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Newswise: UW researchers taught kids to code with cultural research and embroidery machines
Released: 14-Mar-2024 1:05 PM EDT
UW researchers taught kids to code with cultural research and embroidery machines
University of Washington

The team taught a group of high schoolers to code by combining cultural research into various embroidery traditions with “computational embroidery.” The method teaches kids to encode embroidery patterns on a computer through a coding language called Turtlestitch.

   
Newswise: AI analysis of historical satellite images show USSR collapse in 1990s increased methane emissions, despite lower oil and gas production
Released: 13-Mar-2024 5:05 PM EDT
AI analysis of historical satellite images show USSR collapse in 1990s increased methane emissions, despite lower oil and gas production
University of Washington

An AI-powered analysis of 25 years of satellite images yields the surprising finding that methane emissions in Turkmenistan, a former Soviet republic and major oil-producing region, actually increased in the years following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Released: 11-Mar-2024 3:05 PM EDT
Q&A: How Instagram influencers profit from anti-vaccine misinformation
University of Washington

New research from the UW examines how three wellness Instagram influencers profited from anti-vaccine misinformation.

Released: 29-Feb-2024 2:05 PM EST
Q&A: How a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease could also work for Type 2 diabetes
University of Washington

Alzheimer’s disease and Type 2 diabetes are part of a family of amyloid diseases that are characterized by having proteins that cluster together. University of Washington researchers have demonstrated more similarities between the two diseases.

Newswise: 80 mph speed record for glacier fracture helps reveal the physics of ice sheet collapse
Released: 28-Feb-2024 3:05 PM EST
80 mph speed record for glacier fracture helps reveal the physics of ice sheet collapse
University of Washington

New research documents the fastest-known large-scale breakage along an Antarctic ice shelf. In 2012, a 6.5-mile crack formed in about 5 and a half minutes, showing that ice shelves can effectively shatter, though the speed of breakage is reduced by seawater rushing in. These results can help improve ice-sheet models and projections for future sea level rise.

Released: 28-Feb-2024 2:05 PM EST
Vision Zero road safety projects in Seattle are unlikely to have negative impacts on local business sales, UW study finds
University of Washington

An analysis of seven safety projects across Seattle including expanding the city’s bike network, redesigning high-crash intersections and enhancing crosswalks to protect pedestrians, found they had no negative impact on the annual revenues of nearby businesses for three years after construction began.

Released: 28-Feb-2024 2:05 PM EST
Q&A: Decline in condom use indicates need for further education, awareness
University of Washington

New research from Steven Goodreau, University of Washington professor of anthropology, shows that condom use has been trending downward among younger gay and bisexual men over the last decade, even when they aren’t taking pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.

Released: 15-Feb-2024 5:05 PM EST
Q&A: What is the best route to fairer AI systems?
University of Washington

Mike Teodorescu, a University of Washington assistant professor in the Information School, proposes that private enterprise standards for fairer machine learning systems would inform governmental regulation.

Newswise: Q&A: Helping robots identify objects in cluttered spaces
Released: 7-Feb-2024 8:05 PM EST
Q&A: Helping robots identify objects in cluttered spaces
University of Washington

Robots in warehouses and even around our houses struggle to identify and pick up objects if they are too close together, or if a space is cluttered.

Newswise: Foul fumes pose pollinator problems
Released: 7-Feb-2024 8:05 PM EST
Foul fumes pose pollinator problems
University of Washington

Nitrate radicals (NO3) from air pollution degrade the scent chemicals released by a common wildflower, drastically reducing the scent-based cues that its chief pollinators rely on to locate the flower.

Newswise: UW-developed smart earrings can monitor a person’s temperature
Released: 7-Feb-2024 12:00 PM EST
UW-developed smart earrings can monitor a person’s temperature
University of Washington

University of Washington researchers introduced the Thermal Earring, a wireless wearable that continuously monitors a user’s earlobe temperature.

Released: 30-Jan-2024 6:05 PM EST
Using computers to design proteins allows researchers to make tunable hydrogels that can form both inside and outside of cells
University of Washington

New research led by the University of Washington demonstrates a new class of hydrogels that can form not just outside cells, but also inside of them. These hydrogels exhibited similar mechanical properties both inside and outside of cells, providing researchers with a new tool to group proteins together inside of cells.

Released: 9-Jan-2024 1:05 PM EST
Q&A: UW researchers answer common questions about language models like ChatGPT
University of Washington

A team University of Washington researchers have published a guide explaining language models, the technology that underlies chatbots.

