Inflammation is a major aspect of many chronic diseases, ranging from some heart conditions to epilepsy, scientists and researchers are discovering. That's why medicine today is beginning to take inflammation into account in devising treatments.
Caviar connotes luxury, indulgence and perhaps intrigue. It doesn't evoke thoughts of the Midwest. A recent multi-state sting revealed the native Missouri paddlefish is at the center of an international black market operation.
Water demand is increasing as the global population expands. The United Nations has designated 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation. The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center holds a program on water availability and agriculture on March 21.
The warmer winter weather has depressed the number of eagles in the area. However, sightings of the American white pelican are up. This bird has a wingspan second only to the California condor.
Frog and toad populations are on the decline worldwide. Nearly 500 of 6000 known species are considered endangered. However, the Missouri populations appear stable. Citizen scientists are being asked to volunteer as amphibian counters.
Sun and wind electricity cannot be stored on a large scale at present. Without storage, and without backup generators burning fossil fuels, it could be cold and dark at night. Solving the problem of intermittency is critical to the energy future of the world.
Wild turkeys are in abundance in Missouri. But that wasn't the case in earlier decades. A concerted effort by the Department of Conservation increased the numbers of the native American bird in the state.
On Aug. 6, the Mars rover Curiosity completes its eight-month journey with an intricately choreographed descent onto Mars. Raymond Arvidson of Washington University will be among the 270 scientists in California watching the complicated landing maneuver.
A new book theorizes that the first Americans arrived by boat from Europe, not by foot across vast land masses. An encounter with prehistory is just a short drive from St. Louis near Kimmswick to a mastodon killing site.
The 45-volume "Flora of China," detailed description of each of the approximately 31,500 vascular plants that grow wild in China, has great botanical value. The information will be used to conserve biodiversity and investigate new sources for food and medicine.
Environment · Conservation · Education · Mars rover · Energy policy · Water · Missouri caviar · Paddlefish · Inflammation · Human Interest
Peter H. Raven · Patrick Osborne · Jeff Briggler · Debra Schmidt · Roberto Lenton · Jeffrey Bonner · Michael Doane · Robert Belshe · Larry Yamnitz · Peter Wyse Jackson
Missouri · Mastadon State Historic Site · Mars · Great River and Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge · Israel · South America · Enterprise Biofuels Institute · Tennessee
Washington University · Missouri Department Of Conservation · St. Louis Science Center · Missouri Botanical Garden · Donald Danforth Plant Science Center · Environmental Protection Agency · Washington University School Of Medicine · Explorers Club · St. Louis Zoo · Center For Vision And Learning
The Flora of China · Conversations: Water Availability and the Impact on Global Agriculture
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Meeting in St. Louis next week, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will have its first opportunity as an assembled group to consider what to do after the Vatican issued a mandate for change this spring. It calls on the conference to reorganize and more strictly observe church teachings.
When a family of four goes to the St. Louis Zoo, they can be forgiven for not knowing it will cost them $60, $72 if they park. If they can't pay, the alternative is to tell the kids they can't do what kids do at the zoo.
Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley gave reporters less than a half-hour’s notice today when he announced that conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh’s sculptured bust will be formally installed in the Capitol at 1 p.m.
A U.S. Senate panel probing rail safety issues heard testimony Wednesday about last month's collision of two freight trains in southeast Missouri, which injured seven people, caused a diesel car to burst into flames, collapsed part of a highway overpass used by 500 cars a day, and caused $11 million in damages.
The suggestions come in the wake of Missouri Supreme Court ruling that upheld the law allowing students who live in unaccredited school districts to transfer to accredited ones.
The St. Louis County Council gave its final blessing to merge some duties of city and county economic development agencies, a move that ratifies the plan announced earlier this year. The partnership will focus on business retention, expansion and entrepreneurship.
The Beacon's Mary Delach Leonard and Rob Koenig extensively covered flooding in 2011 in Missouri. Now this coverage is compiled in an iBook. Read the stories.
A father-son team makes autism sing in "Asperger's: A High-Functioning Musical," debuting Friday at the St. Lou Fringe Festival. The play was inspired by composer Adam Rosen's experiences and a well-known 1975 musical.
The second annual St. Lou Fringe Festival -- June 20 through June 24-- offers more than 100 performances of art, music, dance and theater from 30 performing groups. New this year are events designed for performers to be able to share with each other.
The Kranzberg Arts Center, the Ethical Society and the Tavern of Fine Arts have been added as venues this year, with the last location hosting a free concert. The programs, which feature established works and new composers, will also be at the Wool Theater at the Jewish Community Center.
Donna Korando is the Beacon's arts and features editor. You can contact her at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.
As St. Louis gears up to be a part of events for National Small Business Week in which local entrepreneurs Jack Dorsey and David Steward will play prominent roles, the area's SBA director feels that the Gateway City's climate for entrepreneurs and small businesses is improving.
Mark Lynas, a noted British author and environmentalist, spoke Thursday at the Donald Danforth Plant Science center about his conversion from an anti-genetically modified crop activist to a proponent of GM plants.
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said the initiative is about keeping start-up businesses “here when they become successful and grow jobs here as well, rather than just being some sort of training ground for Silicon Valley companies.”
Innovation and entrepreneurial activity are on the rise in St. Louis, especially in bioscience, technology and alternative energy. The Beacon's InnovationSTL section focuses on the people who are part of this wave, what they're doing and how this is shaping our future. To many St. Louisans, this wave is not yet visible. InnovationSTL aims to change that. We welcome you to share your knowledge, learn more about this vibrant trend and discuss its impact.
In most rural communities as well as in large and small cities, hospitals are being forced to cope in a new health care environment as a result of sequestration, failure of Medicaid expansion and other cost factors. Meanwhile, a provision in federal law gives Massachusetts a disproportionate share.
A father-son team makes autism sing in "Asperger's: A High-Functioning Musical," debuting Friday at the St. Lou Fringe Festival. The play was inspired by composer Adam Rosen's experiences and a well-known 1975 musical.
Tossing a high school graduation cap into the air typically signals the launch of a bigger life. But a new study shows that's often not the case for young people with autism.
Sally Altman is the Beacon's Health and Science editor. You can contact her at saltman@stlbeacon.org.
Even though statistics say that violent crime is down, summer in St. Louis is getting off to a bloody start. The former homicide detective says he believes the numbers, but also thinks some modern changes limit police ability to take control.
The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis will bring in four of the world’s top-10 chess players for the strongest-ever tournament on U.S. soil. This September matchup will feature Hikaru Nakamura and Gata Kamsky -- America’s top-two players -- as well as Norway’s Magnus Carlsen and Armenia’s Levon Aronian – the world’s top-two.
When the mining company filed for bankruptcy, 22,000 workers and retirees lost their earned and negotiated benefits and joined the nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance. The cost of treating the uninsured adds to insurance and health costs for everyone.
Donna Korando is the Beacon's Voices editor. You can contact her and submit opinion pieces for possible publication at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.