11 news posts from October 2021

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UW Environment geosciences program ranked #6 in US News Best Global Universities list

Shot of UW campus and Portage Bay

The UW College of the Environment was ranked #6 for geosciences in the 2021 US News & World Report Best Global Universities rankings. The program ranking came as the University of Washington climbed one spot to #7 overall on the list, maintaining its #2 ranking among U.S. public institutions. “It is gratifying to see the UW’s impact on people and communities around the world being recognized,” UW President Ana Mari Cauce said. 

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ShakeAlert helps students learn to Drop, Cover and Hold On

Students practicing "Drop, Cover and Hold On" at the ShakeOut drill

On October 21, thousands of students, teachers and staff in the Stanwood Camano School District and beyond “Dropped, Covered and Held On” at exactly 10:21 a.m., emulating the synchronicity of a well-rehearsed dive team. The Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill, held around the globe annually and supported locally by the University of Washington’s Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN), is a coordinated effort to practice what to do in the event of an actual earthquake. 

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Sustaining polar bear populations in the face of climate warming

four polar bears in the Arctic

Polar bears capture the imagination like few other wild animals. Adorable and roly-poly as snow-white cubs, they grow into massive hunting machines, supremely adapted to the harsh landscapes of the Arctic. Iconic the world over, many of us only dream of the chance to see one outside of the zoo. Polar bears have also become a symbol of an environment that’s changing unfavorably. 

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Glowing fish teeth answer questions about tooth replacement rates

Emily Carr studies lingcod using a florescent technique called pluse-chase

One of the facts of life for humans is the replacement of baby teeth with permanent adult teeth. Whether pulled out prematurely, wiggled loose by eager hands or naturally falling out unexpectedly, this occasion marks an important milestone in the maturation process that is shared amongst all vertebrates in some form.  Imagine, though, losing and replacing a tooth every single day. 

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Why scientists are predicting another cold, wet winter in the Pacific Northwest

La Niña in the Pacific Northwest

After a brutally hot, dry summer, chilly winds and soaking rain have finally returned to mark the start of autumn in the Pacific Northwest. According to Washington State Climatologist Nick Bond and Assistant State Climatologist Karin Bumbaco, both researchers in the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies, chances are we’re due for a lot more cold, wet weather this winter. 

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