Released: 14-Dec-2023 1:05 PM EST
Seattle metro residents near Amazon delivery stations face more pollution but order fewer packages
University of Washington

University of Washington researchers found that people who live within 2 miles of an Amazon last-mile delivery station are exposed to more delivery-related air pollution despite ordering fewer packages.

Newswise: Beluga whales’ calls may get drowned out by shipping noise in Alaska’s Cook Inlet
AUDIO
Released: 11-Dec-2023 5:05 PM EST
Beluga whales’ calls may get drowned out by shipping noise in Alaska’s Cook Inlet
University of Washington

Around Anchorage, communications among the critically endangered population of Cook Inlet beluga whales may be masked by ship noise in their core critical habitat, accordingly to the first repertoire of their calls.

Released: 29-Nov-2023 2:05 PM EST
Authentic or ethical? UW study shows best leadership style for inclusive hiring depends on manager’s racial identity
University of Washington

New research from Andrew Hafenbrack, associate professor of management and organization in the University of Washington School of Business, and other institutions examines the impact of leadership style on prospective Black employees who apply for jobs in less-diverse companies.

Newswise: AI image generator Stable Diffusion perpetuates racial and gendered stereotypes, study finds
Released: 28-Nov-2023 7:05 PM EST
AI image generator Stable Diffusion perpetuates racial and gendered stereotypes, study finds
University of Washington

University of Washington researchers found that when prompted to make pictures of “a person,” the AI image generator over-represented light-skinned men, failed to equitably represent Indigenous peoples and sexualized images of certain women of color.

27-Nov-2023 12:00 PM EST
Breathing highway air increases blood pressure, UW research finds
University of Washington

A new study from the UW found that unfiltered air from rush-hour traffic significantly increased passengers’ blood pressure, both while in the car and up to 24 hours later. 

Newswise: Q&A: How an assistive-feeding robot went from picking up fruit salads to whole meals
Released: 16-Nov-2023 12:05 PM EST
Q&A: How an assistive-feeding robot went from picking up fruit salads to whole meals
University of Washington

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington developed 11 actions a robotic arm can make to pick up nearly any food attainable by fork. This allows the system to learn to pick up new foods during one meal.

Newswise: WhaleVis turns more than a century of whaling data into an interactive map
Released: 15-Nov-2023 12:05 PM EST
WhaleVis turns more than a century of whaling data into an interactive map
University of Washington

A team at the University of Washington has created an interactive dashboard called WhaleVis, which lets users map data on global whale catches and whaling routes from 1880 to 1986. Scientists can compare this historical data and its trends with current information to better understand whale populations over time.

Newswise: North Atlantic’s marine productivity may not be declining, according to new study of older ice cores
Released: 15-Nov-2023 7:00 AM EST
North Atlantic’s marine productivity may not be declining, according to new study of older ice cores
University of Washington

To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of declining phytoplankton in the North Atlantic may have been greatly exaggerated. Analysis of a Greenland ice core going back 800 years shows that atmospheric chemistry, not dwindling phytoplankton populations, explains the recent ice core trends.

Released: 9-Nov-2023 1:05 PM EST
New AI noise-canceling headphone technology lets wearers pick which sounds they hear
University of Washington

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has developed deep-learning algorithms that let users pick which sounds filter through their headphones in real time. Either through voice commands or a smartphone app, headphone wearers can select which sounds they want to include from 20 classes, such as sirens, baby cries, speech, vacuum cleaners and bird chirps.

Newswise: Can AI help boost accessibility? These researchers tested it for themselves
Released: 2-Nov-2023 2:05 PM EDT
Can AI help boost accessibility? These researchers tested it for themselves
University of Washington

Seven researchers at the University of Washington conducted a three-month autoethnographic study — drawing on their own experiences as people with and without disabilities — to test AI tools’ utility for accessibility. Though researchers found cases in which the tools were helpful, they also found significant problems.

Newswise: A Google Slides extension can make presentation software more accessible for blind users
Released: 30-Oct-2023 4:05 PM EDT
A Google Slides extension can make presentation software more accessible for blind users
University of Washington

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has created A11yBoard for Google Slides, a browser extension and phone or tablet app that allows blind users to navigate through complex slide layouts, objects, images and text.

Newswise: Fruit, nectar, bugs and blood: How bat teeth and jaws evolved for a diverse dinnertime
Released: 26-Oct-2023 1:05 PM EDT
Fruit, nectar, bugs and blood: How bat teeth and jaws evolved for a diverse dinnertime
University of Washington

Noctilionoid bat species evolved wildly different faces as they adapted to exploit diverse food sources -- including insects, fruit, nectar, blood and fish. New research shows that those adaptations include dramatic, but also consistent, modifications to tooth number, size, shape and position.

