NewsFlash is a monthly email of press items featuring our College's researchers. For a more complete and regularly updated list of COE media coverage, see In the Media.
Click on a headline to read that article on the web. Some links may require a subscription or no longer be active.
NewsFlash is a service of the UW College of Engineering and the UW Office of News and Information. If you have a newsworthy result about one month from publication, presentation or demonstration, please contact Michelle Ma at mcma@uw.edu@uw.edu or (206) 543-2580.
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NewsFlash, November 2011
Nov. 08, 2011 | The Seattle Times
UW team wins genetic-engineering contest
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A team of UW undergraduates won the world-championship prize at an annual synthetic biology competition at MIT. One project converted sugar into diesel fuel, the other engineered bacteria to help digest gluten. Electrical engineer Eric Klavins, a faculty adviser, is quoted. |
Engineered critters bring 'world' title to UW team
Oct. 19, 2011 | The Daily
UW iGEM team develops revolutionary biological processes
| A few UW students spent the summer creating diesel-producing bacteria and enzymes that break down carbohydrates at 700 times their normal rate. They’ll soon be heading to MIT to compete against teams from around the world. |
Engineered critters bring 'world' title to UW team
Nov. 21, 2011 | The Seattle Times
Two UW students named Rhodes scholars
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One of the UW's two new Rhodes Scholars is Cameron Turtle, a bioengineering from Pullman, Wash. He co-founded Bioengineers Without Borders at the UW. A Mary Gates scholar and Goldwater scholar, he has done extensive research in cardiac therapeutics. |
UW seniors Byron Gray and Cameron Turtle named Rhodes Scholars
Nov. 23, 2011 | GeekWire
Q&A: Cameron Turtle, 21, Rhodes Scholar in bioengineering
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A Q&A with bioengineering senior and Rhodes scholar Cameron Turtle. His research focus is in cardiac regenerative medicine, working with bioengineer Michael Regnier. |
UW seniors Byron Gray and Cameron Turtle named Rhodes Scholars
Nov. 07, 2011 | Discover: Not Exactly Rocket Science blog
Computer gamers develop problem-solving algorithm that beats scientists’ best efforts
| For their latest trick, Foldit players have shown that they can not only solve hard problems, but also create problem-solving tools that outperform the best in the business. |
Paper uncovers power of Foldit gamers’ strategies
Gaming for a cure: Computer gamers tackle protein folding
Nov. 07, 2011 | MSNBC: Cosmic Log blog
Gamers create scientific 'recipes'
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One of the Foldit players' methods — a protein-folding recipe called "Blue Fuse" — knocked even the game's creators for a loop. Foldit was created by computer scientists Zoran Popovic and Seth Cooper and UW biochemists. |
Paper uncovers power of Foldit gamers’ strategies
Gaming for a cure: Computer gamers tackle protein folding
Nov. 12, 2011 | The Boston Globe
How crowdsourcing is changing science
| FoldIt is the most impressive demonstration yet that the public can make genuine contributions to scientific projects. But its success also stands as a potent critique of the way that the scientific enterprise is currently organized. |
Paper uncovers power of Foldit gamers’ strategies
Gaming for a cure: Computer gamers tackle protein folding
Nov. 12, 2011 | Time
Using virtual reality games to control veteran's pain
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A special report on "America's Next War" includes a virtual reality tool developed by mechanical engineer Hunter Hoffman that one hospital is beginning to use on severely burned service members. |
Virtual reality significantly reduces pain-related brain activity
Nov. 22, 2011 | Discovery News
Terminator-style contact lens closer to reality
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Electrical engineer Babak Parviz's group specializes in incorporating miniaturized devices into unconventional materials, and has been working on functional contact lenses for a while, he said. |
Big step forward for safety of bionic contact lenses
Contact lenses with circuits, lights a possible platform for superhuman vision
Nov. 23, 2011 | Scientific American: Observations blog
Computerized contact lenses could enable in-eye augmented reality
| Electrical engineer Babak Parviz and his colleagues are starting off modestly. In the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, they report having developed a contact lens that when worn can display a single pixel to the wearer. |
Big step forward for safety of bionic contact lenses
Contact lenses with circuits, lights a possible platform for superhuman vision
Nov. 21, 2011 | CBS News: TechTalk blog
Bionic contact lens could project floating emails
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Contact lenses developed by electrical engineer Babak Parviz take a leap forward with a new technology that projects text and images before your eyes. |
