Technology

Dr. Emily M. Bender, a professor of linguistics, discusses the potential effects of natural language processing technology.

Amazon is gearing up to defend itself against a mushrooming battle over the company’s alleged anticompetitive business practices, in arenas spanning Congress, federal agencies and state government. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

A composite-overwrapped pressure vessel from a Falcon 9 rocket was recovered from a private property owner in southwest Grant County. James Davenport, a research assistant professor of astronomy at the UW, is referenced.

A long streak of rocket debris from SpaceX was seen from Snohomish County to Salem, Oregon Thursday night. James Davenport, a research assistant professor of astronomy at the UW, is interviewed.

A long streak of lights slow-danced over the Pacific Northwest around 9 p.m. Thursday. The bright show dazzled onlookers from Snohomish County to Salem, Oregon, leaving many to wonder what caused the spectacle. While viewers speculated it could be a meteor shower, fireworks or something extra-terrestrial, scientists report the sight was actually human-made. James Davenport, a research assistant professor of astronomy at the UW, is interviewed.

Astronomers once gazed at the night sky and charted the stars using their naked eyes. Emily Levesque, associate professor of astronomy at the UW, describes how generations of telescopes have unlocked the wonders of the universe.

UW Physics Professor Miguel Morales has penned a math-free tour of quantum mechanics and technology

Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics, has co-authored a new study with Angelina McMillan-Major, a doctoral student in linguistics, about language-learning technologies.

With the COVID-19 pandemic confining many Americans to their homes, a significant number of people used the money they might otherwise have spent on travel or eating out to invest in rooftop solar systems. Daniel Gamelin, professor of chemistry at the UW, is quoted.

A team from the University of Washington wanted to see if a computer vision system could learn to tell what is being played on a piano just from an overhead view of the keys and the player’s hands. The UW’s Eli Shlizerman, assistant professor in the applied mathematics and the electrical and computer engineering departments, and Kun Su and Xiulong Liu, doctoral students in electrical and computer engineering, created Audeo.

UW scientists explain new developments in the field of quantum computing.

Big Tech has used its power to control the field of AI ethics and avoid accountability. Now, the ouster of Timnit Gebru from Google is putting the movement for equitable tech in the spotlight. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

Facebook’s “fight with Australia is again raising debate around social media networks’ enormous control over people’s access to information ... My research in the history of international media politics has shown that a handful of rich countries have long exerted undue influence over how the rest of the world gets its news,” writes Vanessa Freije, assistant professor of international relations at the UW.

Google, Facebook and others promise more flexibility to work from home. But they’re charging ahead with plans for more offices. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was the top American philanthropist in 2020, giving away $10.1 billion to nonprofit efforts associated with climate change and education, according to a ranking released this week by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Bezos, ranked second on the list with donations to a wide array of non-profits that totaled $5.7 billion. The UW's Ed Lazowska, professor of computer science and engineering, and Margaret O'Mara, professor of history, are quoted.