Taking the debate to the community at the 560 Music Center
Eager debate watchers started lining up outside the 560 Music Center in University City before the doors opened at debate night for WUSTL’s first-ever off-campus, public viewing event.
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Debate characterized by populist tone, faculty panel says
Photo by Dan DonovanThe only vice presidential debate of 2008 met faculty experts’ expectations, but not their hopes that it would be more than a bumper sticker event.
Notables
Because of expanded VP debate coverage, the Record did not publish any notables this week. The Record will resume publishing its regular content, including notables, next week.
Source of abnormal electrical impulses in hypertrophied hearts revealed
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute imageThis MRI shows ventricular hypertrophy.Cardiac disorders such as valve problems or high blood pressure make the heart work harder to pump blood. This increased work can lead to enlargement (thickening) of the heart, or cardiac hypertrophy — a potentially life-threatening problem. But when heart problems cause the heart to enlarge, it doesn’t grow more muscle cells. Instead each individual cell grows bigger. Researchers at the School of Medicine have shown that this cellular enlargement leads to abnormal heart rhythms.
Novelist John Brandon to speak for Writing Program Reading Series Oct. 16
Novelist John Brandon, a 2001 MFA graduate of Washington University’s Writing Program in Arts & Sciences, will read from his work at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16. Brandon is the author of Arkansas, a darkly comic novel about rural drug-distribution, which was published last spring by McSweeney’s Rectangulars imprint.
Population growth puts dent in natural resources
Who can ignore this 500-pound gorilla?It’s a 500-pound gorilla that Robert Criss, Ph.D., professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, sees standing on the speaker’s dais at political rallies, debates and campaigns. Its name is population growth. “Population growth is driving all of our resource problems, including water and energy. The three are intertwined,” Criss says. “The United States has over 305 million people of the 6.7 billion on the planet. We are dividing a finite resource pie among a growing number of people on Earth. We cannot expect to sustain exponential population growth matched by increased per capita use of water and energy. It’s troubling. But politicians and religious leaders totally ignore the topic.”
Nearly scarless surgery removes gallbladder through bellybutton incision
In a first for the St. Louis region, surgeons at the School of Medicine are removing patients’ gallbladders using a single small incision in the bellybutton that leaves only a barely visible scar. Surgery to remove the gallbladder is one of the most common operations performed in the United States. More than 750,000 patients undergo the procedure each year, often due to the formation of gallstones that cause intense pain.
SciFest brings world-class scientists to St. Louis
SciFest 08, a new annual event at the St. Louis Science Center, brings together world-renowned scientists and experts – including those from Washington University – to help participants see science in a new way. There are hundreds of science experiences, including presentations and hands-on exhibits.
2008 Vice Presidential Debate Steering Committee
The WUSTL 2008 Vice Presidential Debate Steering Committee, led by Rob Wild, assistant to the chanceller, was comprised of 50 key administrators and support staff from across the university.
Study: Bird diversity lessens human exposure to West Nile Virus
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob bobbin’ along, think West Nile Virus (WNV).This one’s for the birds. A study by biologists at Washington University in St. Louis shows that the more diverse a bird population is in an area, the less chance humans have of exposure to West Nile Virus (WNV). Now, let’s hear it for the birds. “The bottom line is that where there are more bird species in your backyard, you have much lower risk of contracting West Nile fever,” said Brian Allan, doctoral candidate in biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.