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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

Gold Prices Steady in Asian Trade as Strong Dollar and Rising Yields Weigh on Bullion

Gold prices remained largely steady during Asian trading on Friday after posting losses in the previous session, as a stronger U.S. dollar and rising Treasury yields continued to pressure the precious metal. Despite...

Dollar Gains as Middle East Conflict Boosts Safe-Haven Demand, Oil Prices and Inflation Concerns Rise

The U.S. dollar remained broadly steady in early Asian trading on Friday and is heading toward its strongest weekly performance in more than a year as escalating tensions in the Middle East push investors toward safe-haven...

U.S. Stocks Fall as Middle East Tensions Lift Oil Prices and AI Chip Export Rules Hit Tech Sector

U.S. stocks closed lower on Thursday as rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East unsettled investors, while reports of potential U.S. restrictions on AI chip exports weighed on semiconductor stocks....

EU Seeks Stronger Canada Trade Ties Amid Uncertainty Over U.S. Tariff Policy

European Union Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Maros Sefcovic expressed confidence on Thursday that the United States will respect the terms of its existing trade agreement with the European Union, following...

Federal Judge Orders Refund of Trump’s Emergency Tariffs, Potentially Returning Up to $182 Billion

A U.S. federal judge has ordered the government to begin refunding billions of dollars in tariffs imposed during President Donald Trumps administration after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the measures illegal in late...

Politics

Shell Signs Oil and Gas Agreements With Venezuela to Advance Dragon Gas Project

Energy giant Shell has signed multiple oil and gas agreements with the Venezuelan government, marking a significant step toward expanding energy development in the region. The deals include offshore natural gas development...

U.S. State Department Expands Charter Flights as Americans Struggle to Leave Middle East Amid Iran Conflict

The U.S. State Department announced it is increasing charter flight operations from the Middle East as thousands of American citizens remain stranded following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. The move...

Israel Orders Evacuation of Beirut’s Southern Suburbs as Tensions With Hezbollah Escalate

Israel warned residents to evacuate Beiruts southern suburbs on Thursday, signaling a potential escalation in the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. The warning targeted densely populated areas of the Lebanese capital known...

Ukraine to Assist U.S. in Countering Iranian Shahed Drones in the Middle East

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that Ukraine will assist the United States in defending against Iranian Shahed drones in the Middle East following a request from Washington. The decision highlights...

Trump Says Iran Seeking Deal After U.S.-Israel Strikes as Washington Eyes Measures to Ease Oil Prices

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran is attempting to open negotiations with the United States following recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes targeting Tehrans military capabilities. Speaking at a White House...

Science

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

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

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

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

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

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

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

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

California Court Rejects xAI Bid to Block AI Data Transparency Law

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Pentagon Labels Anthropic AI a Supply-Chain Risk, Restricting Use in U.S. Military Projects

The U.S. Pentagon has officially designated artificial intelligence company Anthropic as a supply-chain risk, a move that immediately restricts government contractors from using the companys AI technology in projects tied...

Amazon Website Outage Disrupts Thousands of U.S. Shoppers Before Services Recover

Amazons e-commerce platform experienced a significant outage on Thursday that temporarily disrupted online shopping for tens of thousands of users across the United States. According to Downdetector, a website that tracks...

U.S. Considers New Rules Tying AI Chip Exports to Investment and Security Guarantees

U.S. officials are evaluating a new regulatory framework that could significantly reshape global access to advanced artificial intelligence chips. According to a document reviewed by Reuters, the proposed rules may require...

Indonesia Issues Stern Warning to Meta Over Online Gambling and Disinformation

Indonesias communications ministry has issued a stern warning to Meta Platforms Inc. over what it describes as insufficient action against the spread of online gambling, disinformation, and harmful content across its...