Natural Sciences Division

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.

"Plastics Unwrapped," at the Burke Museum, traces the history of plastics -- from wonder product to pollution hazard. Exhibit runs through May 27.

Babies only hours old are able to differentiate between sounds from their native language and a foreign language, scientists have discovered. The study indicates that babies begin absorbing language while still in the womb, earlier than previously thought.

UW biologists are studying mosquitoes to understand why they crave human blood and to explore what happens when their sensory system is rewired in the lab.

The White House announced that UW biology professor Jay Parrish has received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the government's highest honor for scientists in the early stages of their research careers. 

When Frehley, a young border collie, was brought to a Seattle animal shelter, he was deemed unadoptable. Too much energy. Too single-minded. Too much to handle.

Biology professors Dee Boersma and Sam Wasser are building public awareness and altering international policies to preserve wildlife. Their focus and approach are highly specialized but both have managed to educate others about the cost of human consumption. Maintaining biodiversity is no easy task, yet they embrace the idea that the world can change one person at a time.