to the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act.

April 3, 2024

ArtSci Roundup: Chris Thile at Meany Hall, Northwest Sinfonietta, First Nations Spring Powwow, and more

This week, check out the 53rd Annual First Nations Spring Powwow, head to Meany Hall for a concert by Grammy Award-winning artist Chris Thile, enjoy the Northwest Sinfonietta’s performance with UW piano students, and more. April 11, 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Talking Gender in Europe Lecture Series | The Double-Helix Entanglements of Transnational Advocacy: Moral Conservative Resistance to SOGI Rights in Europe, Online via Zoom This talk introduces the double-helix metaphor that describes the relationship between those that wish…

Q&A: UW researchers on the unseen community effects of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders

Starting in the earliest days of the 2020 outbreak, a team of researchers at the University of Washington conducted real-time surveys of King County residents, asking what measures people had taken to protect themselves, how their daily lives had been affected and what worried them most.  

March 28, 2024

ArtSci Roundup: DXARTS Time and Time Again Exhibition, Meany Hall Concert, Colloquium Lectures and more

This week, head to the Henry Art Gallery for the Freedom in Failure: “That’s how the light gets in” program, learn how virtual reality platforms can advance personalized treatment options for patients, visit the DXARTS gallery for Time and Time Again, and more. April 3, 12:30 pm | First Wednesday Concert Series: Students of the UW School of Music, North Allen Library Lobby Students of the UW School of Music perform in this lunchtime concert series co-hosted by UW Music and UW…

March 22, 2024

Signs of life detectable in single ice grain emitted from extraterrestrial moons

Could life be found in frozen sea spray emitted from moons orbiting Saturn or Jupiter? New research finds that life can be detected in a single ice grain containing one bacterial cell or portions of a cell. The results suggest that if life similar to that on Earth exists on these planetary bodies, this life should be detectable by instruments launching in the fall.