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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

US Dollar Index Falls as Fed Signals Caution, Indian Rupee Surges

The U.S. dollar weakened on Tuesday as cautious comments from a Federal Reserve official and gains in the euro pressured the greenback. Meanwhile, the Indian rupee extended its sharp recovery, reaching its strongest level...

Gold Prices Mixed Ahead of US Inflation Data and Fed Rate Outlook

Gold prices ended Tuesdays trading session mixed as investors assessed a weaker U.S. dollar, declining Treasury yields, and fluctuating oil prices ahead of crucial U.S. inflation reports that could influence the Federal...

Fed’s Williams Sees One More Rate Hike in 2026, None in 2027

Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said Tuesday that he continues to support one additional interest rate hike in 2026 but does not anticipate further increases in 2027, citing expectations that...

Oil Prices Mixed as Russia Diesel Deal and Houthi Attacks Raise Supply Concerns

Oil prices traded mixed on Tuesday as investors assessed the impact of a U.S.-Russia diesel supply agreement alongside growing concerns about Middle East oil disruptions following escalating Houthi attacks in Yemen and...

Wall Street Closes Lower as Bank Earnings and AI Concerns Weigh

Wall Street stocks ended slightly lower on Tuesday, October 13, as mixed bank earnings and growing concerns over Chinese artificial intelligence competition pressured investor sentiment ahead of key U.S. inflation data....

Politics

US Senate Midterms 2026: Key Races That Could Flip Control

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Trump Denies China, Russia Are Helping Iran in War

US President Donald Trump has dismissed claims that China and Russia are supporting Iran in its ongoing war with the United States, despite American intelligence assessments suggesting both countries have provided military...

Zelenskiy Says Ukraine Received No Warning Before Russian Missile Attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Tuesday that Western allies failed to provide advance warning of a Russian missile attack on Kyiv, raising concerns about Ukraines access to critical intelligence as Washington...

US Supreme Court Denies Release of Anti-ICE Activist Kyle Wagner

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a request for the pretrial release of Kyle Wagner, an anti-ICE activist accused of making online threats during a federal immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. The decision keeps...

Flavio Bolsonaro Backs Brazil’s 40-Hour Workweek Reform Ahead of Runoff

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Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

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Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

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SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

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Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

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China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

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Technology

New York Times, AFP Join Coalition to Protect Content From AI

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AT&T Sells Mexico Wireless Business to Televisa for $2 Billion

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Arm Shares Fall Over 3% After Qualcomm Wins License Dispute

Arm Holdings shares dropped more than 3% on Tuesday, October 13, after a Delaware jury ruled in favor of Qualcomm in a breach of contract lawsuit, marking another setback for the British chip technology company in its...

Arm Breaches Qualcomm License Deal, Jury Awards $2

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Nvidia Invests in Four French AI Companies to Expand European Presence

Nvidia Corp is expanding its presence in Europes artificial intelligence market through agreements to acquire minority stakes in four French technology companies, according to a report published Tuesday by French newspaper...