Research

Three new faculty books from the University of Washington cover wide-ranging topics: oysters, the moral contradictions of religion, and Cherokee creature names and environmental relationships.

A team led by scientists and engineers at the University of Washington has announced a significant advancement in developing fault-tolerant qubits for quantum computing. In a pair of papers published June 14 in Nature and June 22 in Science, they report that, in experiments with flakes of semiconductor materials — each only a single layer of atoms thick — they detected signatures of “fractional quantum anomalous Hall” (FQAH) states. The team’s discoveries mark a first and promising step in constructing a type of fault-tolerant qubit because FQAH states can host anyons — strange “quasiparticles” that have only a fraction of an electron’s charge. Some types of anyons can be used to make what are called “topologically protected” qubits, which are stable against any small, local disturbances.

No one can really describe what milk is -- least of all the people who think most often about it. Melanie Martin, assistant professor of anthropology at the UW, is quoted.

By studying the light atoms emitted when stimulated by a laser, they were able to detect vibrations sometimes referred to as atomic "breathing," a feature fundamental to nature's building blocks. The UW's Mo Li, professor of physics and of electrical and computer engineering; Adina Ripin, a doctoral student in physics; and Ting Cao, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, are quoted.

"Early this month, Quebec forest fires caused severe air pollution on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. Although subject to some debate, many blamed climate change for these fires," write the UW's Nives Dol?ak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.

Two weeks after members of Congress questioned OpenAI CEO Sam Altman about the potential for artificial intelligence tools to spread misinformation, disrupt elections and displace jobs, he and others in the industry went public with a much more frightening possibility: an AI apocalypse. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

You've probably heard chatbots like ChatGPT described as "artificial intelligence." Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, wants you to call it a "text synthesis machine" or "stochastic parrot."

A 2,000-year-old collection of medical tools, recently unearthed in Hungary, offer insight into the practices of undaunted, much-maligned Roman doctors. Lawrence J. Bliquez, professor emeritus of classics and art history at the UW, is quoted.

Astronomers spotted a stellar explosion in the Pinwheel Galaxy last month. Within a week, James Davenport, research assistant professor of astronomy at the UW, and his colleagues were searching the stars for radio signals from alien civilizations who might have seen the same thing.

Brain-computer interface technology can benefit people with disabilities by restoring mobility and communication. Sara Goering, professor of philosophy at the UW, says it also allows potentially monetizable access to the center of our thoughts and feelings.

"The COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on the deep need that people feel for human touch and connection in hospital settings. Having relatives peering through windows at their loved ones or unable to enter hospitals altogether exacerbated the lack of human intimacy that is all too common in health care settings" writes Marlaine Gray, affiliate assistant professor of anthropology at the UW.

"In the fall of 2022, a German court heard an unusual case. It was a civil lawsuit that grew out of a feud on Twitter about whether transgender people were victims of the Holocaust. Though there is no longer much debate about whether gay men and lesbians were persecuted, there's been very little scholarship on trans people during this period," writes Laurie Marhoefer, professor of history at the UW.

Abdiel Jacobsen, graduating with an MFA in dance, found creative ways to share Latin Hustle, their favorite dance, with students and the wider community.

Meghna Shankar, graduating with degrees in physics and computer science, found joy and balance by also performing in the UW Symphony Orchestra. 

"Health practitioners are increasingly concerned that because race is a social construct, and the biological mechanisms of how race affects clinical outcomes are often unknown, including race in predictive algorithms for clinical decision-making may worsen inequities," writes Anirban Basu, professor of health economics at the UW.