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Alessandro Poletto

Lecturer in East Asian Religions, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis
Alessandro Poletto (he/they) specializes in the social and religious history of premodern Japan, with an emphasis on Buddhism in the early medieval period (tenth to the thirteenth century). He earned his PhD from Columbia University in 2020 with a dissertation entitled “The Culture of Healing in Early Medieval Japan: A Study in Premodern Epistemology,” in which he examined discourses and practices concerning healing and disease, with particular attention to the relationship between Buddhist healers and other technicians involved in the treatment of illness, namely court physicians and onmyōji. His other research and teaching interests include the understanding and ritual resolution of natural disasters in premodern East Asia, the history of the cultural exchanges between the Korean peninsula and the Japanese archipelago, and Buddhist material culture and archeology in East Asia.

His current research focuses on the material and textual dimensions of various types of deposits — within statues or under the ground — in order to get a grasp of Buddhism as practiced by lay Buddhists in early medieval Japan. Dedicatory or votive materials discovered inside Buddhist statues or in underground deposits (commonly known as kyōzuka) illustrate the motivations behind the undertaking of a certain burial of sutras, or the production of a copy of a specific sutra, allowing us to see the hopes, aspirations and anxieties of the people engaging in such practices, but also the ways in which they attempted to shape their destinies, and those of deceased dear ones, through their dedicatory good acts.

Before joining Washington University, Alessandro was a JSPS postdoctoral fellow at Kyoto University. He holds a B.A. from the University of Naples “L’Orientale,” and an M.A. from Osaka University.

Economy

Dollar Rally Pauses as Euro Stabilizes Amid Middle East War Uncertainty

The U.S. dollar paused its strong rally on Thursday, giving the euro and other major currencies brief relief as investors reassessed the potential duration and economic impact of the ongoing Middle East conflict. Currency...

KOSPI Surges Over 12% as South Korean Stocks Rebound on Chipmaker Rally

South Koreas benchmark KOSPI index staged a powerful rebound on Thursday, jumping as much as 12% in early trading after suffering sharp losses over the previous two sessions. The recovery highlights renewed investor...

Australia and Canada Strengthen Critical Minerals Partnership Through New G7 Alliance Agreements

Australia and Canada have signed a series of new agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation on critical minerals, a move designed to secure global supply chains and reduce dependence on China. Canadian Prime Minister...

U.S. Stocks Rise as Strong Economic Data Offsets Middle East Conflict Concerns

U.S. stocks closed higher on Wednesday as upbeat labor market data and stronger-than-expected services sector growth helped improve investor sentiment, which had been shaken by escalating geopolitical tensions in the...

China Sets 2026 Growth Target at 4.5–5% While Prioritizing Innovation and Industrial Strength

China has set its economic growth target for 2026 at 4.5% to 5%, slightly lower than the roughly 5% growth recorded last year, signaling a cautious approach as Beijing attempts to stabilize the economy while maintaining...

Politics

Big Tech Signs White House Pledge to Fund Power for AI Data Centers

Major technology companies including Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon signed a new agreement at the White House committing to fund additional electricity generation for their rapidly expanding data centers. The...

Iran Crisis Could Threaten AI Data Center Expansion and Global Chip Demand, South Korea Warns

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US Lawmakers Raise Security Concerns Over Intel Testing ACM Research Chipmaking Tools

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has raised national security concerns regarding Intels testing of semiconductor manufacturing equipment produced by ACM Research, according to a report by Reuters. The concerns were...

U.S. Senate Rejects War Powers Resolution Aimed at Halting Trump’s Military Campaign Against Iran

The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to reject a bipartisan war powers resolution designed to halt President Donald Trumps military campaign against Iran and require congressional approval for any further military action. The...

Trump Signals Support for John Cornyn in Texas GOP Senate Primary as Party Seeks to Avoid Runoff

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Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

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SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

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NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

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Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

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Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

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Technology

OpenAI Explores Partnership With The Trade Desk to Expand ChatGPT Advertising

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Broadcom Stock Jumps After Strong Earnings Beat and Bullish AI Revenue Outlook

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says $100B OpenAI Investment Unlikely as AI Demand Surges

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang revealed that a previously rumored $100 billion investment in OpenAI is unlikely to happen, highlighting instead the companys existing $30 billion investment in the artificial intelligence leader....

U.S. Officials Review Tencent’s Stakes in Epic Games, Riot Games Over Security Concerns

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly evaluating whether Chinese technology giant Tencent Holdings Ltd (HK:0700) should be allowed to keep its ownership stakes in several major video game...

Defense Contractors Move to Drop Anthropic AI After Trump Administration Ban

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