Zeroing out their own zap
African fish called mormyrids communicate using pulses of electricity. New research from biologists in Arts & Sciences shows that a time-shifted signal in the brain helps the fish to ignore their own pulse. This skill has co-evolved with large and rapid changes in these signals across species.
Storing energy in red bricks
Red bricks — some of the world’s cheapest and most familiar building materials — can be converted into energy storage units that can be charged to hold electricity, like a battery, according to new research from chemists in Arts & Sciences.
Aging memories may not be ‘worse,’ just ‘different’
A study from the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences in Arts & Sciences adds nuance to the idea that an aging memory is a poor one and finds a potential correlation between the way people process the boundaries of events and episodic memory.
Free speech? Nearly half of Americans self-censor, study finds
In an age when social media ensures everyone can have a voice, more Americans than ever — some 40% — are choosing to keep their mouths shut rather than express their opinions.
War, reporting and the Tower of Babel
Richard Chapman, executive producer of “Dateline-Saigon,” discusses the documentary, the dangers journalists faced during the early years of the Vietnam War, and lessons for contemporary reporters and readers.
Chapman’s ‘Dateline–Saigon’ now streaming
“Dateline–Saigon,” a documentary about Vietnam War reporting produced by Richard Chapman, senior lecturer in film and media studies in Arts & Science at Washington University in St. Louis, has been released for streaming on iTunes, Amazon Prime and other platforms.
Monkeying around: Study finds older primates father far fewer babies
Older male rhesus monkeys sire fewer offspring. Sperm quality or quantity, or the survival of infants, may decline with the age of the would-be father, a new study from biological anthropologist Krista Milich in Arts & Sciences suggests.
Skip generational distinctions like ‘millenials’ in workplace
A linguistic expert from Washington University in St. Louis who participated in an elite 15-member committee announcing July 20 its findings on what he calls “potentially harmful” categorizing, said it’s time to nix the generational mindset in business.
Center for Humanities awards graduate student fellowships
The Center for the Humanities in Arts & Sciences has awarded six 2020-21 graduate student fellowships. Disciplines range from literature to languages to anthropology.
Rewriting history: New evidence challenges Euro-centric narrative of early colonization
New research from Washington University in St. Louis provides evidence that Indigenous people continued to live in southeastern U.S. and actively resist European influence for nearly 150 years after the arrival of Spanish explorers in the 1500s.
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