College of Arts and Sciences

  • Opinion: Dont be fooled by this summer of AI hype

    "Its been a busy few months for AI hype. At the end of April, Anthropic claimed that its model Claude Mythos is better at finding software vulnerabilities than most security experts. Then we had the OpenAIHugging Face hacking incident, after which Anthropic (proudly) and Meta (reluctantly) disclosed similar incidents involving their models," write Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, and Timnit Gebru.
    09/22/2026 | MIT Technology Review
  • The 'butterfly effect' could explain why your relationship is falling apart

    Small moments of neglect, missed bids for attention, and everyday acts of kindness can add up to major changes in a relationship. John Gottman, professor emeritus of psychology at the UW, and his research, is mentioned.

    09/21/2026 | Vice
  • In the Field: UW researchers are studying how coral reef fish work as a community to respond to threats

    Coral reefs provide protection for fish, and researchers are interested in how the health of the reef affects the ability of fish to communicate with each other. This fall, Jj Milan, a UW doctoral student in the biology department, and UW research scientist Bob Oxborrow are traveling to the Maldives to study how humbug damselfish communicate with each other.
    09/18/2026 | UW News
  • Dawg Daze 2026 Digest

    Connect, explore, get involved! Dawg Daze will take place from September 23 to October 2, 2026. It is a great way to discover resources, familiarize yourself with important campus landmarks, and connect with staff and other students at the University of Washington.

    09/15/2026 | College of Arts & Sciences
  • Fossil feathers preserved inside dinosaur poop could help explain why some birds survived the dinosaur mass extinction

    A UW-led research team has discovered the best-preserved fossil feathers from the Mesozoic era in fossilized dinosaur poop. Some of these feathers have features that look like modern birds feathers. This finding can help researchers better understand why and how some birds survived the catastrophic event 66 million years ago that killed 75% of life on the planet.
    09/10/2026 | UW News
  • UW researchers lead and support new AI-for-Science Genesis Mission awards

    University of Washington researchers are leading and collaborating on four research projects as part of Phase 1 in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Genesis Mission, a national initiative to build an AI-for-science ecosystem which accelerates breakthroughs in energy, discovery science and national security.
    09/08/2026 | UW News
  • How neighbors created the Burke-Gilman, the nation’s first urban rail-to-trail

    Professor Emerita Merrill Hille (Dept of Biology) played an instrumental role in establishing the Burke-Gilman Trail, which connects so many of us to the UW community. It’s remarkable that this resource began as a grassroots effort led in part by a UW professor.

    09/03/2026 | The Seattle Times
  • Nobel Prize in Chemistry Goes to UW Professor David Baker

    On Oct. 8, David Baker was already an accomplished biochemistry professor in the University of Washington School of Medicine: a computational biologist with more than 640 peer-reviewed research papers, 100 secured patents, and 21 biotech start-ups. But none of that prepared him for the 2 a.m. phone call from Sweden, when Baker learned he’d joined the upper echelon of prestigious international honorees as a recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Baker is now the eighth UW faculty Nobel laureate.

    09/01/2026 | University of Washington Be Boundless
  • Mysterious creatures of the sea

    At the UW's Friday Harbor Labs, scientists learn great lessons from armored and obscure life under the sea.

    09/01/2026 | University of Washington Magazine
  • August research highlights: Nectar robbing, anxious attachment styles, persnickety plasma, more

    Explore recent research from the University of Washington: nectar-stealing Hawaiian honeycreepers, ChatGPT and anxious attachment, the cost of nursing for marine mammals, new magnetic nanomaterials, and a new strategy to subdue finicky plasma.
    08/31/2026 | UW News
  • New galactic simulations narrow the hunt for dark matter

    Astronomers at the University of Washington simulated four Milky Way-sized galaxies for five billion (virtual) years to test a leading theory about how dark matter might influence streams of orbiting stars. The results could help researchers separate true evidence of dark matter from false positives.

    08/27/2026 | UW News
  • In Washington, tribe releases lab-raised sunflower stars to help save kelp forests

    A Washington State tribe and UW researchers have taken a rare step to help restore a damaged ocean ecosystem, releasing 20 lab-raised endangered sunflower stars into the Salish Sea off Decatur Island. Jason Hodin, a research scientist at the UW Friday Harbor Laboratories, is quoted.
    08/24/2026 | The Cool Down
  • Q&A: UW professors explain how were misreading the energy crisis

    Dominic Muren, UW teaching professor of design, and Adrienne Russell, UW professor of communication, examine environmental problems from a perspective beyond the hard sciences. They spoke to UW News about what todays energy crises reveal about contemporary societies dependence on fossil fuels and how we can create a solar-powered system.

    08/21/2026 | UW News
  • "Quite frustrating:" What its like to have a treaty with the United States

    Heirs to the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott explain their ancestors wisdom and how they defend it today. Joshua Reid, associate professor of history and of American Indian studies at the UW, is quoted.
    08/14/2026 | High Country News
  • Reginald Jacob Howell, ’16, shares his barbecue talent with the world on Food Network’s “Pitmasters”

    UW Communication graduate (and Tacoma restaurateur) Reginald Jacob Howell, ’16, has been taking his passion for barbecue to a national audience on “Pitmasters” from the Food Network. Can he and his best friend, Denzel Johnson, take home the $50,000 prize? Only one way to find out. UW Magazine profiles Howell, from his time at Cultivate, the UW’s campus-adjacent restaurant, to the opening of GRANN, his restaurant on 6th Ave in Tacoma, and more. Check it out!

    08/13/2026 | University of Washington Magazine