WashU Experts

With so much uncertainty, how can businesses gain a competitive edge going into the new year and beyond — better anticipating threats created by competitors, the economy, suppliers, politicians and more? One way is through the process of “war gaming,” says John Horn, a competitive strategy expert at Olin Business School.

In the rapidly changing conflict in Ukraine, Russian national narratives offer insight into President Vladimir Putin’s next move, says James Wertsch, an expert on Russia and international affairs.

If changes at Twitter conflict with businesses’ values, it’s time for companies to re-evaluate use of the social media platform, said Olin Business School marketing expert Michael Wall.

Steve Smith, a leading congressional politics scholar, discusses the factors making 2022 midterms difficult to predict, what’s ahead for the second half of President Joe Biden’s term and the impact the midterm election could have on the GOP’s future.

Voters in this year’s midterm elections, to be held nationwide Nov. 8, will be motivated by a number of hot-button issues, including abortion, climate change, voting rights, the economy and more. Washington University faculty experts weigh in on some of the issues that will be top of voters’ minds as they head to the polls.

Public dissatisfaction with the Supreme Court’s rulings and its performance has been growing. New research by political scientist James Gibson in Arts & Sciences suggests the controversial Dobbs decision may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Biologist Susanne S. Renner in Arts & Sciences explains why trees might actually be starting to turn red and yellow earlier, not later. Brilliant fall color might become a casualty of a warming world.

While water pressure has been restored in Jackson, Miss., the water is still not safe to drink and a boil order remains in effect. The ongoing issues are a result of years of neglect and of environmental racism, says Tara Rocque at the School of Law.

On Monday, Aug. 29, NASA plans to launch its Orion spacecraft from the world’s most powerful rocket for a trip around the moon. Lunar scientist Bradley L. Jolliff in Arts & Sciences explains why the Artemis mission represents the next great leap in human exploration of space.

John Horn, an economics expert at Olin Business School, explains the math of inflation and why focusing on the annual rate of change, rather than month-to-month inflation changes, makes an already bad situation look worse.