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Humanities & Society

WashU Expert: Grieving in the time of a pandemic

At a time when the world is focused on a global health pandemic, Brian Carpenter, a professor of psychological and brain sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, says it may be difficult to grieve for and memorialize an individual. But we must.
Economy

Federal package ‘not enough’

The $2 trillion plan to prop up a pandemic-reeling United States, amid the news that there were 3.3 million unemployment claims lodged in the previous week, is expected to pass the House on March 27. An array of Washington University in St. Louis experts offer perspectives on the plan.

University images available for use on Zoom

With the university community shifting to virtual meetings and classes via Zoom, the Office of Public Affairs created WashU-themed virtual backgrounds so people can all have a scene from campus wherever they are working and learning.

If Trump took responsibility for coronavirus missteps, it might actually help him

In one of the United States’ national myths, George Washington accepts responsibility for having chopped down a cherry tree — a story that’s held up as a sign of how deeply honorable our founding president was. Our research finds that leaders who claim the blame for their governments’ performance when crises strike also can reap rewards.
Biology

Weedy rice is unintended legacy of Green Revolution

Rice
Weedy rice is a feral form of rice that infests paddies worldwide and aggressively outcompetes cultivated varieties. A new study led by biologists at Washington University in St. Louis shows that weed populations have evolved multiple times from cultivated rice, and a strikingly high proportion of contemporary Asian weed strains can be traced to a few Green Revolution cultivars that were widely grown in the late 20th century.

No, These Medicines Cannot Cure Coronavirus

It is nice to think about a cure, especially when things seem to get worse every day. But we implore you to follow medical professionals’ advice and not get or take an experimental medication recommended without evidence of its success. If you have no psychiatric history, we’d rather you stay that way.
Literature

Some coronavirus lessons from Boccaccio

Giovanni Boccaccio’s masterpiece, the “Decameron,” is set on the outskirts of Florence in 1348. His protagonists have retreated to the countryside in the wake of the Black Death, which is decimating their city both mortally and socially. The book offers important lessons as we confront the global threat of Coronavirus.
Humanities & Society

WashU Experts: Coronavirus challenges facing rural America

As the coronavirus spreads across the United States, larger cities, like New York and Seattle, are dealing with increasing numbers of infections and deaths daily. However, less populated rural areas are not immune from the disease, say two public health experts at Washington University in St. Louis, and controlling it in rural America presents a unique set of challenges.
Humanities & Society

Coping during coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic has led to plenty of uncertainty. Tim Bono, assistant dean in Arts & Sciences and a lecturer in psychological and brain sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, offers tips for managing parts of life that are still under our control.