Humanities & Society

Kurt Gottfried, co-founder and chair of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), has made scientific advocacy his vocation and is committed to generating independent scientific advice for use in creating public policies that affect Americans’ lives. Gottfried will present the William C. Ferguson Lecture, “Science Meets Politics: From Thomas Jefferson to George W. Bush,” at […]

Family structure may have an effect on educational outcomes.Educational outcomes of children in stable blended families are substantially worse than those of children reared in traditional nuclear families, according to a study published in the most recent issue of the journal Demography. Both stepchildren and their half-siblings who are the joint children of both parents achieved at similar levels, well below those of traditional nuclear families where all the children are the joint offspring of both parents, according to economists Donna Ginther of the University of Kansas and Robert Pollak of Washington University in St. Louis.

David Kilper / WUSTL PhotoWUSTL researchers are trying to infer the Egyptian climate from the fossil evidence.Earth and planetary scientists at Washington University in St. Louis are studying snail fossils to understand the climate of northern Africa 130,000 years ago. While that might sound a bit like relying on wooly bear caterpillars to predict the severity of winter, the snails actually reveal clues about the climate and environment of western Egypt, lo those many years ago. They also could shed light on the possible role weather and climate played in the dispersal of humans “out of Africa” and into Europe and Asia.

John Bowen doing fieldwork in Sumatra, Indonesia, in the late 1970s.Despite suffering large loss of life and devastation of cities and villages from the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami, Aceh province in Indonesia can rebuild. And at the same time, the United States can burnish its image among Indonesians — tarnished over the invasion of Iraq — by supporting Indonesian volunteer groups in the rebuilding process, says a sociocultural anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis who lived in Aceh for five years and has studied its people and culture since 1978.

Money going to faith-based organizations can bring a financial benefit to donors.In the aftermath of the Asian tsunami, Americans generously donated money to relief groups around the world. But it appears Americans don’t need a major disaster to give money. Annually, Americans donate $183 billion, with nearly half of that amount going to faith-based organizations. Money going to faith-based organizations, such as churches, mosques, the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities, not only can help provide needed social services to communities, but it can also bring a financial benefit to donors, says a noted community development expert at Washington University in St. Louis. “People who donate money on a regular basis take a closer look at where their money is going,” says Stephanie Boddie, Ph.D., assistant professor of social work in the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. “They are able to figure out and set aside the money they can donate on a weekly or monthly basis. This can lead to more financial responsibility in the areas of debt repayment and asset building.”

MacDonaldShaken by numerous accounting-related scandals in recent years, some investors are clamoring for better legal protection for their investments. But does investor protection through government regulation foster economic growth? To assess the widely-held view that it does, WUSTL economics professor Glenn MacDonald and two colleagues have completed a study concluding that the positive effect of investor protection on economic growth is stronger for countries with fewer restrictions on international capital flows.

SmithSenate Majority Leader Bill Frist is playing with fire when he suggests that Republicans will deploy the so-called “go nuclear” option to prevent Democrats from using filibusters to block controversial judicial nominations expected to reach the floor in mid-to-late February, says congressional expert Steven S. Smith.

Streams of junk mail with personalized offers for a myriad of services seem never-ending. While annoying, these solicitations raise significant privacy concerns about how these companies know so much about the recipient’s life. Many legislators and legal experts shy away from legislation that would protect the privacy of American’s personal information claiming that such rules would violate the First Amendment. But Neil M. Richards, noted privacy law expert and associate professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis, denies such assumptions.

KerreyRobert Kerrey, current president of New School University, 9-11 Commissioner, and former U.S. senator from Nebraska will deliver the Stein Lecture in Ethics as part of the Assembly Series at 4 p.m. Feb. 8 in Graham Chapel. His talk, “Uncovering the Truth in a Democratic Society,” will focus on his work with the 9-11 Commission.

Sen. Jim Talent, Michael DeBaun and Isaac Singleton Jr. help raise awareness about sickle cell disease at a recent stamp dedication ceremony.In sickle cell disease, red blood cells change from their normal round shape to a curved, or sickle-shape. Sickle-shaped cells become stuck in blood vessels, causing damage to tissues and organs. WUSM pediatric hematologist Michael DeBaun says that ongoing blood transfusion therapy is vitally important for children with sickle cell disease, and treatment requires a sufficient supply of blood from African-American donors. “Black History Month is an ideal time to encourage African-Americans to come out and donate blood,” he says.