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

• Analysis: 3 reasons the Willow Arctic oil drilling project was approved – it's the latest battle in a long fight over Alaska's North Slope | The Conversation3 days ago
  "For more than six decades, Alaska’s North Slope has been a focus of intense controversy over oil development and wilderness protection, with no end in sight. Willow field, a 600-million-barrel, US$8 billion oil project recently approved by the Biden administration – to the outrage of environmental and climate activists – is the latest chapter in that long saga," writes Scott Montgomery, lecturer of international studies at the UW.
• Opinion: Turkey’s earthquake disaster: Could it happen in the Puget Sound region? | The Seattle Times4 days ago
  "Like everyone else, we have been saddened and horrified by the tremendous loss of life and the suffering in Turkey and Syria caused by the twin powerful earthquakes and their aftershocks...You may think, 'Surely we are much better off, and it couldn’t really happen here.' But the Puget Sound region has similar faults and an abundance of buildings designed and built before our current understanding of the region’s seismicity and modern structural engineering practice. We cannot be complacent in the face of the very real risk of an urban earthquake," write the UW's Harold Tobin, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and professor of Earth and space sciences; Jeffrey Berman, professor of civil and environmental engineering' and Marc Eberhard, professor of civil and environmental engineering.
• Analysis: AI information retrieval: A search engine researcher explains the promise and peril of letting ChatGPT and its cousins search the web for you | The Conversation1 week ago
  "The prominent model of information access before search engines became the norm – librarians and subject or search experts providing relevant information – was interactive, personalized, transparent and authoritative. Search engines are the primary way most people access information today, but entering a few keywords and getting a list of results ranked by some unknown function is not ideal," writes Chirag Shah, associate professor in the UW Information School.
• Analysis: Yes, #OscarsSoWhite – but there are still plenty of reasons to celebrate contemporary Black film | The Conversation2 weeks ago
  "When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for its 95th Oscars and three of the most celebrated films of the season – 'The Woman King,' 'Till' and 'Saint Omer' – received no nominations, a familiar refrain of frustration rang forth. These films demonstrated typical dramatic and technical markers that tend to predict cinematic success – positive reviews, scripts inspired by true stories and adherence to dramatic formulas. So it was natural to wonder whether the fact that each featured a Black female director and Black female cast may have had something to do with the snubs," writes Timeka Tounsel, assistant professor of Black studies in communication at the UW.
• Analysis: Breaking barriers: inspiring stories of women in construction | Daily Journal of Commerce2 weeks ago
  "National Women in Construction Week is celebrated on the first full week of March. The annual recognition of the 10.9% of women in the construction industry serves an important purpose: To celebrate and raise awareness of women’s contributions to this male-dominated industry," writes Darlene Septelka, teaching assistant professor of construction management at the UW. Two UW construction management alumni are among the four women featured in the piece.
• Analysis: Women in construction management: charting a path forward | Daily Journal of Commerce2 weeks ago
  "According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2022, women can cheer since they currently have 1.29 million construction jobs, up 3.65% from 2021. This could seem positive at first glance — more women are employed in the construction sector. Yet the most important question that needs to be answered is: While the overall number is growing, is the traditionally male-dominated industry embracing more diversity," write the UW's Lingzi Wu, assistant professor of construction management, and Darlene Septelka, teaching assistant professor of construction management.
• Opinion: Democracy dies without trust and truth: Shore up civics in schools | The Seattle Times2 weeks ago
  "The two pillars of democracy — trust and truth — are now cracked. Many Americans believe the political system is corrupt (e.g., rigged, racist) and some don’t believe the results of elections, even certifiably fair ones. Related, we have lost a shared standard of truth and, with it, shared criteria for distinguishing fact from falsehood," writes Walter Parker, professor emeritus of education at the UW.
• Opinion: Is Ron DeSantis imperiling free speech in Florida? | The New York Times2 weeks ago
  "Instead of continuing to bicker about the origin of the COVID pandemic — a debate that is neither advancing our current understanding nor encouraging cooperation from the Chinese government — we should focus our attention on measures to ensure that future pandemics do not occur," writes Dr. Ferric Fang, professor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine, in a letter to the editor.
• Opinion: Fund food insecurity response in WA — and demand national fix | The Seattle Times2 weeks ago
  "During the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were laid off as businesses buckled and shut down, the federal government temporarily increased Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to low-income residents. That move, coupled with access to local food banks, helped thousands of Washingtonians keep food on the table. Now, with the state no longer under an emergency and the pandemic easing, too many people are still left not knowing where their next meal will come from," writes The Seattle Times' editorial board. A survey from the UW is referenced.
