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Human-wildlife overlap expected to increase across more than half of Earthâs land by 2070
The overlap between humans and animals will increase substantially across much of the planet in less than 50 years due to human population growth and climate change, according to a collaborative study by scientists at the University of Michigan, the University of Washington and University College London. By 2070, the overlap between humans and more than 22,000 vertebrate species will rise across nearly 57% of Earthâs land, according to the team.08/21/2024 | UW News -
Opinion: Why Seattle’s idea for banishment in crime ‘hot spots’ won’t work
"Rather than learn these same painful lessons [of banishment programs] over again, we suggest looking to other successful initiatives that involve skillful regulation of space, enforcement of conduct expectations, and multidepartment coordination rather than banning specific people from parts of the city," write Katherine Beckett, professor of sociology and of law, societies and justice at the UW, and co-author Lisa Daugaard.08/21/2024 | The Seattle Times -
Galaxies in clusters are bigger than those flying solo in the universe
New research shows that galaxies in denser parts of the universe are usually larger than those that are more isolated. Aritra Ghosh, a postdoctoral researcher in astronomy at the UW, is quoted.08/19/2024 | Earth.com -
5 European visitors weigh in on the American college experience
This summer, 14 European reporters came to the U.S. to study the art of narrative journalism with Lauren Kessler, senior affiliate professor of communication. The two-week intensive workshop was sponsored by Forum for Journalism and Media, a Vienna-based nonprofit dedicated to the continued education of working journalists, supported by the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, and hosted by the UW Department of Communications.08/16/2024 | The Seattle Times -
Galaxies in dense environments tend to be larger, settling one cosmic question and raising others
A new study has found galaxies with more neighbors tend to be larger than their counterparts that have a similar shape and mass, but reside in less dense environments. In a paper published Aug. 14 in the Astrophysical Journal, the team, which used a machine-learning algorithm to analyze millions of galaxies, reports that galaxies found in denser regions of the universe are as much as 25% larger than isolated galaxies. The findings resolve a long-standing debate among astrophysicists over the relationship between a galaxyâs size and its environment, but also raise new questions about how galaxies form and evolve over billions of years.08/14/2024 | UW News -
Stargazers advised to seek dark skies for optimal meteor shower viewing
This weekend, NASA said to keep your eyes peeled for the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. According to NASA, the Perseid meteor shower runs from July 14 through Sept. 1, but will peak on the night of Sunday, Aug. 11. James Davenport, research assistant professor of astronomy at the UW, is interviewed.08/12/2024 | KOMO -
Analysis: The problem with pronatalism — pushing baby booms to boost economic growth amounts to a Ponzi scheme
"In the face of shrinking populations, many of the world’s major economies are trying to engineer higher birth rates," co-writes Win Brown, senior program officer at the Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology at the UW.08/09/2024 | The Conversation -
Analysis: Remembering the longest journey to Auschwitz — the deportation of Rhodes’ Jews decimated a small but vibrant community with centuries of Mediterranean history
"In the Old Town of Rhodes, a picturesque tourist destination in the Aegean Sea, stands a monument to a dark period in the island’s past. In the former “Djuderia,” the Jewish quarter, a marble obelisk commemorates the deportation of the island’s small but vibrant Sephardic Jewish community to Auschwitz-Birkenau on July 23, 1944," writes Devin Naar, associate professor of history and of Jewish studies at the UW.08/07/2024 | The Conversation -
Analysis: Brain implants to restore sight, like Neuralink’s Blindsight, face a fundamental problem − more pixels don’t ensure better vision
"Elon Musk recently pronounced that the next Neuralink project will be a “Blindsight” cortical implant to restore vision...Unfortunately, this claim rests on the fallacy that neurons in the brain are like pixels on a screen. It’s not surprising that engineers often assume that “more pixels equals better vision.” After all, that is how monitors and phone screens work," write Ione Fine and Geoffrey Boynton, professors of psychology at the UW.08/06/2024 | The Conversation -
WA immigrant ‘sanctuary’ law violations have slowed, report says
It has been five years since Washington’s signature “sanctuary” law went into effect, prohibiting most local officials from cooperating with immigration enforcement. Since then, Washington jail and law enforcement agencies have committed hundreds of alleged violations, according to a report by the UW’s Center for Human Rights. Angelina Godoy, professor of law, societies, and justice and of international studies, as well as director of the Center for Human Rights at the UW, is quoted.08/02/2024 | The Seattle Times