science wire

Exhibit documents Washtenaw County’s history of substance abuse
DATE: Opening reception noon-4 p.m. Feb. 4; exhibit on display Feb. 4 to April 29. Hours are noon-4 p.m. Saturdays/Sundays; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays.

Iconic photos of the Great Depression among the highlights in Cantor’s Walker Evans exhibit
In public programs, Stanford scholars share their views on the groundbreaking artistic endeavors of photographer Walker Evans.

Geisel Library Exhibits, Events to Celebrate Black History Month
A series of exhibits and events in celebration of Black History month will be held during winter and into spring quarter at UC San Diego's Geisel Library.

Institute for Advanced Study to host panel discussion on why universities should offer more interdisciplinary education opportunities
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (01/31/2012) —The Institute for Advanced Study will host a forum Monday, February 13 to discuss "Questions Without Borders: Why Future Research and Teaching Will Be Interdisciplinary" from 3:30 to 5 pm in Coffman Union, 300 Washington Avenue S.E., Minneapolis.

Tanner Lectures explore ancient philosophies as ways of life

Liberal-democratic ideas don't have universal support in Middle East
Liberal-democratic attitudes in the Middle East and North Africa aren't universal, say two University of Toronto sociologists.

Give undergraduates the ’gift’ of adaptive learning, committee tells senate
The first senate meeting of winter quarter focused on The Study of Undergraduate Education at Stanford.

Faculty Senate to hear report on reimagining undergraduate education

UCLA historian’s book looks at Arab uprisings, their common origins and different paths
Having closely watched the Arab uprisings that began just over a year ago, UCLA historian James Gelvin shudders whenever he hears the term "Arab Spring." "'Spring' implies renewal and joy, and we'

New chair in Indian studies to commemorate Hindu spiritual leader
The University of Chicago will establish a new visiting professorship in Indian studies, supported by a $1.5 million gift from India's Ministry of Culture.

Gloria Steinem: Still angry, still funny, still tireless
One of the most admired and loved leaders of second-wave feminism is coming to Stanford this week as part of the 40th anniversary celebration of Ms.

The History Channel will feature Penn State research on farm fields
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A Penn State Extension field demonstration of technology designed to reduce odors and nutrient losses from agricultural fields will be a featured segment on the History Channel's "Modern Marvels" program.

U-M’s Energy Institute to change name while embracing the unique Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project legacy
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute (MMPEI) will change its name to the University of Michigan Energy Institute, effective Feb.

Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life to open Jan. 22
The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at the University of California, Berkeley's Bancroft Library, the latest addition to the city's burgeoning downtown arts and culture district, is opening to the public on Sunday, Jan.

Joint statement from U of M Board of Regents Chair Linda Cohen and university General Counsel Mark Rotenberg
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (01/18/2012) —"It is important to clarify media reports relating to Regent Steve Sviggum's decision to accept a senior staff role with the majority caucus of the Minnesota Senate.

Statement from Board of Regents Chair Linda Cohen
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (01/17/2012) —"Steve Sviggum has a long and distinguished record of public service in the Legislature.

Writer hopes Arab Spring can be an antidote to terror
BY STANFORD REPORT STAFF When Lawrence Wright was in high school in Dallas, he wanted to take his girlfriend out for a nice date, but he didn't have much money.

Guilt, gender play major roles in human-animal relations
Until recently, most archaeologists viewed human-animal relationships primarily in terms of their dietary role.

Memoir gives personal look at the journey of a Buddhist scholar
Board chair and vice chair issue statement on questions about Paterno Alumni Town Hall meetings begin in Pittsburgh Panel discussion 'Responding to Child Sexual Abuse' set for Jan.

Railroad hyperbole echoes all the way down to the dot-com frenzy
Stanford historian Richard White explores the role of the railroad in shaping the modern American West.

Media Advisory: Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life open house Jan. 22
ATTENTION: Reporters covering art, culture and higher education WHAT: The University of California, Berkeley's public opening of the new home of the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art & Life.

Astronomers Release Unprecedented Data Set on Celestial Objects that Brighten and Dim
Astronomers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of Arizona have released the largest data set ever collected that documents the brightening and dimming of stars and other celestial objects—two hundred million in total.

