As Canadian wildfire smoke continues to impact large swaths of the United States, resulting in poor air quality and negative health outcomes for millions of Americans, more people than ever are feeling the effects of longer fire seasons and a changing climate. Now, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered that wildfires may […]
Washington University in St. Louis
Posted inSci/Tech
Radar can help fight wildfires, identify flash-flood risks
June 26, 2023 – Smoke from forest fires in Canada cast a pall over St. Louis this month as well as other parts of the Midwest and the East Coast, darkening local skies and creating unhealthy outdoor air conditions. Many of the blazes were sparked by lightning strikes in remote forest areas. Human-caused climate change […]
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In the U.S., alcohol use disorder linked to 232 million missed workdays annually
Heavy alcohol use is associated with missing work, but the scope of that relationship has not been well understood. Now, based on survey data from more than 110,000 U.S. adults with full-time jobs, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have quantified the extent of the problem. Among U.S. adults working full […]
Posted inSci/Tech
Among COVID-19 survivors, an increased risk of death, serious illness
As the COVID-19 pandemic has progressed, it has become clear that many survivors — even those who had mild cases — continue to manage a variety of health problems long after the initial infection should have resolved. In what is believed to be the largest comprehensive study of long COVID-19 to date, researchers at Washington […]
Posted inSci/Tech
Widening political rift in U.S. may threaten science, medicine
March 22, 2021 – The lightning speed with which scientists developed and tested the COVID-19 vaccine is a true scientific triumph — one that would not have been possible without the more than 70,000 volunteers who participated in clinical trials of the vaccine. Public participation is critical to the success of any medical research. Yet […]
Posted inEnviro
In fire-prone West, plants need their pollinators — and vice versa
November 30, 2020 – 2020 is the worst fire year on record in the United States, with nearly 13 million acres burned, 14,000 structures destroyed and an estimated $3 billion spent on fire suppression — and counting. At the same time, certain land managers have invested huge amounts of time and resources toward restoring fire […]
Posted inUS
Study: Masks don’t just save lives, they also boost economy by increasing consumer spending
November 9, 2020 – The economy and coronavirus pandemic were two of the top issues for voters in the 2020 election, according to exit poll surveys. Notably, 52% of voters said controlling the pandemic was more important, even if it hurts the economy. But what if we didn’t have to choose? In communities where masks were […]
Posted inSci/Tech
Rewriting U.S. history: New evidence challenges Euro-centric narrative of early colonization
In American history, we learn that the arrival of Spanish explorers led by Hernando de Soto in the 1500s was a watershed moment resulting in the collapse of Indigenous tribes and traditions across the southeastern United States. While these expeditions unquestionably resulted in the deaths of countless Indigenous people and the relocation of remaining tribes, […]
Posted inSci/Tech
Brave new world: Simple changes in intensity of weather events “could be lethal” to species
Sept. 30, 2019 – Hurricane Dorian is the latest example of a frightening trend. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, more severe and more widespread as a consequence of climate change. New research from Washington University in St. Louis provides important new insights into how different species may fare under this new normal. Faced […]
Posted inUS
Justice Department narrows interpretation of emoluments clause
April 24, 2019 – The United States Justice Department has narrowed its interpretation of the foreign emoluments clause, allowing foreign countries to court President Donald Trump through patronizing his hotels, condos and golf courses and through granting him trademarks, suggests a new article by an ethics expert at Washington University in St. Louis. The foreign […]
Posted inSci/Tech
White Americans see many immigrants as ‘illegal’ until proven otherwise
Oct. 12, 2018 – Fueled by political rhetoric evoking dangerous criminal immigrants, many white Americans assume low-status immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador, Syria, Somalia and other countries President Donald Trump labeled “shithole” nations have no legal right to be in the United States, new research in the journal American Sociological Review suggests. In the eyes […]
Posted inLife
A chief financial officer (CFO) with an oversized signature could portend narcissism, bad bookkeeping
Feb. 27, 2018 – Does the signature size match the personality? Chad Ham, assistant professor of accounting at Washington University in St. Louis’ Olin Business School, and his co-authors found a chief financial officer (CFO) with an oversized signature is more likely to make questionable choices due to an oversized ego. According to a paper […]
Posted inLife
U.S. Report Card on Walking and Walkable Communities: Fail
Sept. 18, 2017 – The United States earns failing grades when it comes to the number of people walking to work and school plus the number of walkable communities, finds a new national report. Amy Eyler, associate professor at the Brown School, serves on the advisory panel for the National Walking and Walkable Communities Report Card, […]
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Medical Students Not Trained to Prescribe Medical Marijuana
Sept. 18, 2017 – Although 29 states and the District of Columbia allow marijuana use for medical purposes, few medical students are being trained how to prescribe the drug. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis surveyed medical school deans, residents and fellows, and examined a curriculum database maintained by the Association […]
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Chemistry says Moon is proto-Earth’s mantle, relocated
Sept. 12, 2016 – Measurements of an element in Earth and Moon rocks have just disproved the leading hypotheses for the origin of the Moon. Tiny differences in the segregation of the isotopes of potassium between the Moon and Earth were hidden below the detection limits of analytical techniques until recently. But in 2015, Washington […]