Topic: University of Washington

Apple's Siri has a rival: Google voice search

The Google Search app does some things better than Siri.

World's oldest dinosaur discovered hanging out in London museum

World's oldest dinosaur: The fossil remains of Nyasasaurus parringtoni were first found in the 1930s near Lake Malawi in Africa. It pushes the date that dinosaurs lived back to 245 million years ago.

From 'no' to 'yes,' how Colorado and Washington legalized marijuana

A day many thought they would never see has come and gone. In November, after years of, 'Just say no,' Colorado and Washington state both voted to legalize small amounts of marijuana for adults over 21. 

Are polar ice sheets shrinking? Report offers definitive answer at last.

Numerous studies in recent years have offered different – and sometimes conflicting – views about ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. But a new report offers unprecedented scope.

Tracking hurricane Sandy: As storm 'zigs,' it's also changing dramatically

Hurricane Sandy has lurched westward as it heads toward landfall late Monday. It's also swapping energy sources as it becomes extratropical. The process sometimes gives storms a boost of power.

Fraud in scientific research: It happens, and cases are on the rise

Of 2,000 retractions of published scientific papers since 1977, 866 were because of fraud, a new study finds. Another 201 were plagiarized. But it's hard to know if more scientists are cheating, or if detection is simply better.

Melting Arctic snow threatens to leave seals out in the cold

Ringed seals are currently under consideration for threatened species listing.

Solo: A Memoir of Hope

'Solo' – a no-holds-barred, tell-all autobiography – has already rocked some boats.

Modern Parenthood
Male birth control pill may soon be a reality

Male birth control was made possible with mice in lab experiments, say researchers, opening the door to a potential oral contraceptive for men.

Olympic moms: 13 mothers compete for Team USA

The “Celebrating Moms” series of commercials by Proctor & Gamble during Olympic coverage is a tear-jerking ode to sacrifices mothers make to support their kids’ athletic careers. But what about athletes who are mothers, themselves?

Elite athlete moms have the same run-of-the-mill work/life balance as the rest of us. But these 13 Olympic moms do put parenting – both its challenges and rewards – in a new perspective.

Colorado shootings likely to change movie going experience indefinitely

In the wake of the Colorado theater shootings, many movie chains have changed their security policies. No masks, fake weapons, or backpacks. But would theater-goers accept metal detectors?

Arctic drilling: US setting policy to protect environment, indigenous people

With receding sea ice allowing energy exploration in the Arctic, the US is set to unveil a five-year leasing plan that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of the drilling.

Change Agent
How to build a 'bike train'

Forty years ago, almost half of American kids biked to school. Bike trains are a smart idea for getting kids pedaling again.

Astronomers discover an 'odd couple' of planets

The Kepler spacecraft has detected a pair of extrasolar planets with orbits so close that at times the larger planet looms more than twice the size of the full moon in the second planet's night sky.

Astronomers spot pair of planets dancing the lambada (+video)

A duo of very different planets orbit in close proximity but will not collide, but close encounters could cause gravitational tides, says a scientist. 

Bizarre alien planets get cozy with each other (+video)

A duo of planets some 1,200 light years from earth have been spotted passing within 1.2 million miles of each other, closer than any other known pair of planets, a new study has found. 

Obama immigration order: Does 'audacity of hope' mean unchecked presidential power?

President Obama’s order deferring deportation of up to 800,000 young illegal immigrants shows a president dealing with a recalcitrant Congress by ignoring it. Is he reshaping the power of the presidency?

Why some illegal immigrants aren't celebrating Obama’s new policy (+video)

Some young illegal immigrants remain skeptical that President Obama's new policy, which could give renewable US work permits to 800,000 immigrants, will actually work.

The Monitor's View: A big step toward 'designer babies' – and big questions

Researchers have achieved the first mapping of a fetus's DNA. The breakthrough opens the potential to choose a child's characteristics. Such power, however, should also force questions about 'playing God.'

Focus
Student debt: What's been driving college costs so high, anyway?

Average tuition at public four-year colleges rose 73 percent from 1999 to 2009, even as median family income fell about 7 percent. Tuition at private colleges outpaced income, too. Here's why.

Did a copying mistake give rise to human intelligence?

New research suggests that a copying error found in humans seems to distinguish human brains from those of primates.

Will Saturday's 'supermoon' destroy the Earth?

No, it won't. You people really need to learn to calm down. 

Greenland's glaciers melting faster, say scientists

Greenland's glaciers are melting 30 faster than they were a decade ago, satellite images reveal. 

Plastic pollution underestimated, say scientists

There's more plastic polluting the world's oceans than previously thought, according to a new study. Earlier studies failed to include the role of wind.

Chapter & Verse
Festival of Faith and Writing: the conference that brought John Updike, Salman Rushdie to western Michigan

This year's Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College included Jonathan Safran Foer, Marilynne Robinson, Chimimanda Ngoze Adichie, Luis Alberto Urrea, and Leila Aboulela.