Science
March 31, 2014
UW experts part of technical team investigating Snohomish County mudslide
A national team jointly led by a University of Washington geotechnical engineer and an engineering geologist will investigate what caused the March 22 mudslide in Snohomish County and what effects the disaster had on the nearby residential communities.
March 27, 2014
Citizen scientists: UW students help state legislator with climate policy
Four graduate students were part of a year-long legislative process in Olympia working to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in Washington state.
March 26, 2014
Decline of natural history troubling for science, society
Seventeen North American scientists outline the importance of natural science and call for a revitalization of the practice.
March 19, 2014
Anti-anxiety drug ameliorates autistic behaviors in mice
Increasing cell signals that put the brake on excitatory brain cells reduces repetitive behaviors and learning problems and improves social interactions in a mouse model of autism. This was achieved with a low dose of benzodiazipine, a common anti-anxiety, anti-seizure medication.
March 13, 2014
Tethered robots tested for Internet-connected ocean observatory
The UW this fall will complete installation of a huge high-tech ocean observatory. Dozens of instruments will connect to power and Internet cables on the seafloor, but the observatory also includes a new generation of ocean explorers: robots that will zoom up and down through almost two miles of ocean to monitor the water conditions and marine life above.
March 10, 2014
Scientists build thinnest-possible LEDs to be stronger, more energy efficient
University of Washington scientists have built the thinnest-known LED that can be used as a source of light energy in electronics. The LED is based off of two-dimensional, flexible semiconductors, making it possible to stack or use in much smaller and more diverse applications than current technology allows.
March 4, 2014
Polar science this weekend at Pacific Science Center
The 9th annual Polar Science Weekend will bring polar research, art and an actual ice core to the Pacific Science Center.
‘Dimer molecules’ aid study of exoplanet pressure, hunt for life
UW astronomers have developed a new method of gauging the atmospheric pressure of exoplanets, or worlds beyond the solar system, by looking for a certain type of molecule. And if there is life out in space, it may one day be revealed by this method.
March 3, 2014
UW astronomer Eric Agol’s seven-planet system part of major NASA discovery
UW astronomer Eric Agol played a key role in the windfall of 715 new exoplanets recently announced by NASA. Agol was on a team that found seven of those worlds, all in orbit around the same star.
February 26, 2014
Pine forest particles appear out of thin air, influence climate
German, Finnish and U.S. scientists have discovered how gas wafting from coniferous trees creates particles that can reflect sunlight or promote formation of clouds.
Whales, ships more common through Bering Strait
A three-year survey of whales in the Bering Strait reveals that many species of whales are using the narrow waterway, while shipping and commercial traffic also increase.
February 24, 2014
Vitamin water: Measuring essential nutrients in the ocean
Oceanographers have found that archaea, a type of marine microbe, can produce B-12 vitamins in the ocean.
February 18, 2014
Chemistry’s Matthew Bush named Sloan fellow
UW’s Matthew Bush has been selected as one of 126 Sloan Research Fellows for 2014.
Embarking on geoengineering, then stopping, would speed up global warming
Carrying out geoengineering for several decades and then stopping would cause warming at a rate more than double that expected due to global warming.
February 14, 2014
UW helps protect $30 million to $40 million in U.S. wood exports to Japan
A recently introduced homebuilding subsidy program in Japan put logs and lumber imported from the U.S. and other countries at a competitive disadvantage.
February 10, 2014
Newly found tactics in offense-defense struggle with hepatitis C virus
People who are genetically equipped to stop hepatitis C viruses from turning off a type of interferon generally have a robust antiviral response. Findings on the mechanisms governing this ability suggest new avenues for treatment research.
February 6, 2014
Credit card-sized device could analyze biopsy, help diagnose pancreatic cancer in minutes
University of Washington scientists and engineers are developing a low-cost device that could help pathologists diagnose pancreatic cancer earlier and faster. The prototype can perform the basic steps for processing a biopsy, relying on fluid transport instead of human hands to process the tissue.
February 5, 2014
Public lecture series will explore the science of decision making
The ninth annual Allen L. Edwards Psychology Lecture Series will delve into “The Science of Decision Making,” to explain how the brain and an individual’s expectations influence decisions made in uncertain conditions.
February 4, 2014
Does caregiving cause psychological stress? Study says, it depends
The results break the longstanding belief that caregiving directly causes psychological distress, and make a case for genetics and upbringing influencing vulnerability.
Fruit flies – fermented-fruit connoisseurs – are relentless party crashers
That fruit fly appearing moments after you poured that first glass of cabernet, has just used a poppy-seed-sized brain to conduct a finely-choreographed search and arrive in time for happy hour.
