Newsroom Stories

In a scientific study of secondhand smoke exposure in St. Louis bars and restaurants, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found that ventilation systems and “voluntary” smoke-free policies do not protect employees and customers from exposure to nicotine in the air.

Students celebrate First Friday, the annual campus celebration marking the end of the first week of classes, by sliding down a giant inflatable slide in the Village Sept. 3. Other First Friday events around campus included free donuts and ice cream, an appearance by comedian Seth Meyers of Saturday Night Live, a dance party, games and more.

The St. Louis Nu-Jazz 5tet will launch Washington University’s fall Jazz at Holmes series with a free concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 9. The popular series features professional jazz musicians from around St. Louis and abroad performing in Holmes Lounge — a casual, coffeehouse-style setting — most Thursday evenings throughout the academic year.  

Rose Windmiller has been named assistant vice chancellor for government and community relations, and Leah Merrifield the executive director for academic-civic engagement in the Office of Government and Community Relations, announced Pamela Lokken, vice chancellor for government and community relations.

Psychology Today / National Humanities Center Bright spots and blind spots in self-knowledge 9/7/2010 How well do you know yourself? How well do you know what makes you happy? Do others know things about you that you don’t know about yourself? If so, can you improve your self-understanding, bring your view of yourself more into […]

Architect Julie Eizenberg and visual artist Ann Hamilton will launch the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts’ fall Public Lecture Series with a pair of talks Sept. 13 and 15.

The Telegraph (UK) Comet impact did not cause mammoths to die out, say scientists 9/5/2010 Scientists recently put forward the idea that a comet was behind the extinctions after tiny crystals of carbon, known as nanodiamonds, were found in 12,900 year old sediment layers. But scientists now claim to have disproved the controversial theory after […]

The warming that following the last Ice Age was interrupted by a cold snap that killed off megafauna such as the giant ground sloth and the wooly mammoth. Could this crisis have been caused by an asteroid impact or a comet breaking up in the atmosphere? Unfortunately the geological evidence for such a dramatic event has not stood up to scrutiny. In PNAS a group of scientists challenges the catastrophists last, best hope: shock-synthesized nanodiamonds. 

Of the 12 categories of workplace injuries and illnesses Washington University’s Office of Environmental Health & Safety tracks, “slips, trips and falls” is the category that usually contains the most serious injuries that faculty and staff sustain. Faculty, staff and students can follow these tips to keep their footing.

Looking to kick the semester off right by doing something good for the community? Volunteer to donate blood during the first of four university-wide blood drives to be held this year. The drive will take place Sept. 14 at eight different locations on the Danforth, Medical and West campuses.