Research

Cannibal robots create entirely new dimension of autonomy for AI, researchers say. Philippe Martin Wyder, a postdoctoral fellow of applied mathematics at the UW, is quoted.

Throughout history, iterations of the waterfront have propelled Seattle and reflected the citys essential character. Thats why the latest, revamped version of the space is so important, aside from its $800 million price tag. Will the new waterfront reconnect residents with the Salish Sea? Cater to selfie-taking tourists? Build Seattles global brand? The project says something about the city today and where it could be headed next. James Gregory, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

Just the third-ever confirmed interstellar object has been detected in our solar system. Here's what we know. (Spoiler: It's not aliens.) Sarah Greenstreet, affiliate assistant professor of astronomy, is quoted.

University of Washington researchers are focused on a celestial light show with the groundbreaking Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. The observatory, featuring the largest camera ever built, now offers a new "eye on the sky" thanks in part to UW's astronomy department. James Davenport, research assistant professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

Video shows a wayward penguin swimming and diving among beachgoers along Brazils most iconic shoreline. It might be following fish, a penguin expert says. P. Dee Boersma, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Meet the four graduating students selected by the College of Arts & Sciences as 2025 Graduate Medalists for their accomplishments. 

Adrienne Fairhall and David Hertzog are among 120 new members and 30 international members elected in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research."

Some of the first images of space captured by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile were released earlier this week. In Seattle, researchers and students at the UW gathered to view the photos at the campus' planetarium on Monday. The university has played a big part in the development of the powerful telescope. The UW's Mario Juri, professor of astronomy, and Meredith Rawls, a research scientist of astronomy, are quoted.

"Is AI going to take over the world? Have scientists created an artificial lifeform that can think on its own? Is it going to replace all our jobs, even creative ones, like doctors, teachers and care workers? Are we about to enter an age where computers are better than humans at everything?" writes Luke Munn research fellow at the University of Queensland. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

Once an eight-mile network of caves with an entrance in the lower part of Paradise Glacier, the Paradise ice caves were the most-visited tourist spot for decades before glacial melting caused large chunks of ice to begin to fall from the ceiling, endangering visitors and pushing officials to close access. Now, the caves are gone. Janneke Hille Ris Lambers, affiliate professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is expected to find millions of unknown objects in our solar system, and perhaps even a mysterious Planet Nine. Mario Juri, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

Perched high on a ridge in the South American Andes, a new observatory aims to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos and unravel some of the mysteries it holds. Featuring the worlds largest digital camera, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will spend the next 10 years constantly surveying and recording time-lapse movies of the stars, galaxies, asteroids and other objects moving across the southern hemisphere. Mario Juri, professor of astronomy at the UW, is interviewed.

After more than 20 years of planning and construction, astronomers celebrated the release of the first images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory today and also registered hundreds of the first discoveries from the worlds newest eye on the sky. Mario Juri, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

A new era of astronomy and astrophysics began Monday when the first images captured by the NSFDOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory were released, demonstrating the extraordinary capabilities of the new telescope and the worlds largest digital camera.

Carl Hagenbeck believed that animals should be housed in habitats that mimicked their natural environment. Earlier, hed followed the same guiding philosophy when exhibiting Indigenous people in human zoos. Karen S. Emmerman, affiliate instructor of philosophy at the UW, is quoted.