February 3, 2014
Greenland’s fastest glacier sets new speed record
Observations of Jakobshavn Glacier from 2012 and 2013 show the fast-moving glacier has set new records for the speed of ice flowing toward the ocean.
Solving a physics mystery: Those ‘solitons’ are really vortex rings
The same physics that gives stability to tornadoes lies at the heart of new UW research and could lead to a better understanding of nuclear dynamics in studying fission, superconductors and the workings of neutron stars.
January 29, 2014
Deaths attributed directly to climate change cast pall over penguins
Climate change is killing penguin chicks from the world’s largest colony of Magellanic penguins, not just indirectly but directly because of drenching rainstorms and heat.
Neanderthal lineages excavated from modern human genomes
A fossil-free method of sequencing archaic DNA may provide insight into human evolution.
January 22, 2014
Gene therapy leads to robust improvements in animal model of fatal muscle disease
The experimental treatment restored muscle function and prolonged lives in animals with a condition similar to X-linked myotubular myopathy in children
January 21, 2014
Dental school researchers patent new antibacterial agent
Titanium-based materials can inhibit bacterial growth when bound to metal ions. If proven beneficial in clinical trials, certain titanates could be applied after a dental procedure to prevent infection or decay.
January 20, 2014
Girls frequently play soccer through concussion, study finds
Serious risks are associated with continuing game play immediately after incurring a concussion, yet University of Washington researchers found that many young female soccer players do just that.
January 17, 2014
UW seismologists expand stadium monitoring for NFC championship game
UW scientists installed a third seismograph at CenturyLink Field this week after the trial by fire of a website and new monitoring tools during last weekend’s Seahawks game.
January 16, 2014
Soil production breaks geologic speed record
Samples from steep mountaintops in New Zealand shows that rock can transform into soil more than twice as fast as previously believed possible.
January 15, 2014
Data suggest new class of drug may be potent against genital herpes
A new drug, called pritelivir, may offer a new treatment option for patients with genital herpes, a new industry-sponsored – study led by University of Washington researchers has found.
DNA detectives able to ‘count’ thousands of fish using as little as a glass of water
A mere glass full of water from a 1.2 million-gallon aquarium tank is all scientists really needed to identify most of the 13,000 fish swimming there.
Glaciers, streamflow changes are focus of new Columbia River study
University of Washington environmental engineers are launching a new study to try to understand how climate change will affect streamflow patterns in the Columbia River Basin. The team will look at the impact of glaciers on the river system, the range of possible streamflow changes and how much water will flow in the river at hundreds of locations in future years.
January 13, 2014
DeLap studies urban birds, sketches for book ‘Subirdia’ due out in 2014
Slideshow includes with images sketched by Jack DeLap, UW doctoral candidate in environmental and forestry sciences.
Cognitive training shows some lasting effects in healthy older adults
The national, decade-long ACTIVE study showed that cognitive training can help the elderly maintain certain thinking and reasoning skills useful in everyday life.
January 10, 2014
Trial to test using ultrasound to move kidney stones
A clinical trial in Seattle is testing a technique developed at the UW that uses low-power ultrasound to reposition kidney stones.
January 9, 2014
Scientists to observe seismic energy from Seahawks’ ’12th man’ quakes
University of Washington seismologists this week installed two strong-motion seismometers at CenturyLink Field in Seattle to augment an existing station in recording shaking from “earthquakes” expected on Saturday during the NFC divisional game between the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints. The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network is preparing a special website at www.pnsn.org/seahawks for the…
Big is not bad: Scientists call for preservation of large carnivores
Despite their scary reputation, carnivores deserve credit for all kinds of ecological services when they eat grazing animals that gobble down young trees and other vegetation that could be holding carbon and protecting streams.
January 8, 2014
Astronomers measure far-off galaxies to 1 percent precision
University of Washington astronomers and colleagues have measured the distance to galaxies six billion light-years away — about halfway back to the Big Bang — to an accuracy of just 1 percent.
Despite declines in smoking rates, number of smokers and cigarettes rises
Population growth since 1980 drives increases in the number of smokers in countries including China and Russia, while Canada, Mexico, and the United States see strong declines
January 7, 2014
On-demand vaccines possible with engineered nanoparticles
University of Washington engineers hope a new type of vaccine they have shown to work in mice will one day make it cheaper and easy to manufacture on-demand vaccines for humans. Immunizations could be administered within minutes where and when a disease is breaking out.
Previous page Next page
