Humanities & Society

Joshua Brown of WUSTLA new theory suggests that the brain may subconsciously help us avoid risky situations.While some scientists discount the existence of a sixth sense for danger, new research from Washington University in St. Louis has identified a brain region that clearly acts as an early warning system — one that monitors environmental cues, weighs possible consequences and helps us adjust our behavior to avoid dangerous situations. “Our brains are better at picking up subtle warning signs than we previously thought,” says WUSTL research psychologist Joshua Brown, co-author of a study on these findings in the Feb. 18 issue of the journal Science.

James L. Gibson, Ph.D., the Sidney W. Souers Professor of Government in Arts & Sciences, will receive a 2005 Decade of Behavior Research Award in recognition of his research on democracy issues. The award recognizes high-caliber research that has profoundly influenced the public’s understanding of behavioral and social science principles as well as the use of social and behavioral science knowledge in policy settings.

Anthropology Professor Robert Sussman goes against the prevailing view and argues that primates, including early humans, evolved as prey of many predators.

NorsigianJudith Norsigian, co-author of the landmark feminist health care book, Our Bodies, Ourselves, will deliver a lecture titled “The Impact of Media on Women’s Health” for the Washington University Assembly Series at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 2, in Graham Chapel. At 4 p.m. that day, she will also participate in a panel on “Women and Stem Cell Research.” Norsigian’s events are being held in conjunction with the Kemper Art Museum’s exhibition, “Inside Out Loud: Visualizing Women’s Health in Contemporary Art.”

Carl Schramm, President and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation, will deliver an address entitled: “Innovation: How it will impact the United States in a Global Economy” on Friday, Feb. 18, 2005.

Richard A. GephardtEncouraging people to become involved in public service will be the goal of the newly established Richard A. Gephardt Institute for Public Service at Washington University in St. Louis. Named in honor of the two-time presidential candidate and longtime Missouri congressman, the non-partisan, university-wide institute be directed by James W. Davis, WUSTL professor of political science.

With the first wave of baby boomers preparing for retirement, the 2005 White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA) will be an important opportunity to assess aging in America and improve the lives of older Americans. St. Louis will play a significant role in shaping the discussion at the conference through “Maximizing Civic Engagement of Older Adults,” a public forum and official WHCOA event hosted by the George Warren Brown School of Social Work and the Center for Aging at Washington University 9 a.m. Feb. 15 in Brown Lounge.

A first-of-its-kind application of a novel statistical method of analysis to African Americans has identified regions on chromosomes 6 and 21 that likely harbor genes contributing to high blood pressure in that group. The novel statistical method, called admixture mapping, narrowed the search for genes related to hypertension, bringing researchers and doctors closer to finding more effective treatments.

Research on alcoholism and disorders that tend to occur with it will be presented by national experts at the fifth annual Guze Symposium on Alcoholism. The symposium is dedicated to the late Samuel B. Guze, M.D., a pioneer in alcoholism research, who served 18 years as vice chancellor for medical affairs and president of the Washington University Medical Center.

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 […]