Natural Sciences Division

It might be easier than previously thought for a planet to overheat into the scorchingly uninhabitable "runaway greenhouse" stage, according to new research by astronomers at the University of Washington.

New climate model research by a UW astronomy student, has found planets orbiting cool stars actually may be warmer and less icy than their counterparts orbiting much hotter stars.

Could bumblebees be sending out good vibrations to tomato plants? One biology student thinks so and she is out to show declining bee populations could have a big impact on summer crops.

James Davenport, a Ph.D. student at the University of Washington, recently made a map of the world using only runways, helicopter pads and airports.

A DNA-based technique developed by UW researcher Sam Wasser, helps researchers fight illegal poaching of African elephants.

Earning a PhD is accomplishment enough for most graduate students, but three recent grads received the A&S Graduate Medal along with their doctorates this spring

When a foot injury sidelined dancer Anna Zemke (BA, Dance, Biochemistry), she gave up one dream to pursue another. But she never lost her passion for dance, even as she pursued a second degree in biochemistry.

"I find theory of computation and logic extremely beautiful," says Sam Hopkins (BS, Mathematics, Computer Science), whose fascination with mathematics and philosophy have informed his computer science research.

Passing through bird guts increases chili seed survival 370 percent according to Evan Fricke, a UW doctoral student in biology and lead author of a paper appearing online June 21 in Ecology Letters.

The University of Washington has been ranked seventh in the world for the number of articles published in some of the most widely cited journals in science.

UW astronomy and School of Art professors collaborate to create two unique sundials at the Exploratorium, a hands-on science museum in San Francisco.

People in most cultures view a woman's small feet as a sign of youth and fertility, but that's not true of all cultures, including the Karo Batak of island of Sumatra, reports UW anthropologist Geoff Kushnick.

By studying brain pattern responses to words in 2-year-olds with autism spectrum disorder, UW researchers have been able to predict a child's linguistic, cognitive and adaptive skills at age 4 and 6.

KUOW's Weekday talks with Toby Smith of the astronomy department, who explains why the rotation of planets is significant and talks about what other astronomical phenomena to watch for this year.

UW Biologist Sam Wasser and his team at the Center for Conservation Biology innovated techniques for extracting and analyzing DNA from ivory.