Natural Sciences Division

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.

Dr. Kroll joined the UW Chemistry faculty in September 2024. With his first year as a Husky in the books, we took the opportunity to get to know him.

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.

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.

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.

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.

New faculty books from the University of Washington include those from Asian languages and literature, applied mathematics and the Jackson School of International Studies.

What was the Permian Period like? What creatures thrived there before the period came to an abrupt end? Thanks to efforts by an international research team, 17 years of fossils collected in Africa may help us paint a better picture of this time period before the Great Dying event altered life on our planet. Christian Sidor, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Burke Museum and professor of biology, is quoted.

Looking for galleries to visit this fall? Check out these visual arts shows by UW alumni.

Theres a space battle brewing just under our noses (and above our heads). On one side are astronomers who use ground-based observatories to gather starlight from the depths of the universe. On the other are technologists, military planners and captains of industry who are rapidly cocooning our planet in ever growing swarms of starlight-spoiling satellites. Meredith Rawls, a research scientist of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

Today the UW announced the results of a study looking at the potential influence artificial intelligence can have on our political decision making.Jillian Fisher, doctoral student of statistics and of computer science and engineering at the UW, is interviewed.

What will Rubin Observatory discover that no ones expecting? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice learn and answer cosmic queries about the Vera Rubin Observatory, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time and our next big tool to uncover more about the universe with Zeljko Ivezi, professor of astronomy at the UW.

If youve faced the frustrating challenge of trying to pull a friend or family member with opposing political views into your camp, maybe let a chatbot make your case. New research from the UW found that politically biased chatbots could nudge Democrats and Republicans toward opposing viewpoints. Jillian Fisher, doctoral student of statistics and of computer science and engineering at the UW, is quoted.