Top 10 WSU News stories in 2017
PULLMAN, Wash. – Following is a list of the 10 most read news stories on the WSU News website in calendar year 2017.
During calendar year 2017, WSU News; drew 1,264,627 unique pageviews.
#1: ‘Negative mass’ created at Washington State University
APRIL 10, 2017
By Eric Sorensen, WSU science writer
PULLMAN, Wash. – WSU physicists have created a fluid with negative mass, which is exactly what it sounds like. Push it, and unlike every physical object in the world we know, it doesn’t accelerate in the direction it was pushed. It accelerates backwards.
The phenomenon is rarely created in laboratory conditions and can be used to explore some of the more challenging concepts of the cosmos, said Michael Forbes, a WSU assistant professor of physics and astronomy and an affiliate assistant professor at the University of Washington. >> More …
#2: WSU grad student’s 2016 election map zeroes into neighborhoods
JUNE 6, 2017
By Linda Weiford, WSU News
PULLMAN, Wash. – A Washington State University graduate student has created what’s believed to be the first map to burrow into the most localized voting results of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Not only did economics student Ryne Rohla gather voting data from 175,000 precincts nationwide, but he did it on his own time, with no aid or outside funding. >> More …
#3: WSU identifies, addresses security incident involving stolen hard drive
JUNE 9, 2017
PULLMAN, Wash. – WSU announced on June 9 that it is addressing a security incident involving certain community members’ personal information.
Though there is no evidence the personal information has been accessed or misused, WSU is notifying impacted individuals and offering free identity protection services to those individuals whose personal information may have been accessed. >> More …
#4: Animal owners should be aware of wildfire smoke hazards
AUGUST 4, 2017
By Charlie Powell, College of Veterinary Medicine
PULLMAN, Wash. – WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine recommends that animal owners be aware that wildfire smoke advisories, issued by county and municipal health districts for people, apply to animals, too.
Now through the early fall, wildfire season conditions are varying from unhealthy to hazardous levels for people, particularly with as winds shifts and air quality changes. Pets and other animals should be protected from potential dangers of smoke inhalation as well. >> More …
#5: Employees subject of public records request
JANUARY 30, 2017
PULLMAN, Wash. – The state Office of Financial Management has received a public records request for information about all state employees, including those at Washington State University.
In general, the information sought concerns employee names, job titles, job descriptions, job locations and pay. >> More …
#6: WSU scientist: Dreaded spider doesn’t live here
JUNE 18, 2013
Brown recluse floating in an alcohol-filled vial.
By Linda Weiford, WSU News
PULLMAN, Wash. – We’ve all seen them — brown recluse spiders scuttling in the bathtub, scurrying in the tool shed or spinning a web under the porch light.
That is, we think we’ve seen them. >> More …
#7: Something’s missing – where are all the wasps?
JULY 24, 2017
By Linda Weiford, WSU News
PULLMAN, Wash. – A force of nature has taken the sting out of the region’s wasp population.
“The number of yellow jackets is really down from what we normally see this time of summer — really down,” said Washington State University entomologist Richard Zack. >> More …
#8: WSU researchers see popular herbicide affecting health across generations
SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
By Eric Sorensen, WSU News
PULLMAN, Wash. – First, the good news. Washington State University researchers have found that a rat exposed to a popular herbicide while in the womb developed no diseases and showed no apparent health effects aside from lower weight.
Now, the weird news. The grand-offspring of that rat did have more disease, as did a great-grand offspring third generation. >> More …
#9: Sex that moves mountains: Spawning fish can influence river profiles
OCTOBER 19, 2017
By Eric Sorensen, WSU News
PULLMAN, Wash. – It turns out that sex can move mountains.
A Washington State University researcher has found that the mating habits of salmon can alter the profile of stream beds, affecting the evolution of an entire watershed. His study is one of the first to quantitatively show that salmon can influence the shape of the land. >> More …
10: Researchers develop environmentally friendly, soy air filter
JANUARY 12, 2017
By Tina Hilding, Voiland College of Engineering & Architecture
PULLMAN, Wash. – WSU researchers have developed a soy-based air filter that can capture toxic chemicals, such as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, that current air filters can’t.
The research could lead to better air purifiers, particularly in regions of the world that suffer from very poor air quality. >> More …