Big step forward for safety of bionic contact lenses
Contact lenses with circuits, lights a possible platform for superhuman vision
Nov. 02, 2011 | Puget Sound Business Journal: TechFlash
Flashies flashback: Checking in with UW's Shwetak Patel
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Computer scientist and electrical engineer Shwetak Patel remains as a consultant for Belkin and Microsoft, in addition to teaching classes at the UW. He said his home-as-an-antenna project has a couple customers lined up and will go live in the next few months. |
UW energy- and water-sensing technology acquired by Belkin
Home's electrical wiring acts as antenna to receive low-power sensor data
Nov. 02, 2011 | US News & World Report
Curtailing open grocery refrigerators' energy loss
| Aeronautics and astronautics alum Mazyar Amin created a method to make refrigerated cases between 10-15 percent more energy efficient, by analyzing the physics of how warm air sneaks in. |
Improving the physics of grocery store display cases to save energy
Nov. 10, 2011 | Salon.com (via Associated Press)
US scientist receives Kyoto Prize in technology
| Materials scientist John Cahn received Japan’s annual Kyoto Prize on Thursday, winning 50 million yen, or about $650,000, for his contributions in materials science that led to the creation of stronger, lighter alloys used in cellphones and many electronic devices. |
Materials scientist John Cahn awarded international Kyoto Prize
Nov. 04, 2011 | Puget Sound Business Journal: Tech Flash
Startup of the week: Decide.com
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The startup was co-founded by Oren Etzioni, founder of Farecast and a UW computer science professor. |
Airfare analyzer could save big bucks by advising when to buy tickets
Nov. 16, 2011 | New York Times: Gadgetwise blog
Electronics price predictor is now mobile
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Decide.com, based in Seattle where Mr. Etzioni teaches computer science, now predicts prices for 30 other electronics categories including camera lenses, computer games, tablets and e-readers, headphones and audio equipment. |
Nov. 24, 2011 | New York Times
Friday’s deals may not be the best
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It is not until early December, computer scientist Oren Etzioni’s research shows, that prices are likely to be the lowest for electronics. |
Nov. 29, 2011 | NPR
Following digital breadcrumbs to 'big data' gold
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Computer scientist Oren Etzioni says the trend for businesses to seek trends in large datasets is fueling intense demand for mathematics and computing talent. |
Nov. 21, 2011 | KING-5
Bus app for blind developed at UW
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Students and researchers at UW's Department of Computer Science and Engineering are building a transit app that talks to the blind, telling them where a stop is located and what they can expect to find when they get there. |
Bus left you waiting in the cold? Use your cell phone to track it down
Nov. 02, 2011 | GeekWire
Why Northeastern University chose Seattle, and what the UW’s Ed Lazowska thinks about it
| Northeastern University announced a plan to offer graduate engineering degrees in Seattle. Computer scientist Ed Lazowska is quoted. |
Nov. 27, 2011 | Seattle Times
UW team revs up to design super-hybrid car
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Is the Prius not efficient enough for you? Are electric cars too limiting? The UW is among 15 schools that will redesign a Chevy Malibu to create a "super-hybrid" car. Mechanical engineer Brian Fabien and graduate student Trevor Crain are quoted. |
Nov. 25, 2011 | The Seattle Times
From Redmond to the Red Planet: Local rockets steering NASA's Mars rover
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Redmond company Aerojet designed, built and tested small rocket engines that will guide the Mars rover to its touchdown on the planet's surface. Aerojet has a close working relationship with the UW. Alumnus Jon Schierberl is program manager for small rocket engines. |
Nov. 16, 2011 | The Seattle Times
Gregoire proposes education investments to keep Boeing jobs
| Among investments announced at a news conference: $7.6 million for the University of Washington and Washington State University to enroll 775 more engineering students and $1.5 million toward aerospace research at the UW and WSU. |
Nov. 03, 2011 | GeekWire
Geek of the Week: Kristina Wang, aerospace grad student
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Aeronautics and astronautics PhD student Kristina Yang is a do-it-yourselfer who's made her own beer, bike trailers and prom dress. She's a fan of human space travel, aerospace-related clothing and knick-knacks, and color-coded checklists. |
If you have a newsworthy result about one month from publication, presentation or demonstration, through the end of 2011 please contact Sally James. Notice of student and faculty awards and grants is also welcome.