Natural Sciences Division

Briana Abrahms, an assistant professor of biology, explains the significance of climate change and human-wildlife conflicts.

The U.S. National Science Foundation today announced 11 new artificial-intelligence research institutes, including one led by the University of Washington. These institutes are part of a $220 million investment spanning seven research areas in AI. Each institute will receive about $20 million over five years.

Growing evidence suggests heat waves, droughts and other extreme events can boost lethal clashes between people and wildlife. Briana Abrahms, assistant professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

In 1920, Serbian-born inventor Nikola Tesla designed and patented what he called a "valvular conduit" — a pipe whose internal design ensures that a fluid will flow in one preferred direction, with no need for moving parts. Based on new CT scans of shark intestines, scientists have concluded that the intestines are naturally occurring Tesla valves. Adam Summers, a professor of biology and of aquatic and fishery sciences at UW Friday Harbor Laboratories on San Juan Island, is quoted.

As many as 60% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have gone unreported, and the coronavirus has infected nearly 1 in 5 Americans, according to a new model out of the University of Washington. The UW's Nicholas Irons, a doctoral student in statistics, and Adrian Raftery, professor of statistics and of sociology, are quoted.

Two UW scientists have developed a statistical approach to model how common COVID-19 is in the United States.

By early March 2021, roughly 65 million people in the U.S. — or one out of every five people — had been infected by the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, a new analysis shows. The findings, described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that roughly 60% of coronavirus infections had gone uncounted at that point — adding to a growing body of evidence that the pandemic’s true toll is far greater than official tallies show. Nicholas Irons, a doctoral student in statistics at the UW, is quoted.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your own feelings. Along with it comes the capacity to empathize, meaning to be aware and respectful of the feelings of people around you. John Gottman, professor emeritus of psychology at the UW, is referenced.

Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, says that the lack of access Facebook gives researchers and others to data makes it difficult to assess how information is spreading on the social media platform. [Segment starts at 24:35]

Hubble fans, rejoice. After more than a month with its camera eye closed, the famed Hubble Space Telescope is snapping photos of the cosmos once more. Julianne Dalcanton, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

Cigarette smoking is a highly addictive habit that can have long-term, adverse health effects, but there is hope for those who want to quit thanks to innovative apps, help lines and proven coping strategies. Jonathan Bricker, affiliate professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

Adam Summers, a professor based at UW Friday Harbor Labs, discusses a new study he authored on how shark intestines function.

Facebook’s back-and-forth with the Biden administration got ugly over the weekend. The social network scrambled to respond to the president’s striking accusation that the company is “killing people” for allowing the spread of misinformation about coronavirus vaccines. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

After one of the cryptocurrency market’s worst routs, a growing band of disgruntled traders are organizing to pressure — with a combination of social media and legal threats — the online exchange Binance to compensate them for their losses. Tim Leung, professor of applied mathematics at the UW, is quoted.

The odds of living past age 110 are becoming more likely, according to a new study from the UW, which used mathematical modeling to predict the probability of people becoming “supercentenarians” in the years 2020 through 2100. Michael Pearce, a doctoral student in statistics at the UW, is quoted.