• Opinion: Daniel Kirschen and Anjan Bose: A permanent Clean Energy Fund would unlock Washington’s full innovation potential | The Spokesman-Review2 weeks ago
  "Washington is a national leader on responses to climate change, bolstered by a series of bold policies enacted by legislators and Gov. Jay Inslee over the past 10 years. The Clean Energy Transformation Act (2019) and Climate Commitment Act (2021) mandate full decarbonization of the state’s utilities and other economic sectors by 2045 and 2050, respectively. These are grand challenges, but the technologies and talent we need are already in development – and many are already being demonstrated and deployed thanks to the Clean Energy Fund," writes Daniel Kirschen, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the UW.
• Opinion: Attempts to erase Black history have a formidable foe | The Seattle Times3 weeks ago
  "History is political, written by the winners and taught according to their wishes. That’s why the website BlackPast is not only fascinating, but important. The brainchild of retired UW professor Quintard Taylor was launched 16 years ago to help with his own teaching. It has since evolved into a crusade to safeguard the history of Black Americans and people of African descent around the globe," writes The Seattle Times' editorial board.
• Analysis: Greta Thunberg joins Indigenous communities in opposing wind energy | Forbes3 weeks ago
  Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined protests in Norway against wind farms that power 100,000 households but operate on land used by Indigenous Sámi reindeer herders. "The community asserts that the flickering of the turbine blades and the noise they create cause distress to reindeer. Importantly, in 2021 Norway’s Supreme Court ruled that these farms violated Sámi rights under international conventions," write the UW's Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.
• Opinion: Biodiversity efforts — US is an outlier | The Seattle Times3 weeks ago
  "The story on the impending loss of biodiversity in Washington state could have noted the existence of a relevant United Nations treaty, the Convention on Biological Diversity. The CBD has been ratified by 196 nations, but not the U.S. Maybe we should join the rest of the world in this concerted action to protect our planet," writes Phil Bereano, professor emeritus of technology and public policy at the UW.
• Opinion: Debate on capital gains tax confuses the measure’s wisdom with its legality | The Seattle Times4 weeks ago
  "Discussions of the state Supreme Court’s case involving Washington’s capital gains tax often confuse the measure’s wisdom with its legality. This is a common mistake. Many comments framed as legal arguments instead express the writer’s view about the wisdom of the measure," writes William Andersen, professor emeritus of law at the UW.
• Opinion: How love fueled the Black power movement | Time4 weeks ago
  "The Black Power movement never escaped the outrage that birthed it. Even now, decades after its heyday has passed, Black Power is remembered for its anger. The iconic photos of the movement are often severe: urban unrest, Black Panthers in berets and leather jackets, fists clenched and mouths open in protest," writes Dan Berger, professor of interdisciplinary arts and sciences at UW Bothell.
• Opinion: Innovating with fans: Social games and technology design | User Experience Magazine4 weeks ago
  "In this participatory culture, technology innovation is increasingly driven by enthusiastic fans. The recent global success of Pokémon Go as a revolutionary augmented reality mobile game is an example of fan innovation," writes Huatong Sun, associate professor of culture, arts and communication at UW Tacoma.
• Opinion: Growth development: A Chinese chasing game to more users | User Experience Magazine4 weeks ago
  "Having the largest population in the world is often viewed as one of the biggest advantages for Chinese technology entrepreneurs, but it also presents many challenges. How do you stand out in such a large crowd and how do you attract users and followers? One of the top priorities for Chinese internet companies is to push growth and to strive for ascendancy both locally and globally," writes Huatong Sun, associate professor of culture, arts and communication at UW Tacoma.
• Analysis: Russia’s aggression threatens efforts to protect nature beyond Ukraine | The Conversation1 month ago
  "The Russian invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022 has sent economic, social and political shock waves around the world. In a newly published policy brief, we and other researchers and conservation scientists describe how these effects extend to biodiversity conservation efforts far beyond Ukraine," write the UW's Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Eduardo Gallo-Cajiao, a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs.
• Opinion: Gender-affirming care, books about gender identity targeted by GOP | USA Today1 month ago
  "In statehouses and school boards across the country, powerful people are contorting all sense of decency to push legislation and rules that strip away the rights of transgender children and adults, that limit access to medically necessary gender-affirming care and to ban books about and discussions of gender identity," writes USA Today columnist Rex Huppke. A UW study is referenced.
• Opinion: Why bad information can linger in your brain | The Seattle Times1 month ago
  "The story of Chinese Restaurant Syndrome (which refers to incorrect information about the influence of MSG) provides an interesting example of something psychologists refer to as the 'continued influence effect.' This effect refers to the observation that outdated or incorrect information can continue to influence our beliefs even after it’s been corrected," writes Maddy Jalbert, a postdoctoral scholar at the UW Information School.
