Research

What marks the start of the Anthropocene – the geological epoch marked by human impact on the planet? The debate hinges, in part, on how we define “signature events,” the important information left behind as clues. But finding signature events transcends the study of the Anthropocene; it’s how we read to make meaning of a text, a collection of data, even a piece of art. This episode features Jesse Oak Taylor, associate professor of English.

"My first-gen experience has primarily impacted the development of my scientific communication skills. Due to prominent feelings of 'I am too dumb to be here' and "I don't have the background to understand this" throughout my undergraduate experience, I find it intuitive to explain problems from different angles (e.g., less abstract or mathematical) and be sensitive to students who do not have a strong math background. Basically, I am not afraid to be super 'handwavy' 😎." - Chad Hoyer, College of Arts & Sciences Chemistry Research Scientist

Astronomers with the International Astronomical Union are trying to understand how the brightness and transmissions of the BlueWalker3 satellite will interfere with Earth-based observations of the universe — and what can be done to minimize these effects as more of these satellites are launched.

Do fruit flies remember their larval lives? To find out, scientists made the neurons inside larvae glow, then tracked how they reshuffled as they formed adult brains. James Truman, professor emeritus of biology at the UW, is quoted. Lynn Riddiford, professor emerita of biology at the UW, is mentioned. [This story was originally published in Quanta Magazine]

"Hostage-taking has been frequently used by both states and insurgent groups as a means to extract funds or concessions from more powerful states," writes Michael Blake, professor of philosophy and of public policy and governance at the UW.

Generative AI is changing how people work, complete assignments, date, and create. But the massive computer systems powering AI consume vast amounts of water and emit tons of carbon. Even with green initiatives by big companies, the scale of the impact is expected to increase. Adrienne Russell, professor of communication and co-director of the UW Center for Journalism, Media and Democracy, is quoted.

The return of the humpback whale to greater numbers than observed in decades is part of a larger revival of marine mammals in the Salish Sea. Briana Abrahms, assistant professor of biology at the UW, is mentioned.

Researchers from the University of Washington and Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture will be partners in the newly announced $30M NSF Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science.  

A new study from the University of Washington and Cornell University shows researchers more likely to write scientific papers with co-authors of the same gender, a pattern that can’t be explained by varying gender representations across scientific disciplines and time. Carole Lee, associate professor of philosophy, is quoted.

A particle physics experiment decades in the making — the Muon g-2 experiment — looks increasingly like it might set up a showdown over whether there are fundamental particles or forces in the universe that are unaccounted for in the current Standard Model. On Aug. 10, the international team of scientists behind Muon g-2 — pronounced “g minus 2” — released the world’s most precise measurement yet of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. Calculating the muon’s magnetic moment at a high precision will indicate whether it is interacting solely with the particles and forces known today, or if unknown particles or forces are out there.

As marine heat waves continued to simmer along the East Coast and beyond, a mass of warm water twice the size of Alaska quietly arrived on the Pacific Northwest's coastal shores. The UW's Julia Parrish, professor of biology and of aquatic and fishery sciences is quoted.

"Climate change has emerged as an important issue for the younger generation—that is, Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) and Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996). Public opinion polls suggest that these cohorts are more worried about climate change and more supportive of climate policies," write the UW's Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.

A special algorithm designed to spot dangerous near-Earth asteroids appears to be so good it has spotted its very first one during an initial test. The UW's Mario Jurić, professor of astronomy, and Ari Heinze, research scientist in astronomy, are quoted.

A skyscraper-size asteroid was revealed in year-old telescope data thanks to a new algorithm that could change the way near-Earth objects are discovered. Mario Juric, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

A new technique for finding potentially hazardous asteroids before they find us has chalked up its first success. Ari Heinze, research scientist in astronomy at the UW, is quoted.