College of Arts and Sciences

Physicists have floated numerous theories to explain what dark matter might be, but to date, no experiment has turned up compelling evidence to support any of them. An international team of physicists, including researchers from the UW, is now working on a new kind of dark matter detector with the goal of capturing the first direct observation of the puzzling material. Results from the detectors prototype have already ruled out one of the leading theories of how dark matter originated.

Heading back to school Wednesday, students in the Northshore School District will pack their books, pens, and paper, but not their cell phones.Its just one of many Washington state school districts that now have a district-wide policy for mobile devices.Luca Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

When State Superintendent Chris Reykdal urged Washington school districts to crack down on in-class cell phone use last year, he was echoing a national outcry from educators struggling to keep students focused. This fall, most districts are rolling out new policies aimed at curbing smart device distractions during school hours. Luca Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

In part two of this investigation, public records show a Bellingham staffer asking ChatGPT to write responses to emails about parking, traffic, a homeless camp and more. As generative AI tools like ChatGPT are used more and more by local governments, adoption is often outpacing potential safeguards and ethical guardrails. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

The erotic lives of senior citizens are typically made invisible by our culture, which can lead to confusion and misinformation. Dr. Pepper Schwartz, the love and relationships columnist for AARP, joins the Dear Sugars podcast to dispel certain myths about sex and aging. Pepper Schwartz, professor of sociology at the UW, is interviewed.

A growing number of school districts are implementing new cell phone bans in the classroom, and a University of Washington study found that while teachers generally support the policies, students are less positive, though some concede the policies improve concentration. Luca Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is interviewed.

Its been seven years since Pacific Seafood stopped trying to grow oysters on a particular mudflat on the Washington coast. Two years since the Washington Department of Natural Resources last experimented with killing the shrimp infesting it by compacting the sediment with an amphibious, tracked vehicle known as the Marshmaster. Jennifer Ruesink, professor of biology at the UW, has been monitoring the ground ever since. But the latest round of funding for the project will be drying up at the end of the month, and this trip will be her last. Haleh Mawson, research scientist in biology at the UW, is also mentioned.

The American people do not want woke Marxist lunacy in the AI models, proclaimed President Donald Trump in July just before signing a series of executive orders, including one apparently aimed at stopping artificial intelligence (AI) models from brainwashing users with left-wing propaganda. Jillian Fisher, doctoral student of statistics and of computer science and engineering at the UW, is quoted.

A city program that gives low-income households $40 a month to buy fruits and vegetables significantly improved their food security, a new University of Washington study found. Melissa Knox, UW teaching professor of economics, is quoted.

New research from the UW indicates that Seattles Fresh Bucks program, which provides monthly stipends to buy fruits and vegetables, significantly improves food security and boosts fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income residents. Melissa Knox, UW teaching professor of economics, is quoted.

Couples are using (and loving) AI-powered apps for everything from conversation starters to sex tips. Therapists are less convinced they can replace the human touch. The UW's Nicholas Velotta, doctoral student of sociology, and Pepper Schwartz, professor of sociology at the UW, are mentioned.

The UW's Center for Human Rights is warning that federal immigration action has crossed a new boundary, breaking International humanitarian law. Angelina Godoy, professor of law, societies, and justice and of international studies, as well as director of the Center for Human Rights at the UW, is quoted.

Perched on a high, flat-topped mountain called Cerro Pachn, the Rubin Observatory was conceived back in the 1990s to give astronomers the unprecedented ability to probe the cosmos in every dimension. With a wide and deep view of the sky, Rubin can investigate some of the universes slowest, most eternal processes, such as the assembly of galaxies and the expansion of the cosmos. eljko Ivezi, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

When the Peninsula School District implemented one of Washington's first bans on cell phones in the classroom two years ago, Keyna Houston said it could not have come soon enough. Unsurprisingly, teachers have had by far the most positive reaction to these policies, reporting less stress, better ability to manage their classrooms and perceived social benefits for their students, according to new research out of the UW. Luca Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

"Perceptions of AIs relentless march toward becoming more intelligent than humans, even becoming a threat to humanity, came to a screeching halt Aug. 7. That was the day when the most widely followed AI company, OpenAI, released GPT-5, an advanced product that the firm had long promised would put competitors to shame and launch a new revolution in this purportedly revolutionary technology. As it happened, GPT-5 was a bust," writes Michael Hiltzik. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.