Natural Sciences Division

In the College of Arts & Sciences, we are proud to celebrate our first-generation community through a collection of stories! We honor our faculty and staff, and their many contributions to our university community and beyond.

The Multicultural Alumni Partnership is proud to present the 2025 community and student MAP awardees.

Come curious. Leave inspired. We invite you to connect with us this November through a rich and varied schedule of more than 30 events, exhibitions, podcasts, and more. From chamber opera premieres and public lectures to Indigenous storytelling and poetry celebrations, theres something to spark every curiosity. Expect boundary-pushing performances, thought-provoking dialogues on memory and...

In a physics course for non-STEM majors, Professor Miguel Morales teaches quantum mechanics without the advanced mathematics most quantum courses require.

UW physics professor Jiun-Haw Chu is among 22 scientists selected for as 2025 Experimental Physics Investigators, a distinguished group of mid-career researchers pushing the boundaries of experimental physics.

Come curious. Leave inspired. We welcome you to connect with us this autumn quarter through an incredible lineup of more than 30 events, exhibitions, podcasts, and more. From thought-provoking talks on monsters to boundary-pushing performances by Grammy-nominated Mariachi ensembles, its a celebration of bold ideas and creative energy. ArtSci On Your Own Time Exhibition: Woven...

UW researchers at the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences and in the Allen School are exploring the potential for training AI to value altruism.

Scientists studied how ratfishes, also known as chimaeras or ghost sharks, ended up with one of evolutions most bizarre appendages. Research by Karly Cohen, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washingtons Friday Harbor Labs, is mentioned.

The male spotted ratfish a shark-like fish native to the northeastern Pacific Ocean sports rows of teeth outside of its mouth. Karly Cohen, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washingtons Friday Harbor Labs, is quoted.

Three years into its mission, the James Webb Space Telescope has advanced the search for alien life more than any machine before it. What will it find next? Victoria Meadows, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

Physicists have floated numerous theories to explain what dark matter might be, but to date, no experiment has turned up compelling evidence to support any of them. An international team of physicists, including researchers from the UW, is now working on a new kind of dark matter detector with the goal of capturing the first direct observation of the puzzling material. Results from the detectors prototype have already ruled out one of the leading theories of how dark matter originated.

When State Superintendent Chris Reykdal urged Washington school districts to crack down on in-class cell phone use last year, he was echoing a national outcry from educators struggling to keep students focused. This fall, most districts are rolling out new policies aimed at curbing smart device distractions during school hours. Luca Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

Heading back to school Wednesday, students in the Northshore School District will pack their books, pens, and paper, but not their cell phones.Its just one of many Washington state school districts that now have a district-wide policy for mobile devices.Luca Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

UW-trained conservationists helped launch a movement to save some of the world's most elusive animals. Here's how they did it.

A growing number of school districts are implementing new cell phone bans in the classroom, and a University of Washington study found that while teachers generally support the policies, students are less positive, though some concede the policies improve concentration. Luca Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is interviewed.