the ampersand

Food Culture Along the Silk Road

Like passionate foodies who know the best places to eat in every town, Silk Road nomads may have been the gastronomic elites of the Medieval Ages, enjoying diets much more diverse than their sedentary urban counterparts, suggests a new study in Scientific Reports.

A new 'wrinkle'

What to think of the film adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time? Rebecca Wanzo and Laurie Maffly-Kipp exchange ideas about the the book’s leap to the big screen in wide-ranging discussion. Spoiler: these scholars give the edge to the book.

From ‘Angels in America’ to ‘Hamilton’

Oskar Eustis, one of the most admired figures in contemporary American theater, will present the annual Helen Clanton Morrin Lecture March 26 for the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences.

Finding 'Common Ground'

When words fail and argument falls short, art and performance can help reframe important questions. On March 24, three campus choreographers will explore issues of culture, identity and social justice in the dance concert “Common Ground.”

Bono debut book tackles strategies for happiness

How can we be happier? In a world where stress, anxiety and bad days can easily overtake the good, Washington University happiness expert Tim Bono strives to answer that question in his book, “When Likes Aren’t Enough: A Crash Course in the Science of Happiness.”

Americans prefer economic inequality to playing Robin Hood, study finds

Given the chance to play Robin Hood, most Americans show little interest in taking from the rich and giving to the poor. A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences may explain why it’s so hard for voters in modern democracies to erase the economic inequalities that separate most citizens from the nation’s super-wealthy elites.

Creating a new generation of educators