Humanities & Society

Joe Angeles / WUSTL PhotoA new book co-authored by a memory researcher at Washington University in St. Louis is one-stop shopping for all the questions we have about memory and how serious our lapses might be as we grow older. Mark A. McDaniel, Ph.D., professor of psychology in Arts & Sciences at WUSTL, says his book, Memory Fitness: A Guide for Successful Aging, relies on many rigorous academic studies but is written for the lay person. “Our mission is to give the general public a good idea of what they can reasonably expect from their memory capabilities as they age,” says McDaniel about the book he co-authored with Gilles O. Einstein, Ph.D., professor and chair of the psychology department at Furman University. “It also outlines some reasonable expectations about things people can do to perhaps increase their memory performances.”

Joe Angeles / WUSTL PhotoIf in doubt, throw it out!A power outage. It can happen at any time of year for any number of reasons: a strong spring thunderstorm; an increased demand for air conditioning; heavy snow or ice on power lines or tree limbs; or even a wayward driver crashing into a utility pole. Whatever the cause, a power outage can spoil more than just that TV show you’re watching or the book you’re reading. A lack of refrigeration can jeopardize the safety of food. But what do you need to pitch and what can you keep once the power comes back on?

“Give me a one-armed economist,” President Harry S. Truman once demanded as he vented his frustration over economic advisors who offer straightforward recommendations, then hedge their bets by tacking on a slew of caveats, often beginning with the phrase “but, on the other hand…” Now, Murray Weidenbaum, the chairman of President Ronald Reagan’s first Council of Economic Advisers, has published a compilation of essays that offers the clear, no-nonsense economic policy analysis that Truman craved. Titled One-Armed Economist: On the Intersection of Business and Government, the book provides a distillation of four decades of Weidenbaum’s writings on key public policy issues.

Washington University has a number of internationally recognized experts and researchers on terrorism and homeland security who can address issues including intelligence, critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, target identification, and many other areas of concern related to the latest news on threats to the U.S. Faculty associated with the University’s Center for Security Technologies may be of […]

As the Oct. 8 presidential debate looms closer, many in the University community are hard at work preparing for its arrival. The University will host the debate scheduled for 8 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Athletic Complex. This is the fourth consecutive time the University has been selected by the Commission on Presidential Debates, the event’s sponsor, to serve as a host.

Everyone sweats, but it’s unlikely many people ever consider the social and economic impact of our bodies’ built-in air conditioning system. With summer’s hottest days likely still to come, Michael Heffernan, assistant professor of dermatology at the School of Medicine, helps St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Jeff Daniels take a closer look at this hot topic.

Scientists have known for years that eating less tends to make animals live longer, but no one is quite sure why. Several School of Medicine researchers studying the effects of caloric restriction on humans may help provide an answer to that question. This story was written by Tina Hesman and published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

MorrisStress appears to increase the severity of Alzheimer’s disease. That’s just one of more than 40 studies presented by Washington University researchers at the Alzheimer’s Association’s 9th International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders July 17-22 in Philadelphia. The University’s Alzheimer’s team is led by John C. Morris, M.D., principal investigator of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

For decades, bicycles have been a recreational mainstay for youngsters, especialy during the summer months. Bikes can, however, become extremely dangerous and even deadly to the children who ride them. Robert Bo Kennedy, M.D., a WUSTL pediatrician at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, outlines some dangers of bicycling and steps that can be taken to reduce the risk.

Festival Hall at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition The World’s Greatest Fair, a feature-length documentary about the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, will premiere at St. Louis’ Fabulous Fox Theatre July 10, with additional screenings at the Tivoli Theatre July 12. The film, intended for national distribution, features several Washington University faculty and staff, including Steve Givens, Carol Diaz-Granados, Jeff Pike and Trebor Tichenor.