U. of Georgia historian Stephen Mihm writes about the late WUSTL economist Hyman Minsky, who "has begun emerging as perhaps the most prescient big-picture thinker about what, exactly, we are going through. A contrarian amid the conformity of postwar America, an expert in the then-unfashionable subfields of finance and crisis, Minsky was one economist who saw what was coming. He predicted, decades ago, almost exactly the kind of meltdown that recently hammered the global economy. "

References:

1. Sept. 13, 2009 — Why capitalism fails in the The Boston Globe

Researchers at Michigan State, Chicago, and WUSTL says sleep may reduce mistakes in memory for both the young and the old.
They studied the presence of false memory in groups of college students. Previous research has shown that sleep improves memory, but this study address errors in memory.
The study was published in the journal Learning & Memory.

References:

1. Sept. 14, 2009 — Sleep helps reduce errors in memory in the United Press International

and 4 others.

Researchers led by WUSTL anthropology professor Crickette Sanz in the Republic of Congo's Nouabale-Ndoki National Park said they have discovered chimpanzees that have developed specialized "tool sets" to forage for army ants.

References:

1. Sept. 9, 2009 — Chimps use 'tool kits' to gather army ants in the United Press International

and 3 others.

New Swiss research published in Science suggests that young animals may have a mechanism that allows them to jettison traumatic memories, but experts say it's unclear whether humans of any age can do the same. Includes comments by WUSTL psychology professor and memory specialist Mark McDaniel.

References:

1. Sept. 4, 2009 — Young Animals May Be Able to Erase Bad Memories in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 5 others.

In France, a parliamentary commission will soon meet to investigate whether to ban any cloak that covers most of the face. WUSTL anthropology professor John Bowen, who wrote "Why the French Don't Like Headscarves: Islam, the State and Public Space," has been asked to testify by the parliamentary commission.

References:

1. Sept. 1, 2009 — Burqa Furor Scrambles French Politics in the The New York Times

and 2 others.

Sharon Begley reports on new data in the debate on neurobiology and whether we are wired to believe in God.
In a paper last month in the online journal Evolutionary Psychology, Gregory Paul posits that, rather than being wired into the brain, religion is a way to cope with stress in a dysfunctional society -- the opium-of-the-people argument.
She mentions research by WUSTL anthropology professor Pascal Boyer.

References:

1. Aug. 13, 2009 — (Un)wired For God in the Newsweek

U.S. and Canadian scientists say data from human fossils suggest a shift in animal resource exploitation as humans spread into Europe 40,000 years ago.
There is little evidence for the regular eating of fish by the Neanderthals, but early humans consistently consumed fish, supplementing their diet.
This study by WUSTL anthropology professor Erik Trinkaus a Canadian colleague was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

References:

1. Aug. 11, 2009 — Early human European diets studied in the United Press International

and 4 others.

WUSTL psychology doctoral student Andrew Butler said students who learn history through watching blockbuster movies may be doomed to repeat history.
". . . when information in the film directly contradicted the text, people often falsely recalled the misinformation portrayed in the film."
The findings are published in the journal Psychological Science.

References:

1. Aug. 6, 2009 — Movies enhance recall if facts are correct in the United Press International

and 1 others.

On Mars, NASA's robot rover Spirit is spinning its wheels on the soft shoulder of planetary exploration, up to its axles in silt millions of miles away from tense engineers who are struggling to extricate it by remote control. Includes comments by WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson, who is the project deputy principal investigator.

References:

1. July 17, 2009 — For Mars Rover, Really Remote Roadside Assistance in the The Wall Street Journal

Around the world, Michael Jackson was celebrated Sunday, but there was a special fervor in black neighborhoods and churches. Jackson is seen as a towering figure with crossover appeal, even if in life some of his black fans wondered if he was as proud of his race as his race was of him. Includes comments by WUSTL AFAS professor Gerald Early.

References:

1. June 29, 2009 — Black Reverence for Jackson Is Now Unreserved in the The New York Times

and 11 others.

Nancy Benac reports on Obama's Cairo speech in which he tried to explain the American mindset to Muslims and the world of Islam to Americans. Various experts comment on the speech, including WUSTL presidential rhetoric specialist Wayne Fields.

References:

1. June 6, 2009 — Analysis: Obama tries evenhanded approach in the Associated Press

and 51 others.

A new study that shows that a cellphone ring, more than just being annoying, can pose the kind of distraction that can impair learning or derail someone's train of thought. Study author and WUSTL psychology postdoctoral research scholar Jill Shelton comments.

References:

1. June 2, 2009 — Please silence your phone -- NOW! in the Los Angeles Times online

If at first you don't succeed, tell the world about it -- because Web culture has become obsessed with "failure videos," mostly on YouTube. Whatever the reason, the sharing of personal missteps has become a part of today's e-culture. WUSTL psychology professor Don Fitz comments.

References:

1. May 30, 2009 — The culture of failure in the The Boston Globe

A new study by four political scientists, including WUSTL doctoral candidate Ryan Black, to be published in the WUSTL Journal of Law and Policy, looks at whether or not Supreme Court justices tip their hands during oral arguments.

References:

1. May 26, 2009 — When the Justices Ask Questions, Be Prepared to Lose the Case in the The New York Times

Expectations are high that Obama will nominate a woman to the Supreme Court. A recent study by three academics focusing on the votes of federal court of appeals judges bears out the observation that a conservative woman acts more pro-women's rights than a conservative man. The research was conducted by WUSTL law and political science professor Andrew Martin and WUSTL political science doctoral student Christina Boyd, along with Lee Epstein of Northwestern University Law School in Chicago.

References:

1. May 18, 2009 — What another woman would bring to Supreme Court in the The Christian Science Monitor online

In the world of small things, shape, order and orientation are surprisingly important, according to findings from a new study by WUSTL chemistry professor Lev Gelb, graduate student Brian Barnes, and postdoctoral researcher Daniel Siderius.

References:

1. May 4, 2009 — Particles, Molecules Prefer Not To Mix in the ScienceDaily.com

and 7 others.

When it comes to swine flu, Obama is trying to strike the right balance between protecting public and economic health. That's resulted in some doublespeak and spin, evidence of the inextricable ties between a looming epidemic and a listing economy. Includes comments by WUSTL American culture studies director Wayne Fields, who is an expert on presidential rhetoric.

References:

1. May 2, 2009 — Flu control tests Obama balancing skills in the Associated Press

and 47 others.

President Obama has gotten off to a busy start, fielding more questions in formal press conferences in his first months in office than the American people saw from his predecessor. WUSTL history professor Peter Kastor comments.

References:

1. April 28, 2009 — Obama takes more questions than Bush in the The Washington Times

A video clip from the TV show Britain's Got Talent of Scot Susan Boyle winning over skeptical judges and a cynical crowd has been viewed more than 40 million times, making it one of the most popular YouTube videos ever posted. WUSTL anthropology professor Robert Canfield comments on a deeper meaning in the singer's YouTube popularity.

References:

1. April 21, 2009 — The Susan Boyle phenomenon: redefining beauty, grace, and success? in the The Christian Science Monitor

The U.S. and China are exploring new ways to bridge U.S. moon exploration plans with China. Includes comments from WUSTL earth and planetary sciences professor Ray Arvidson.

References:

1. April 16, 2009 — U.S. Astronauts Might Hitch Rides on Chinese Spacecraft in the Space.com