Released: 24-Oct-2023 1:05 PM EDT
How can social media be better? Four UW researchers compare strategies
University of Washington

The turmoil at large tech platforms has many people reconsidering what they want out of social media. Four researchers at the University of Washington are exploring different approaches to improve people’s experiences.

Released: 19-Oct-2023 5:05 PM EDT
Q&A: UW expert on rise of younger, less experienced bosses in the workplace
University of Washington

Supervisors are traditionally associated with higher status markers such as age, education and tenure than their subordinates. But it’s increasingly common to see those dynamics reversed, which is the focus of a new study from Jessica Huisi Li, University of Washington assistant professor of management and organization.

Newswise: DNA shows where Washington culvert replacements helped spawning salmon
Released: 19-Oct-2023 2:05 PM EDT
DNA shows where Washington culvert replacements helped spawning salmon
University of Washington

Genetic evidence looked at how salmon were affected by two major culvert replacements near the city of Bellingham. One project, a major upgrade under Interstate-5, had a big impact, while the other old culvert may have been less of a barrier to fish. Researchers at the University of Washington and NOAA are studying the use of eDNA in future environmental impact reporting.

Newswise: Q&A: Researchers aim to improve accessibility with augmented reality
Released: 17-Oct-2023 1:05 PM EDT
Q&A: Researchers aim to improve accessibility with augmented reality
University of Washington

This month, University of Washington researchers will introduce multiple projects that deploy augmented reality — through headsets and phone apps — with the aim of making the world more accessible for people with disabilities.

Released: 9-Oct-2023 1:05 PM EDT
Prescription opioid companies increased marketing after Purdue Pharma lawsuit, UW study shows
University of Washington

Public scrutiny of Purdue Pharma’s role in the opioid crisis increased sharply in the years after the state of Kentucky filed a lawsuit against the company. New research from David Tan, University of Washington associate professor of management, examines the ensuing behavior of competing prescription opioid companies.

Newswise: MilliMobile is a tiny, self-driving robot powered only by light and radio waves
Released: 27-Sep-2023 2:05 PM EDT
MilliMobile is a tiny, self-driving robot powered only by light and radio waves
University of Washington

The robot, equipped with a solar panel–like energy harvester and four wheels, is about the size of a penny, weighs as much as a raisin and can move about the length of a bus in an hour on a cloudy day.

Newswise: Q&A: Can AI in school actually help students be more creative and self-directed?
Released: 25-Sep-2023 12:05 PM EDT
Q&A: Can AI in school actually help students be more creative and self-directed?
University of Washington

Katie Davis, a University of Washington associate professor in the Information School, discusses how generative AI might support learning, instead of detracting from it, if kids can keep their agency.

Newswise: Q&A: How new software is changing our understanding of human brain development
Released: 22-Sep-2023 1:05 PM EDT
Q&A: How new software is changing our understanding of human brain development
University of Washington

A team including researchers at the University of Washington recently used new software to compare MRIs from 300 babies and discovered that myelin, a part of the brain’s so-called white matter, develops much slower after birth.

Newswise:Video Embedded uw-team-s-shape-changing-smart-speaker-lets-users-mute-different-areas-of-a-room
VIDEO
Released: 21-Sep-2023 12:05 PM EDT
UW team’s shape-changing smart speaker lets users mute different areas of a room
University of Washington

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has developed system of robotic self-deploying microphones, which lets users control sound in a room, muting certain areas and creating “active zones” in others.

Newswise: Polar experiments reveal seasonal cycle in Antarctic sea ice algae
13-Sep-2023 4:05 PM EDT
Polar experiments reveal seasonal cycle in Antarctic sea ice algae
University of Washington

New research provides the first measurements of how sea-ice algae and other single-celled life adjust to the dramatic seasonal rhythms in the ocean surrounding Antarctica, offering clues to what might happen as this environment shifts under climate change.

Newswise:Video Embedded battery-free-robots-use-origami-to-change-shape-in-mid-air
VIDEO
Released: 13-Sep-2023 3:05 PM EDT
Battery-free robots use origami to change shape in mid-air
University of Washington

Researchers at the University of Washington developed small robotic devices that can change how they move through the air by "snapping" into a folded position during their descent.

Newswise: Fall snow levels can predict a season's total snowpack in some western states
Released: 12-Sep-2023 7:05 PM EDT
Fall snow levels can predict a season's total snowpack in some western states
University of Washington

Research led by the University of Washington found that, in some western states, the amount of snow already on the ground by the end of December is a good predictor of how much total snow that area will get.

