Characterizing the ‘arrow of time’ in open quantum systems

Quantum image
Even in the strange world of open quantum systems, the arrow of time points steadily forward — most of the time. A video details new experiments conducted at Washington University in St. Louis that compare the forward and reverse trajectories of superconducting circuits called qubits, and find that they largely tend to follow the second law of thermodynamics. The research is published July 9 in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Bison overlooked in domestication of grain crops

bison
As ecosystem engineers, bison have been hiding in plain sight for the past 40 years, since archaeologists first discovered that several native plants were domesticated in eastern North America. New research by Natalie Mueller, assistant professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences, explains the connection, published July 8 in Nature Plants.

From illegal dump to dream home

couple in their rehabbed kitchen
Anne Peterson, of Olin Business School, tapped into the Live Near Your Work employee housing assistance program to rehab an abandoned home in St. Louis’ West End neighborhood. The result was so impressive the Landmarks Association of St. Louis gave Peterson an award for historic rehabilitation. This year, the popular program’s budget expands to $300,000.

Slideshow: MFA in Visual Arts Thesis Exhibition

The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts’ 2019 MFA in Visual Art Thesis Exhibition features work by 17 graduating students. Works in various media explore themes such as the politics of race, the role of gender, the poetics of the everyday, and utopian or dystopian futures.