Eclipse chasers and new planet tracers

An image of the total solar eclipse of 1889 as recorded by the Washington University Eclipse Expedition to the Sacramento Valley of California.
Long before GPS satellites and NASA, Washington University astronomers played a central role in the scientific observation of total solar eclipses — including a search for the elusive planet Vulcan in the late 1800s.

Observations eclipse early obstacles

The Lick Observatory at Mount Hamilton in California circa 1880.
Chancellor William Chauvenet nurtured Edward S. Holden’s interest in astronomy on the campus of Washington University, but Holden’s initial fascination with the field sprang from a series of circumstances associated with childhood tragedy.

Eclipse in rhyme

An excerpt from "Caroline Isle: 4000 Miles Across The Pacific: 3 weeks on Coral Atoll. English & American Eclipse Expedition of 1883," by Winslow Jpton, U.S. Singal Service, Washington & c. Ray Woods, Science & Art Dept., S. Kensington, London.
Edward S. Holden’s 1883 expedition report to the National Academies was written with all due respect. However, a handwritten note, written in rhyme, from a crew member of the U.S.S. Hartford suggests the voyagers enjoyed lighter moments as well.

Gordon receives Jacobæus Prize

Jeffrey Gordon photo
Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, the Dr. Robert J. Glaser Distinguished University Professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has received the 2017 Jacobæus Prize from the Novo Nordisk Foundation for his role as the founding father of gut microbiome research.

Eclipse tidbits

  1. How to watch an eclipse? Don’t look unless you have approved eyewear. Not even telescopes, binoculars, cameras or sunglasses will help. The sun in this equation can cause permanent damage or even blindness… without you even knowing that it’s happening, according to Washington University School of Medicine specialists. 2. How to make a special viewer? Without […]

Klingensmith named chair of American Board of Surgery

Klingensmith photo
Mary Klingensmith, MD, the Mary Culver Distinguished Professor and vice chair for education in the Department of Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named chair of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Surgery.

Video: ‘A new approach’

Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world. Billions of tons are produced annually. But for the 2017 Solar Decathlon, Team WashU wanted to demonstrate a new and more sustainable approach.

WashU Expert: The First Amendment and the Nazi flag

In the wake of the Aug. 12 confrontations between protesters and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, some progressives are calling for legal restrictions on the display of the Nazi flag. These arguments are entirely understandable, but they often misapply existing First Amendment law, and they suppress free speech values that progressives — more than anyone else — should want to defend, says a constitutional law expert at Washington University in St. Louis.

Van Engen wins NEH Public Scholar grant

Van Engen photo
Abram Van Engen, associate professor of English in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has won a prestigious Public Scholar grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Law, religion and health in the United States

scales of justice
Should physicians be required to disclose their religious beliefs to patients? How should we think about institutional conscience in the health care setting? How should health care providers deal with families with religious objections to withdrawing treatment? These questions and more are tackled in a new book co-edited by an expert on health law at Washington University in St. Louis.