Cause and effect, or effect and cause?

A lab at Washington University in St. Louis is one of the first in the world to look at spontaneous emission with an instrument sensitive to the wave rather than the particle nature of light. Because the light is entangled with the atom that emitted it, this kind of detection may provide a way to control the quantum state of the atom.

Brain imaging links Alzheimer’s decline to tau protein

Using a new imaging agent that binds to tau protein and makes it visible in positron emission tomography (PET) scans, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that measures of tau are better markers of the cognitive decline characteristic of Alzheimer’s than measures of amyloid beta seen in PET scans.

Studying hot spots of antibiotic resistance

A slum in Lima, Peru.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria most often are associated with hospitals and other health-care settings, but a new study from the School of Medicine indicates that chicken coops and sewage treatment plants also are hot spots of antibiotic resistance.

Classics’ Moore gives talk on Greek tragedy, Ferguson

Tim Moore
Timothy Moore, John and Penelope Biggs Distinguished Professor of Classics and chair of the Department of Classics in Arts & Sciences, recently delivered a lecture titled “Greek Tragedy after Ferguson” at Butler University in Indianapolis.

WashU Expert: Treasury should work within existing rules to close tax loopholes

The U.S. Treasury Department has issued several rules recently aimed at cracking down on tax evasion and money laundering in the wake of the “Panama Papers.” Will continuing to add new, and increasingly aggressive, rules make any lasting or concrete changes to the American tax code? Maybe, but perhaps at a cost to the tax law as a whole, says Washington University tax expert Adam Rosenzweig.

What studying hand-washing is teaching about compliance

In many workplaces, standard processes are the key to a successful operation, ensuring efficiency and safety. New research from Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis shows that motivating compliance with standard processes via electronic monitoring can be a highly effective approach, despite concerns about employee backlash. However, the research also highlights that managers cannot simply “monitor and forget.”

Davis memorial service set for June 6

A campus memorial service for James W. Davis, professor emeritus of political science in Arts & Sciences, will be held at 4 p.m. June 6 in Graham Chapel. Davis died April 27.