Friday, Aug. 18, 2017

Top Stories

Long before GPS satellites and NASA, Washington University astronomers played a central role in the scientific observation of total solar eclipses — including a search for the elusive planet Vulcan in the late 1800s.

Enjoy the eclipse, but protect your eyes

A solar eclipse — when our view of the sun is blocked by the moon — will be visible Monday, Aug. 21. A university ophthalmologist offers tips for safe viewing.

Natural compound, gut microbes fight severe flu

A new study from the School of Medicine shows that a particular gut microbe can prevent severe flu infections in mice, likely by breaking down naturally occurring compounds — called flavonoids — commonly found in foods such as black tea, red wine and blueberries.

Birth defects, cancer linked

Some children born with birth defects may be at increased risk for specific types of cancer, according to a new review from the Brown School and the School of Medicine.

WashU Expert: The First Amendment and the Nazi flag

In the wake of the Aug. 12 confrontations in Virginia, some progressives are calling for legal restrictions on display of the Nazi flag. But such arguments suppress free-speech values that progressives should want to defend, said constitutional law expert Greg Magarian.

Events

7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18

Preparing for the solar eclipse

Noon-1:45 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21

Solar eclipse viewing social

9 a.m.-noon Tuesday, Aug. 22

Opioid crisis symposium

View all events →

WashU in the News

Schrodinger’s cat explained

The Week

The roots of racism and hate groups

WHYY Public Media

Zika test could someday be as easy as a pregnancy test

St. Louis Public Radio

Providing product transparency through data science

HEC-TV

See more WashU in the News →

Campus Voices

‘White Christians must condemn white supremacy’

Marie Griffith, director of the Danforth Center on Religion and Politics, writes in Religion & Politics about the protests and violence that erupted in Charlottesville, Va., last weekend, saying that white Christians in particular need to stand up and “fight the scourge of racism as the nation-destroying disease it is.”

Notables

Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, of the School of Medicine, has received the 2017 Jacobæus Prize from the Novo Nordisk Foundation for his role as the founding father of gut microbiome research.

Who Knew WashU?

Henry Pritchett photo Question: A solar eclipse will take place Monday, Aug. 21, and the St. Louis region, including the WashU campus, should be a great place to observe it. The university has a long tradition of monitoring eclipses. Which professor led an eclipse-viewing expedition to California in 1889?
Answer: C) Henry S. Pritchett, who served as director of the university’s observatory, led a team of astronomers to the Sacramento Valley to observe a solar eclipse on New Year’s Day, 1889. The partial eclipse in St. Louis also was observed by professors at the campus observatory, then located in downtown St. Louis.
Congrats to this week’s winner, Maria West, of the Program in Physical Therapy, who will receive an “I Knew WashU” luggage tag!

The Record