• Analysis: Seismologists can't predict an impending earthquake, but longer term forecasts and brief warnings after one starts are possible | The Conversation1 month ago
  "Can scientists predict a particular earthquake? In short, no. Science has not yet found a way to make actionable earthquake predictions. A useful prediction would specify a time, a place and a magnitude – and all of these would need to be fairly specific, with enough advance notice to be worthwhile," writes Harold Tobin, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and professor of Earth and space sciences at the UW.
• Opinion: Taxpayer swindle: More states should not seek school vouchers | The Hill1 month ago
  "School vouchers are a taxpayer swindle that fails to raise achievement while eroding public schools and the principle of equal protection under the law outlined in the U.S. Constitution. If more states adopt school voucher systems, most parents will find their top choice — a neighborhood public school — largely defunded and unable to recruit and retain high-quality teachers due to a transfer of funds into unregulated private schools," writes David Knight, associate professor of education finance and policy at the UW.  
• Opinion: Tyre Nichols murder by Memphis police reverberates in Tacoma | Tacoma News Tribune1 month ago
  "In Memphis, the existence of racial terror and trauma goes back as far as history can remember. Back to stolen lands of indigenous people and the stolen lives of African slaves. Back to deadly white race riots after the Civil War, to the burning and dismemberment of young Ell Persons in a mass lynching in 1917, to police brutalization of labor and civil rights advocates in the 1930s, to the police murder of teenager Larry Payne in 1968. The list of racial terror goes on and on. This is not to mention the gun violence that took Martin Luther King’s life during the Memphis sanitation strike," writes Michael Honey, professor of humanities at UW Tacoma.
• Opinion: ‘I quit America and made the jungle my home’ | Tacoma News Tribune1 month ago
  "Ever since I was a child I have loved animals, and always knew I wanted to work with them in some capacity. During my teenage years I thought I wanted to become a veterinarian, but eventually I became interested in environmental science," writes Samantha Zwicker, a doctoral student of environmental and forest sciences at the UW. [This story appeared in multiple regional outlets]
• Analysis: How do you make a universal flu vaccine? A microbiologist explains the challenges, and how mRNA could offer a promising solution | The Converstaion2 months ago
  "To everything there is a season, and for the flu, it’s wintertime. Flu cases peak between December and February, and the flu vaccine is your best defense. Getting the vaccine means you will be less sick even if you get a breakthrough infection," writes Deborah Fuller, professor of microbiology in the UW School of Medicine.
• Opinion: Sweet success: Seattle’s sugary drink tax is reducing health inequities | The Seattle Times2 months ago
  "In January, Seattle’s Sweetened Beverage Tax turned 5 years old. It has been a resounding success. The tax is working as designed — delivering on the promises made when it was passed into law," Dr. Jim Krieger, clinical professor of health services at the UW.
• Analysis: Here’s why climate change gets the spotlight but biodiversity doesn’t | Forbes2 months ago
  "Global conferences focus public attention on pressing challenges with the hope that countries will be motivated to collectively address them. Last year, two major global conferences, the Conference of Parties (COP) meetings, took place, focusing on climate change and biodiversity. The climate COP was held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt while the biodiversity COP was in Montreal, Canada. Yet, the response to the two COPs differed in important ways," write the UW's Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.
• Opinion: Untangling America from gun violence | The Seattle Times2 months ago
  "Mass shootings are now commonplace in America. Over the past three years, there have been nearly 650 mass shootings a year in the United States, averaging more than one a day. Although tragic and devastating for those involved, mass shootings account for less than 1% of the more than 49,000 firearm-related deaths occurring in the U.S. each year," write Dr. Frederick Rivara, professor of pediatrics in the UW School of Medicine, and Laura Prater, research assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences in the UW School of Medicine.
• Analysis: Device transmits radio waves with almost no power – without violating the laws of physics | The Conversation2 months ago
  "A new ultra-low-power method of communication at first glance seems to violate the laws of physics. It is possible to wirelessly transmit information simply by opening and closing a switch that connects a resistor to an antenna. No need to send power to the antenna," writes Joshua Smith, professor of computer science and engineering and of electrical and computer engineering at the UW.
• Opinion: King County should not adopt antisemitism definition used to censor speech | The Seattle Times2 months ago
  "This week, the Metropolitan King County Council is considering a proclamation adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism. This definition has already been included in a proclamation by the Bellevue City Council and some states and municipalities elsewhere in the country. I wholeheartedly support efforts to understand and combat antisemitism, which has grown sharply amid a resurgence of xenophobia and white nationalism in our country. But I believe that adopting the IHRA definition is the wrong way to assure Jewish communities that our elected officials have our backs," writes Liora Halperin, associate professor of history and of international studies at the UW.

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