Released: 11-Sep-2023 1:05 PM EDT
Q&A: New book examines intersection between climate and information crises
University of Washington

Adrienne Russell, professor of communication at the University of Washington, examines in her new book how journalism, activism, corporations and Big Tech battle to influence the public about climate change.

   
Released: 7-Sep-2023 5:05 PM EDT
A tax on menthol cigarettes would work better than statewide bans, UW study finds
University of Washington

New research from Simha Mummalaneni and Ali Goli, assistant professors of marketing in the University of Washington Foster School of Business, finds that a menthol cigarette tax is a preferable policy to scattered statewide bans.

Released: 7-Sep-2023 2:05 PM EDT
UW assessment finds fentanyl and methamphetamine smoke linger on public transit vehicles
University of Washington

A UW research team conducted a limited-scope, first-of-its-kind assessment and detected fentanyl and methamphetamine on board numerous transit vehicles, both in the air and on surfaces.

Newswise: REBURN: A new tool to model wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and beyond
Released: 21-Aug-2023 8:00 AM EDT
REBURN: A new tool to model wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and beyond
University of Washington

A new tool, REBURN, can simulate large forest landscapes and wildfire dynamics over decades or centuries under different wildfire management strategies.

Newswise:Video Embedded qa-as-ai-changes-education-important-conversations-for-kids-still-happen-off-screen
VIDEO
Released: 16-Aug-2023 3:00 PM EDT
Q&A: As AI changes education, important conversations for kids still happen off-screen
University of Washington

Jason Yip, a UW associate professor in the Information School, discusses how parents and schools can adapt to new technologies in ways that support children’s learning.

Released: 14-Aug-2023 2:05 PM EDT
These organizational changes can shake up company hierarchy
University of Washington

How people initially react to organizational change depends on their placement within their work groups’ status hierarchy, according to new research from Elijah Wee, assistant professor of management in the University of Washington Foster School of Business.

Newswise:Video Embedded new-algorithm-ensnares-its-first-potentially-hazardous-asteroid
VIDEO
Released: 31-Jul-2023 9:50 AM EDT
New algorithm ensnares its first ‘potentially hazardous’ asteroid
University of Washington

An asteroid discovery algorithm — designed to uncover near-Earth asteroids for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s upcoming 10-year survey of the night sky — has identified its first “potentially hazardous” asteroid, a term for space rocks in Earth’s vicinity that scientists like to keep an eye on.

Newswise: Q&A: UW researcher discusses just how much energy ChatGPT uses
Released: 27-Jul-2023 3:00 PM EDT
Q&A: UW researcher discusses just how much energy ChatGPT uses
University of Washington

Training a large language model, such as ChatGPT, uses on average roughly equivalent to the yearly electricity consumption of over 1,000 U.S. households, according to Sajjad Moazeni, University of Washington assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, who studies networking for AI and machine learning supercomputing.

Newswise: With a new app, smart devices can have GPS underwater
Released: 24-Jul-2023 8:05 PM EDT
With a new app, smart devices can have GPS underwater
University of Washington

A team at the University of Washington has developed the first underwater 3D-positioning app for smart devices. When at least three divers are within about 98 feet of each other, the app tracks each user’s location relative to the leader.

Newswise: Researchers put a new twist on graphite
18-Jul-2023 8:15 AM EDT
Researchers put a new twist on graphite
University of Washington

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington reports that it is possible to imbue graphite — the bulk, 3D material found in No. 2 pencils – with "exotic" physical properties similar to graphite’s 2D counterpart, graphene.

Newswise: Learning from superheroes and AI: UW researchers study how a chatbot can teach kids supportive self-talk
Released: 18-Jul-2023 4:05 PM EDT
Learning from superheroes and AI: UW researchers study how a chatbot can teach kids supportive self-talk
University of Washington

Researchers at the University of Washington created a new audio chatbot, Self-Talk with Superhero Zip, aimed to help children speak positively to themselves. This chatbot is “a ‘Sesame Street’ experience for a smart speaker.”

   
Newswise: UW-developed dental lozenge could provide permanent treatment for tooth sensitivity 
Released: 10-Jul-2023 1:05 PM EDT
UW-developed dental lozenge could provide permanent treatment for tooth sensitivity 
University of Washington

The peptide-guided treatment builds new mineral microlayers that penetrate deep into the tooth to create effective, long-lasting natural protection. The ultimate goal is to provide easily accessible relief for the millions of adults worldwide who suffer from tooth sensitivity.

Newswise: New biodegradable plastics are compostable in your backyard
Released: 10-Jul-2023 12:25 PM EDT
New biodegradable plastics are compostable in your backyard
University of Washington

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has developed new bioplastics that degrade on the same timescale as a banana peel in a backyard compost bin.



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