Natural Sciences Division

The College of Arts & Sciences welcomes students and their families to connect with faculty and staff, learn about a variety of topics, and explore our spaces throughout Family Weekend.

In “Primary Trust,” which opens at Seattle Rep on Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 24, playwright Eboni Booth brings audiences on a deep dive into the epidemic of adult loneliness. Nicole McNichols, associate teaching professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

Fear of flying affects more than 25 million Americans. If you are among them, these tools and expert tips could help make your next plane ride easier. Jonathan Bricker, affiliate professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s 8.4-meter Simonyi Survey Telescope in Chile has now been equipped with all three of its mirrors, plus a camera for good measure. James Davenport, research assistant professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted. The UW's Željko Ivezić and Mario Jurić, both professors of astronomy, are mentioned.

Success in Gig Harbor comes as more schools are looking to reign in cell phones. Four of the five school districts in Kitsap County now have bans, a pair of which are new this fall. Central Kitsap, the lone holdout, plans to have a ban by early next year. Lucía Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

Experts at the UW have focused their lens on a rather unconventional subject of study – the link between the ability to view stars free from light pollution and an interest in astronomy. Rodolfo Cortes Barragan, a research scientist at the UW Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, and Andrew Meltzoff, professor of psychology and co-director of the UW Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, are quoted.

Moo Deng. Pesto. Nibi. The three are a pygmy hippo, king penguin, and beaver, respectively, and they’re some of the latest celebrities to captivate the internet. David Barash, professor emeritus of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

Thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit are still lighting up the sky, frustrating astronomers. Meredith Rawls, a research scientist of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

Scientists at the UW have recreated the distinctive spiral shapes of shark intestines in 3D-printed pipes in order to study the unique fluid flow inside the spirals. Their prototypes kept fluids flowing in one preferred direction with no need for flaps to control that flow and performed significantly better than so-called "Tesla valves." The UW's Ido Levin, postdoctoral researcher in chemistry, and Alshakim Nelson, professor of chemistry, are quoted.

This week, attend the Psychology Edwards seminar, check out the First Wednesday Concert Series in the Allen Library, tune into the first lecture of the Democracy in Focus Lecture Series, and more. September 30, 12:00 – 1:20 pm | Psychology Edwards seminar talk with Alex L. White, Ph.D., Columbia University, Kindcaid Hall Can you recognize two...

Researchers from the University of Washington have discovered a new way to help liquid flow in only one direction, but without using the flaps that engines and our circulatory system rely upon to prevent fluid backup. The team built a flexible pipe with an interior helical structure inspired by the anatomy of shark intestines â creating a prototype inspired by biology but with applications in engineering and medicine.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation selected five aspiring inventors as the ninth cohort of Moore Inventor Fellows. This fellowship champions scientist-inventors who design groundbreaking tools and technologies — creative people poised to make substantial strides in scientific discovery, environmental conservation and patient care.

The UW-led study says the din from ships forces orcas to expend more time and energy hunting for fish. Jennifer Tennessen, senior research scientist at the UW Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, is quoted.

A new study comparing the brains of children before and after COVID-19 found that adolescent girls’ brains had aged faster than expected during the social isolation and lockdowns brought on by the pandemic. Patricia Kuhl, professor of speech and hearing sciences at the UW and co-director of the UW Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, is quoted.

Volcanoes spewing carbon dioxide 250 million years ago heated the climate so much that extreme El Niño events became the norm, pushing most life on Earth past its limits. Peter Ward, professor of Earth and space sciences and of biology at the UW, is quoted.