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The Kraken comes to town
In an era of quantum computing and self-driving cars, Sarah Stroup, professor of classics at the UW, teaches a class called "STEM in the Ancient World." [This is the second segment of "The Record"]
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Opinion: Silicon Valley isn’t over just because tech companies are moving away
“Silicon Valley’s obituary has been written prematurely before; boom-and-bust cycles have defined the region’s economy for decades,” writes Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW.
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Opinion: Poetry vs. programming — wandering the city, a writer finds the intersection of literature and code
Frances McCue is a poet, writer, co-founder of nonprofit community writing center Hugo House and a teaching professor of English at the University of Washington. She reads a piece in a special installment of the GeekWire Podcast.
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Ousted Black Google Researcher: 'They Wanted To Have My Presence, But Not Me Exactly'
On Wednesday, several of Timnit Gebru's former colleagues wrote a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai asking that she be reinstated, saying her departure has "had a demoralizing effect on the whole of our team." Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.
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Smellicopter is an autonomous, scent-chasing drone made with real moth antennas
There’s no doubt that 2020 has been a strange year. So strange, in fact, that the idea of an obstacle-dodging, autonomous cyborg drone that uses a real live moth antenna to track down smells doesn’t sound too much like weird science fiction. That’s probably a good thing, too, because it’s something that researchers from the University of Washington have actually built. And they’ve called it "smellicopter," because … why the heck not? The UW's Melanie Anderson, a doctoral student of mechanical engineering, and Thomas Daniel, professor of biology, are quoted.
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Jill Lepore on the ethically challenged birth of the computer age
In the early days of modern computers, the Simulmatics Corporation manipulated technology to mine data, affect the news, and influence voter and consumer preferences. Sound familiar? The tech titans of today have formidable ancestors. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, interviews Harvard University’s Jill Lepore.
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Google Scientist’s Abrupt Exit Exposes Rift in Prominent AI Unit
Google’s decision to part ways with a prominent researcher laid bare divisions within the company’s artificial intelligence unit and subjected its leader, the lauded software engineer Jeff Dean, to widespread scorn. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.
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Ladino newspapers are the new wave in “uncharted waters” of digital history
Doctoral student in computer science and Jewish Studies Graduate Fellow Ben Lee created a powerful search tool of scanned historical newspaper pages.
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The Value of the Humanities: A Literature PhD in the Tech World
Kevin Tahmoresi (PhD Chinese literature 2020) is interviewed about his interests in the intersection of technology with the humanities.
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Pushed by Pandemic, Amazon Goes on a Hiring Spree Without Equal
Margaret O’Mara, history professor, discusses Amazon's pandemic hiring spree.
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A UW student’s 3D video game depicts life during COVID-19 pandemic for people of color
During the pandemic, many people have leaned into art and hobbies to ease the stress of everyday life. For Chanhee Choi, a multidisciplinary interactive artist and Ph.D. candidate in the University of Washington Digital Arts and Experimental Media department, art became a way to reflect on her experience with discrimination and racism as a Korean in America during the pandemic.
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Senate Republicans accuse tech CEOs of anti-conservative bias in hearing on ‘26 words that created the internet’
With Election Day less than a week away, the CEOs of Facebook, Google and Twitter on Tuesday appeared virtually before a Senate panel where lawmakers grilled them over their influence in the election and a once-obscure law that has drawn criticism from Republicans and Democrats. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.
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UW Space Policy and Research Center brings researchers, policymakers together for online symposium Nov. 6.
Even as residents of Earth grapple with a global pandemic, our work in space continues. At the UW, the Space Policy and Research Center — SPARC for short — brings together researchers, policymakers and industry professionals each year to discuss the challenges of human presence and endeavors in space.
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Report released by Sen. Maria Cantwell slams Google and Facebook for decimating local news outlets
“Unfair, deceptive and abusive practices” by tech giants Google and Facebook have suffocated local news outlets, contributing to a critical deficit of trustworthy local journalism, according to a new minority report from the Senate Commerce Committee released by ranking member Sen. Maria Cantwell. Adrienne Russell, professor of communication and co-director of the UW Center for Journalism, Media and Democracy, is quoted.
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Facing growing scrutiny from Congress, tech companies have sought to influence regulation. Here’s how much money they’ve given Northwest lawmakers
As tech companies have faced growing oversight from Congress in recent years, they have ramped up their contributions to political campaigns, including to Northwest lawmakers. Tech workers have become another important source of campaign funds, though their interests are not always aligned with those of their employers. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.