Natural Sciences Division

At high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide--levels in line with expected concentrations over the next century--a blue mussel's byssal threads become weaker, less able to stretch and less able to attach to rocks, found scientists Emily Carrington, Michael O'Donnell and Matthew George of the University of Washington.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild Fauna and Flora added 343 species of plants and animals to its endangered species lists at a recent conference. Samuel Wasser, director of the Center for Conservation Biology, is quoted.

A University of Washington research team has captured color photographs of what could be a previously undocumented species of chambered nautilus, a cephalopod mollusk often classified as a "living fossil," in the waters off American Samoa in the South Pacific.

New research led by the University of Washington challenges the 140-year-old assumption that prehistoric mammals such as horses, rhinos and gazelles lived in grasslands.

UW biologist Sam Wasser pushes for more forensic testing of seized ivory to help track down poachers, slow elephant slaughter.

UW assistant professor of biology Benjamin Kerr is corresponding author of a paper examining the importance of early and gradual mutations among bacteria populations when confronted with surviving would be extinction-causing conditions.

Professor of biology Emily Carrington reported Saturday that the fibrous threads she calls "nature's bungee cords" become 60 percent weaker in water that was 15 degrees F above typical summer temperatures where the mussels were from.

President Obama's call for universal preschool in his State of the Union address underlines a national shift in thinking about early childhood education. Andrew Meltzoff, co-director of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences. is quoted..

Infants as young as 6 months are capable of making predictions based on probability, a higher level of reasoning than is commonly believed possible, researchers have found.

UW biologist Michael Dickinson explains the intricacies of fly brains - given their abundant numbers, one of the most common brains on Earth - using videos of flies in flight, Donald Trump and chewing crabs. Flies may have brains smaller than a grain of salt, but this TEDx talk delivered at Caltech, may just cause you to think next time, before you swat.

For already vulnerable penguins, a UW study finds climate change is another danger.

The findings of research employing a century-old observational technique could lead to new pharmaceuticals to treat diabetes, some types of cancer and other maladies.

Researchers at the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences have found that the anatomy of certain brain areas - the hippocampus and cerebellum - can predict children's language abilities at 1 year of age.

The astronomy department is readying a traveling planetarium to take to schools for outreach and collaboration in Seattle and beyond.

A new study suggests that elderly people with compromised hearing are at risk of developing cognitive deficits sooner than those whose hearing is intact. Kelly Tremblay, professor of speech and hearing sciences, comments.