Natural Sciences Division

There’s a developmental reason behind children’s obsession with rules. Stephanie Thompson, a research scientist at the UW Center for Child and Family Well-Being, is quoted.

Four University of Washington faculty members are among the leaders in academia, business, philanthropy, the humanities and the arts elected as 2021 fellows of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.

En el 2019, Toro ganó el premio Marsha L. Landolt, de la Universidad de Washington, donde trabaja desde 1994. El reconocimiento, que obtuvo por su capacidad pedagógica e interés en enseñar un área a la que muchos le temen, también la ubicó como una de las científicas colombianas más reconocidas y brillantes. (English translation: In 2019, Toro won the Marsha L. Landolt Award from the University of Washington, where she has worked since 1994. The recognition, which she obtained for her pedagogical ability and interest in teaching an area that many fear, also ranked her as one of the most recognized and brilliant Colombian scientists).

With a “supermoon” full moon coming early this week it’s likely that you’ll go to bed later and sleep less than on average. Research led UW biology professor Horacio de la Iglesia is quoted.

Biology professor and chair David Perkel and Biology Professor Jeff Riffell have been awarded research grants from the Human Frontier Science Program.

Biology Professor Carl Bergstrom has released a new paper discussing how scientific communication has the potential to spread misinformation.

Testing is still a valuable tool in our COVID-19 prevention toolkit, but the technologies and motivations behind it are shifting. We’ll also have to shift our understanding of test results and metrics. A tool developed by the UW's Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology, and Ryan McGee, a graduate student in biology, are quoted.

Carl Bergstrom, biology professor, explains that Easter travel will likely not bring the same surge in cases as past holiday season travel.

Astronomers wax romantic talking about the joys of traveling to remote places to observe the heavens. With today's technology, those kinds of trips are less and less necessary. What is gained and what is lost? Emily Levesque, associate professor of astronomy at the UW, is interviewed.

Any Star Wars fan will recognize an iconic shot of two suns glowing in the skies of Tatooine — Luke Skywalker’s home planet. But new research shows this strange world isn’t as far from reality as you might think. Siegfried Eggl, a research scientist in astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

Though COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out and some restrictions are easing, experts warn that some may feel anxious or fearful about a "return to normal." Jane Simoni, professor of psychology at the UW, is interviewed.

The debate over the habitability of Venus continues to burn as hot as the planet’s scorching temperatures. Michael Wong, a postdoctoral researcher in astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

Scientists are struggling to explain why the gray whale population plummeted by nearly a quarter between 2016 and 2020. Sue Moore, affiliate professor of biology and of aquatic and fishery sciences, is quoted.

UW senior Ishira Parikh helped create an award-winning curriculum using what she'd learned through UW courses and volunteer activities. 

Dr. Meredith Rawls, astronomy research scientist, discusses the issue of space debris.