https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Washington State University Washington State University researchers used artificial intelligence to find a more efficient, less expensive way to 3D-print a high-performance metal alloy, saving researchers from needing to painstakingly test more than 100 million options. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-ways-rocket-grade-alloy.html Space Exploration Mon, 24 Aug 2026 17:30:04 EDT news706805546 An electronic skin with a sensing system that can detect pressure and temperature could someday help amputees gain feeling in their prosthetics. The work, led by Washington State University researchers and published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, can sense at a scale 10 times finer than current commercial glove sensors. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-electronic-skin-temperature-pressure-personalized.html Engineering Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:00:03 EDT news706459621 New research by a Washington State University economist examines how changing environmental conditions may influence the practice and trustworthiness of sustainable ecolabeling in the fishing industry. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-harsher-weather-sustainable-ecolabeling-fishing.html Agriculture Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:00:06 EDT news706358642 Millions of investors using the Robinhood app tend to favor simpler, easy-to-understand stocks, according to new research from Washington State University—and those stocks outperformed more complex firms during the study period. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-robinhood-users-simplicity-stocks.html Economics & Business Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:00:02 EDT news705841451 Washington State University horticulturist Jeffrey Wall partnered with members of the Mi'kmaq First Nations people of Canada to create a new, Indigenous-centered model of the connections that link humans with plants, animals and the environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-biocultural-families-centers-indigenous-priorities.html Environment Tue, 11 Aug 2026 14:00:07 EDT news705666362 A model developed by Washington State University researchers could someday help communities determine how best to motivate homeowners to prepare their properties for possible wildfires. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-communities-effective-subsidies-wildfire-mitigation.html Environment Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:00:20 EDT news705227041 Working from home is often seen as a good solution for new mothers, but a new Washington State University study reveals that the blurred boundaries between home and work can introduce barriers to sustained breastfeeding. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-home-doesnt-breastfeeding-success.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 12:40:04 EDT news705054301 A model developed by Washington State University researchers can help utilities better prepare and plan for extreme weather to limit power outages. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-tool-extreme-weather.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 03 Aug 2026 12:20:03 EDT news704978161 Protecting sensitive, precision-timed computing systems requires understanding the nature of cyberthreats. So researchers from Washington State University teamed up with experts at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Metro State University to design an attack—dubbed NosyNeighbor—that lurks on the sidelines of time- and safety-critical computer systems, "infers" what's happening inside and adapts its malicious approach. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-scientists-cyberattack-cyberattacks.html Security Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:00:28 EDT news704451489 New research from Washington State University could help grape growers improve nutrient use efficiency and develop a more accurate fertilizer budget, helping ensure high fruit quality, vineyard productivity and long-term economic and environmental sustainability. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-nutrient-loss-vineyards-attributed-factors.html Ecology Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:50:01 EDT news703859423 Researchers at Washington State University have discovered a molecular "winter lock" that keeps animals in a less active winter state until favorable conditions return, a discovery that could improve pest control and lead to a better understanding of seasonal health conditions in humans. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-seasonal-gene-fruit-flies-winter.html Plants & Animals Sat, 18 Jul 2026 12:00:01 EDT news703346344 When grizzly bears clamber onto the talus slopes high in Glacier National Park, they're searching for an abundant, fatty meal: army cutworm moths. The inch-long (2.5-centimeter-long) moths hatch on the Great Plains and fly en masse to escape the heat in the stony upper reaches of the Rocky Mountains. Grizzlies hoover them up by the thousands—at about a half-calorie each—as they fatten up for winter. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-amazing-moths-insect-habitat-grizzlies.html Plants & Animals Tue, 14 Jul 2026 14:20:07 EDT news703246082 Fish hatcheries are a critical part of the effort to restore salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. But hatchery fish are less likely than wild ones to return from the ocean to spawn—and one reason may be hatchery noise. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-quiet-hatchery-salmon-noise-spawn.html Ecology Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:40:01 EDT news702721381 Team members' initiative can help teams succeed, but only when it is paired with strong coordination, according to new research from Washington State University. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-world-cup-reveals-doesnt-team.html Social Sciences Thu, 02 Jul 2026 17:40:01 EDT news702204634 As part of their marketing strategy, many companies send public relations packages full of curated products to social media influencers, who film themselves opening the gifts on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-explores-environmental-perceptions-pr-gifts.html Economics & Business Thu, 25 Jun 2026 11:20:06 EDT news701597401 American Indians and Alaska Natives living below the poverty line face sharply higher rates of food insecurity than other impoverished adults—nearly 4 in 10 lack consistent access to a healthy diet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-food-varies-widely-ethnic-groups.html Wed, 17 Jun 2026 10:20:09 EDT news700907582 Unlike cigarettes or alcohol, cannabis products often come packaged as colorful gummies, chocolates, candies and snacks that can look remarkably similar to items found in a grocery store aisle. