Research

UW physics professor Jiun-Haw Chu is among 22 scientists selected for as 2025 Experimental Physics Investigators, a distinguished group of mid-career researchers pushing the boundaries of experimental physics.

When something dies, a telltale radioactive signal ticks like a natural clock. Discovering it helped us solve all sorts of natural mysteries. Samuel Wasser, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Nigeria is home to 100 known species of batsabout a third of Africas bat speciesbut scientists dont know much about them. Iroro Tanshi, postdoctoral researcher in the UW Department of Biology, is interviewed.

In a new study, a team of scientists determined the minimum natural habitat on agricultural land that will allow insect pollinators including bumble bees, solitary bees, hoverflies and butterflies to thrive. UW News reached out to co-author Berry Brosi, UW professor of biology, to learn more about these results and how habitat is important to two types of bees native to Washington.

Bee experts wouldnt have previously expected to find the likes of Osmia cyaneonitens, Dufourea dilatipes and Stelis heronae in Washington. But this year, while collecting pollinators in Chelan County to study how climate and wildfires affect native bee populations, Autumn Maust, a University of Washington research scientist of biology, discovered eight bee species never recorded in Washington.

Researchers might have stumbled upon a way to solve an unrelated, decades-old cosmic mystery: why a big portion of the universe's "ordinary" matter is missing. Matt McQuinn, associate professor of astronomy at the UW, is mentioned.

Many in the theater world here in Seattle know of David Armstrong, UW affiliate instructor of drama, as 5th Avenue Theatre's artistic director and executive producer from 2000 to 2018. Now he's also an author. Armstrong is interviewed about his new book: "Broadway Nation: How Immigrant, Jewish, Queer, and Black Artists Invented the Broadway Musical."

To say spotted ratfish are unusual is an understatement. Armed with a venomous fin, they swim gracefully along the sea floor trailing a long, pointed tail half the length of their bodies, with green, glowing eyes hunting for mates or prey to crack open with their beak-like mouths. And if all that wasnt weird enough, they are now the first animal documented to have teeth growing outside of the jaw, according to new research led by a team of scientists at the University of Washington. Karly Cohen, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washingtons Friday Harbor Labs, is interviewed.

A new study from the University of Washington has discovered that the spotted ratfish, a common fish in the Puget Sound, has a toothed appendage on its forehead. Karly Cohen, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washingtons Friday Harbor Labs, is quoted.

Quantum dots, which are 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, are unique materials that generate very specific colors of light. Researchers, including Brandi Cossairt, UW professor of chemistry, hope that quantum dots can one day be useful for more than just illuminating TV screens. UW News asked her to compare the quantum dots in QLED TVs with the ones her lab makes.

The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed new details in the core of the Butterfly Nebula, known to astronomers as NGC 6302. From the dense ring of dust that surrounds the nebulas core to the tiny but bright star hidden within, the Webb observations paint a never-before-seen portrait of the nebulas inner workings. Researchers at the UW and around the world are studying the imagery to learn more about the origins of cosmic dust and its role in the formation of planets like ours.

This discovery proves it's possible for vertebrates to grow teeth outside their mouths. Karly Cohen, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washingtons Friday Harbor Labs, is quoted.

Many in the theater world here in Seattle know of David Armstrong, UW affiliate instructor of drama, as 5th Avenue Theatre's artistic director and executive producer from 2000 to 2018. Now he's also an author. Armstrong is interviewed about his new book: "Broadway Nation: How Immigrant, Jewish, Queer, and Black Artists Invented the Broadway Musical."

Researchers suggest the rows of pointed structures on the heads of spotted ratfish are true teeth, offering the first known example of teeth located outside the jaw. Karly Cohen, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washingtons Friday Harbor Labs, is quoted.

A new book by Ping Wang, University of Washington professor of Asian languages and literature, is bringing fresh attention to one of the most influential poets in Chinese literary history, Xie Lingyun.