Sleep data from wearable device may help predict preterm birth
An interdisciplinary research team at Washington University in St. Louis has found that variability in sleep patterns in people experiencing pregnancy can effectively predict preterm birth.
From the experts
Find an expert
Perspectives
War, politics and religion shape wildlife evolution in cities
Cultures differ around the world, meaning each city has its own set of variables that shape the evolutionary processes of wildlife. Understanding how these human cultural practices shape evolutionary patterns will allow people to better design cities that support both humans and the wildlife that call these places home, writes Elizabeth Carlen.
Jews were barred from Spain’s New World colonies − but that didn’t stop Jewish and converso writers from describing the Americas
Translating these men’s writing is not just a matter of bringing a text from one language into another. It is also a deep reflection on the complex position of Jews and conversos in those years. Their unique vantage point offers a window into the intertwined histories of Europe, the Americas and the in-betweenness that marked the Jewish experience in the early modern world, writes Flora Cassen.
Self-censorship and the ‘spiral of silence’: Why Americans are less likely to publicly voice their opinions on political issues
The spiral of silence becomes inimical to pluralistic debate, discussion and, ultimately, to democracy itself, writes James L. Gibson.
Videos
Beyond visual data
Can we ever see too much data? Yes, actually. In some situations, visual overload can paralyze decision-making. But over the last year, the interdisciplinary SAIL lab, with help from WashU Rowing, has explored nonvisual means for transmitting real-time performance feedback.
Bookshelf
The United States of no states?
What would America look like if there were no state governments? Stephen H. Legomsky, the John S. Lehmann University Professor Emeritus at WashU Law, tackles that question in his new book, “Reimagining the American Union: The Case for Abolishing State Government,” published by Cambridge University Press.