Science

331 Stories

As air quality worsens, UW scientist focuses on effects of wildfire smoke

It’s been a relatively quiet wildfire season so far in the Pacific Northwest, with not much in the way of large fires or widespread smoke pollution — yet. But a recent study found that more frequent wildfires have been erasing air quality gains in the United States.
- Kim Malcolm
Cordyceps, AI, and 'hope punk': Speculative fiction writers envision the future at Clarion West's annual write-a-thon

Seattle is home to Clarion West, a literary non-profit that specializes in speculative fiction. And on July 12, it's launching the annual Clarion West Write-a-thon.
- Katie Campbell
This colorful mystery of Ancient Egypt was just solved in Washington state

Scientists at Washington State University not only discovered how to recreate the color known as "Egyptian Blue," they also found this ancient pigment has potential modern uses that its inventors may not have realized.
- Natalie Akane Newcomb
Senior NOAA researchers are being forced out. Is Trump 'killing science'?

As part of its concerted effort to shrink government agencies, the Trump administration has choked off funding to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The cuts have forced scientists who've done groundbreaking work here in the Northwest to leave their positions.
- Kim Malcolm
What the eruption of Mount St. Helens reveals about kite-flying spiders

May 18, 2025, marks the 45th anniversary of Mount St. Helens' eruption — a catastrophic event that transformed the landscape and killed 57 people. From this devastation emerged an incredible scientific calculation about millions of spiders traveling through the sky.
- Brandi Fullwood
UW project took nuisance seaweed from shellfish farm to help growers. The USDA cut its funding

A $5 million grant to promote climate-smart farm practices that funded the Blue Carbon, Green Fields project was cancelled by the USDA.
- Ruby de Luna
How the Pacific Northwest’s dream of green energy fell apart

Oregon and Washington passed aggressive goals to decarbonize their power supply but left it to the Bonneville Power Administration to build the transmission lines needed for wind and solar. The agency hasn’t delivered.
- Monica Samayoa
Premier climate study frozen by Trump administration as researchers get the boot

The Trump administration has put the nation’s most comprehensive climate study on hold and told hundreds of scientists working on it that their services are no longer needed.
- John Ryan
Beloved WSU bread-baking lab in Burlington threatened by Trump cuts

Food research at Washington State University is being hit by federal funding cuts. That includes the WSU Breadlab in Burlington, which studies, grows, and bakes new kinds of whole grains.
- Casey Martin
Tooth be told: Sea otters have a powerful bite

Sea otters are incredible marine wrestlers, packing some serious strength under all that fluff.
- Brandi Fullwood

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