Research

  • Early data from Rubin Observatory reveals over 11,000 new asteroids

    Using preliminary data from the Simonyi Survey Telescope at the NSFDOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, scientists have discovered over 11,000 new asteroids in our solar system. The findings include hundreds of distant worlds beyond Neptune as well as 33 previously unknown near-Earth objects.

    04/02/2026 | UW News
  • A Second Life for Plastics

    Chemistry professor Matthew Golder and his research team are exploring ways to alter the chemical structure of plastics to keep them out of landfills.

    April 2026 Perspectives
  • How a strange crocodile relative learned to walk on two legs

    A strange crocodile relative once grew up in a very surprising way. As a young animal, it walked on four legs. As it became an adult, it stood on two legs like a bird. Research from the UW is referenced.

    Earth.com
  • CERN finds a new particle plus news alerts for the cosmos

    An astronomical alert system developed at the UW could flag potentially significant changes in the southern night sky in real time. On its first night of testing at the Rubin Observatory in Chile, the system fired off 800,000 alerts. Eric Bellm, research associate professor of astronomy at the UW, is interviewed.

    NPR
  • March research highlights: Nautilus habitat, eco-friendly tennis courts, more

    Explore recent research from the University of Washington: the habits and habitats of Nautilus and Allonautilus, how green clay tennis courts remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, why temperature dynamics matter to mussels and what prompts bacteria to attack diatoms.

    UW News
  • Four UW researchers named AAAS Fellows

    Four University of Washington researchers have been named AAAS Fellows, according to an announcement by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They are among 449 newly elected fellows from around the world, who are recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements in science and engineering.

    UW News
  • How plants know when to bloom

    As spring weather settles over the Northern Hemisphere, those barren branches will soon be bursting with color. Just like humans, plants have a circadian clock which helps them tell time. Takato Imaizumi, a professor of biology at the UW, is mentioned.

    Popular Science
  • Why Skagit Valley tulips and UW cherry blossoms are blooming early

    Months of warm temperatures and a lack of rain mean early blooms for tulips and cherry blossoms in Western Washington, according to experts.Blooms are moving targets, impacted by weather each year. Takato Imaizumi, a professor of biology at the UW, is mentioned.

    The Seattle Times
  • Why Skagit Valley tulips and UW cherry blossoms are blooming early

    Months of warm temperatures and a lack of rain mean early blooms for tulips and cherry blossoms in Western Washington, according to experts.Blooms are moving targets, impacted by weather each year. Takato Imaizumi, a professor of biology at the UW, is mentioned.

    The Seattle Times
  • 'It went completely bonkers...': Astronomers witness two planets colliding around a distant star

    Astronomers say they've likely witnessed the collision of two planets orbiting a distant star. The star in question is Gaia20ehk, which is located 11,000 lightyears from Earth. Anastasios Tzanidakis, a doctoral student, and James Davenport, research assistant professor, both of astronomy at the UW, are quoted.

    BBC
  • American Indian and Alaska Native peoples face increased risk for fatal police violence in and around reservations

    The first comprehensive national study on fatal police violence in and around American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) reservations, from researchers at the UW and Drexel University, found that roughly 73% of AIAN people killed by police violence were on or within 10 miles of a reservation. Theresa Rocha Beardall, co-author and UW associate professor of sociology, is quoted.

    UW News
  • "It went completely bonkers..." Astronomers witness two planets colliding around a distant star

    Astronomers say they've likely witnessed the collision of two planets orbiting a distant star, Gaia20ehk, located 11,000 lightyears from Earth. Doctoral student Anastasios Tzanidakis and research assistant professor James Davenport, both in the UW Department of Astronomy, are quoted.

    EarthSky
  • Video: How do plants know when to bloom? Spring flowering explained by UW chronobiologist

    Plants, like people, have a circadian clock and they sense seasonal changes to light and temperature. Plants that bloom in the spring use the longer days and warmer temperatures as seasonal cues that its time to bloom.

    UW News
  • Debris from a violent planetary collision dimmed a distant star

    Astronomers expect most stars like our sun to act in a calm, predictable way. Their brightness rises and falls a little over time, but the changes are small and steady. That is why one quiet-looking star in our galaxy caught scientists off guard. Its light suddenly started behaving in ways no one expected. Anastasios Tzanidakis, a doctoral student, and James Davenport, research assistant professor, both of astronomy at the UW, are quoted.

    Earth.com
  • American Indian and Alaska Native peoples face increased risk for fatal police violence in and around reservations

    Indigenous people in the United States are at higher risk of fatal police violence in and around American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) reservations, according to the first comprehensive national study on the subject from researchers at the University of Washington and Drexel University. The researchers found that roughly 73% AIAN people killed by police violence were on or within 10 miles of a reservation.

    UW News