Technology

A hummingbird darts up to a flower, slips in its long, thin beak and drinks. The whole visit lasts a fraction of a second, and for years scientists assumed the bird simply sucked the sweet liquid up and swallowed. Alejandro Rico-Guevara, associate professor of biology at the UW and curator of birds at the UW Burke Museum, is mentioned.

For decades, scientists have understood that plants can release volatile organic compoundsessentially airborne chemical signalsto attract the natural enemies of the things that eat them, like caterpillars. What we didnt know was exactly how a plant translates the physical act of being eaten into a specific, predator-summoning distress signal. Adam Steinbrenner, an associate professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Included in this science round up is a story about how plants call wasps to their defense. Adam Steinbrenner, an associate professor of biology at the UW, is interviewed.

Bean plants have been recruiting wasps to fight their battles for them since long before anyone noticed. A caterpillar bites down, the plant releases a chemical signal, and predatory wasps come flying in to finish it off. That part biologists already knew. What they couldnt explain was how the plant told the difference between a caterpillar and a rainstorm. Adam Steinbrenner, an associate professor of biology at the UW, is mentioned.

Explore recent research from the University of Washington: how climate change is redirecting rivers, what bean plants use to protect themselves from pests, where the water in an atmospheric river comes from and how researchers are making tensegrities tiny.

A brand new astronomical observatory has discovered over 11,000 previously-unknown asteroids. Mario Juri, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

A global public besieged by fears of AI got new fuel Monday from Pope Leo XIV, who released a roughly 40,000-word encyclical warning about the technologys potential to worsen inequality, erode workers dignity and automate war. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

New research from a University of Washington scientist could give oyster farmers in Willapa Bay a fighting chance at battling burrowing ghost shrimp, little crustaceans that cause big problems. Jennifer Ruesink, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

From CERN in the ‘60s, to Brookhaven National Laboratory in the ‘90s, and now at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Illinois, it took a village to find the Muon g-2. The complex, experimental measurement of this subatomic particle’s magnetism has the potential to completely reshape our understanding of the universe. 

Last month, the physics community’s quest for absurd precision received recognition. The Muon g-2 experiment won the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, dubbed the “Oscars of Science.” The $3 million prize is split among 384 researchers across generations. Alongside a global legion of researchers, UW physics professor and CENPA Director David Hertzog and professor emeritus Peter Kammel played leading roles on the Muon g-2 team. 

There is a promising new way to control burrowing shrimp, small marine excavators native to Washington. Jennifer Ruesink, a UW professor of biology, is quoted.

It turns out interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was almost called 3I/Rubin, after researchers found that the giant survey telescope coincidentally spotted this visitor from the stars over a week before it was officially discovered. Colin Orion Chandler, project scientist at UW's DIRAC Institute, is referenced.

Many animals, from cockroaches to cats, can walk without input from the brain. Yet scientists have struggled to pinpoint the responsible rhythm-generating circuit, or central pattern generator, in the spinal cord in any organism.The UW's John Tuthill, professor of neurobiology and biophysics at the UW, and Bing Brunton, professor of biology, are quoted.

With its Music and Technology program, the School of Music provides a foundation in music recording and experience in a recording studio. 

UW News spoke with Paul Wiggins, a University of Washington associate professor of both physics and bioengineering, to learn about a surprisingly relatable behavior prompting bacteria to stockpile huge reserves of essential proteins.

David Hertzog, a University of Washington professor of physics, is a recipient of the 2026 Breakthrough Prize for Fundamental Physics. The award is shared among roughly 400 scientists and celebrates decades of work to better understand the muon a subatomic particle with anomalous properties.