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-cannabis-branding-appeal-youth.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:20:07 EDT news700820821 When citizens feel a bigger tax pinch, political corruption goes down and voter turnout rises. That's a key finding from new research led by Washington State University, which found that a higher tax burden is associated with increased civic engagement and citizen monitoring of public officials. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-higher-tax-burden-corruption-civic.html Economics & Business Mon, 15 Jun 2026 09:40:04 EDT news700734362 Washington State University is diving into its extensive history of cherry breeding to better understand the genetics underlying new, tasty fruits that benefit consumers and growers. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-history-cherries.html Plants & Animals Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:40:07 EDT news700395542 A father's health before conception may leave a biological imprint on his future children, according to a new study from Washington State University. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-fathers-children-health-theyre.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:30:01 EDT news700225641 A new predictive model developed at Washington State University could help scientists more efficiently identify the reservoirs of emerging zoonotic viruses and dangerous pathogens like Ebola that can spill over from animals into humans. Confirming a reservoir species is critical to understanding and preventing those spillovers, but it requires detecting live virus in an actively infected animal. That can be a significant challenge, as infections are often rare, short-lived, and fluctuate seasonally, reaching detectable levels only during brief windows each year. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-track-deadly-viruses-source.html Veterinary medicine Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:20:01 EDT news699698701 Nearly a billion pounds of plastic film mulch is used in American agriculture each year, and most of it is dumped into landfills. New research from Washington State University shows that recycling could be a feasible alternative, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and keeping plastics out of the waste stream. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dirty-farm-plastic-cleaner-mulch.html Environment Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:00:06 EDT news699529767 Most major crops, such as wheat and corn, require expensive nitrogen fertilizer to flourish. But what if bacteria could help those plants draw nitrogen from the atmosphere, as peas and beans do? https://phys.org/news/2026-05-nitrogen-genes-bacterial-strains-path.html Biotechnology Thu, 28 May 2026 18:30:03 EDT news699204001 Graphic anti-smoking ads can lead smokers to reconsider their habit, but in the absence of similar warnings for e-cigarettes, they make some smokers more inclined to vape than quit. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-unintended-consequences-graphic-anti-ads.html Wed, 27 May 2026 10:20:04 EDT news699092937 The United States could feasibly produce enough sustainable aviation fuel to meet roughly two-thirds of its 2030 federal target, but getting there will require overcoming major hurdles, according to a new Washington State University-led study. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-realistic-future-sustainable-aviation-fuel.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 26 May 2026 11:00:11 EDT news699010945 The Sin Nombre virus—a hantavirus that can cause a deadly respiratory disease in humans—may be more widespread among rodent populations in parts of the Pacific Northwest than previously recognized. A recent study conducted in the Palouse region of Washington and Idaho found that nearly 30% of rodents showed evidence of past infection with the virus. About 10% were actively infected, meaning they were carrying and could potentially shed the virus. The study, which was led by researchers in Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, was published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-high-prevalence-hantavirus-areas-pacific.html Thu, 21 May 2026 11:40:06 EDT news698577361 Artificial intelligence can dramatically speed up the painstaking work of tracking wildlife with remote cameras, cutting analysis time from months or even a year to just days while producing nearly the same scientific conclusions as humans. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ai-wildlife-tracking-months-days.html Ecology Sat, 09 May 2026 10:00:01 EDT news697378446 A model developed by Washington State University researchers can predict how transmission towers might fail and collapse in extreme wind events. The work, reported in the journal Engineering Structures, could someday help power companies identify the most vulnerable transmission towers in extreme wind events and determine which should have retrofits to reduce the power outage risks. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-picture-power-failures-extreme-events.html Engineering Mon, 04 May 2026 14:20:06 EDT news697122601 Cell walls are a crucial structure of plant life, protecting cells from damage, giving plants shape, and containing energy-rich nutrients. And yet the process of how the walls begin to form remains mysterious. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-big-life-discovery-cells-walls.html Plants & Animals Mon, 04 May 2026 10:00:06 EDT news697106941 For decades, two different viruses were believed to be responsible for a common, untreatable disease in dahlias, a colorful, high-value flower grown worldwide. Virologists at Washington State University have now learned that the two viruses, known as dahlia mosaic virus and the dahlia common mosaic virus, are variants of the same viral species. Based on the sequencing and comparison of the viruses' genomes, the discovery was published in the journal Archives of Virology. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-dahlia-viruses-variants-species.html Plants & Animals Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:20:05 EDT news696081482