Arts & Sciences

Steven G. Krantz, Ph.D., professor of mathematics at Washington University in St. Louis, illuminates mathematicians’ very human brilliance in his book, Mathematical Apocrypha Redux, his sequel to his successful, original Mathematical Apocrypha, published in 2002, both by the Mathematical Association of America. The book is a collection of anecdotes about famous mathematicians and their frivolity, wisdom and situations, revealing more vulnerable, human versions of the remote and often eccentric savants. More…

Invasive surgery — and anesthesia — has come a long way.While searching for answers to what it means to be Jewish — and at the same time completing a neuroscience course requirement — a doctoral student at Washington University in St. Louis came across what may be one of the earliest documented cases of brain surgery. And he found it in, of all places, the ancient texts of the Talmud. “Although this account raises several questions about the ailment itself, it provides us with a rare look at invasive cranial surgery dating nearly 2,000 years,” writes Adam Weinberg, a doctoral student in psychology in Arts & Sciences and author of an article on the surgery in the current issue of the Journal of the History of the Neurosciences. More…

FlinnWhile expectant mothers, religious fanatics and the marketers of scary movies are latching on to the notion that the calendar date June 6, 2006 (6-06-06) is somehow tainted by association with biblical references to 666 as the “mark of the beast,” there’s really nothing to fear, suggests Frank Flinn, an expert on cults and religious symbols at Washington University in St. Louis.

Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis recognized the achievements of five alumni and a special friend at a ceremony May 19 in the Arts & Sciences Laboratory Science Building. Edward S. Macias, Ph.D., executive vice chancellor, dean of Arts & Sciences and the Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences, presented Distinguished Alumni Awards to five individuals who have attained distinction in their academic or professional careers and have demonstrated service to their communities and to the university. Macias also presented the Dean’s Medal to John A. Berg, associate vice chancellor for undergraduate admissions, for his support and dedication to Arts & Sciences.

What challenges does globalization present for industrialized economies, such as the United States and the European Union? How will fluctuations in dollar and euro exchange rates affect economic growth, inflation and interest rates? Will globalization influence the role of the dollar and the euro in international financial systems? These are a few of the questions to be explored May 25 as high-ranking international finance policymakers from the European Union and the United States join scholars for a conference on “The Euro and the Dollar in a Globalized Economy” at Washington University in St. Louis.

Assab and Massawa, the two camels that produced antibodies for the caffeine testThree llamas and two camels have provided a way to tell whether your waiter swapped regular coffee for decaf in your after-dinner cup. Using the heat-resistant antibodies these camels and llamas make, researchers at the School of Medicine are developing a quick test for caffeine that works even with hot beverages. The researchers plan to adapt their technology to a simple test (“dipstick”) that can be used to check for caffeine in a variety of drinks.

Five undergraduates pursuing unpaid public-service internships will be the first beneficiaries of a new Public Service Summer Stipend program.

They are Alan Bender, Barbara Levy Landes, Sanford Loewentheil, Kate Hilliker Murashige and Jill Evans Petzall; John Berg will receive the Dean’s Medal.

Washington University in St. Louis will host a symposium May 30-31 to bring together people interested in developing new enterprises in Missouri based on research discoveries.

WarrenSpending by federal regulatory agencies is scheduled to decline when adjusted for inflation according to “Moderating Regulatory Growth: An Analysis of the U.S. Budget for Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007,” this year’s edition of the annual report on regulatory spending and staffing by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy at Washington University in St. Louis.