Holocaust Living History Workshop to Present "Witnessing History" Events During Winter 2012
The UC San Diego Holocaust Living History Workshop (HLHW) launches a new series of events this winter, the "Witnessing History" series, focused on the topic of experiencing history in the making.

Intimate Science" Exhibition Opens at Carnegie Mellon’s Miller Gallery, Jan. 20 - March 4
: "Intimate Science" Exhibition Opens at Carnegie Mellon's Miller Gallery, Jan.

Free and Public Lectures Series at UC San Diego Explores What it Means To Be Human
What does it mean to be human? Are there essential human qualities and characteristics? How do we know what they are? And how did we acquire them? These questions will be explored in "Making of the M

Larger-than-life characters, intrigue part of history behind Battle of Adwa
Unlike Jonas, most people have never heard of Menelik or the Battle of Adwa. When asked about relations between Italy and Ethiopia, it would be more likely for the average person to think of Italy's invasion of the African country in the 1930s, when the Europeans were victorious.

New Book Explores Union Communication Through Lens of Boeing Labor Unrest
AUSTIN, Texas — Small groups of workers can use communication tactics to agitate for democracy, transparency and fighting spirit within their unions, according to the new book "We ARE the Union

Classicist is uncovering lives of ancient artists
In a corner of Verity Platt's Goldwin Smith Hall office sits a large plaster reproduction of a famous classical sculpture fragment, the Belvedere Torso.

Curator in the Classroom: The Artistic Eye of Prof. Kellie Jones
Kellie Jones talks about her new book, EyeMinded: Living and Writing Contemporary Art . (4:27) It's been a busy year for Kellie Jones.

Trustees approve building projects and a campus energy plan
At its second meeting of the academic year, Stanford's Board of Trustees took action on nine construction projects and approved a $438 million plan to improve the campus energy system.

Figurines reveal cross-pollination of religions in ancient Greece
The sectarian wars raging around the globe attest to the rigidity of many religious outlooks today. But in the second century BCE, residents on the Greek island of Delos saw nothing wrong with using others' gods in their prayers.

As Earth warms, plants and bees keep pace, study reports
As the warm temperatures of spring start a little earlier each year due to climate change, bees and plants are keeping pace, according to a new study published online Dec. 5 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. An analysis of bee collection data over the past 130 years shows that spring arrives about 10 days earlier than in the 1880s, and bees and flowering plants have kept pace by arriving earlier in lock-step.

Tobacco industry dying? Not so fast, says Stanford expert
Smoking is not going away. Worldwide, says Stanford historian Robert Proctor, the tobacco industry continues to create toxic products that cause not just lung cancer but also cataracts, ankle fractures, early onset menopause, spontaneous abortion and erectile dysfunction, among other maladies.

University of Minnesota Libraries mark 400th anniversary of the King James Bible
The 1611 King James Bible is one of the best known and most frequently printed books in the English language, but most don't know the story behind its creation.

U.S. has more elected, appointed Asian American officials than ever
More Asian Pacific Americans hold public office in the United States than at any other time in U.S. history, a sign of the community's growing engagement with the political process, according to a newly released political almanac published by UCLA's Asian American Studies Center.

Men’s Water Polo Team Takes Fourth Place at NCAA Water Polo Championships
No. 3-seed UC San Diego men's water polo team fell to No. 4-seed Princeton 9-7 in the consolation game of the NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship on Sunday at Spieker Aquatics Center on the campus of UC Berkeley.

Climate change stirs ’Perfect Moral Storm,’ prof says
The world is sailing into some killer storms and its leaders have done almost nothing to protect its boat.

Harrington Fellows Bring World-Changing Ideas to The University of Texas at Austin
AUSTIN, Texas — A biomedical engineer hoping to grow human organs, a psychologist examining why employees sometimes act in ways that destroy economic value, a mathematician exploring the limits

Physician and Novel Writer
Jason Karlawish is a physician, professor and researcher, and now, he can also be called a novelist.

Longtime advocate for children urges Stanford audience to stand up for kids

Jim Brandenburg's 'Chased By The Light' returns to Bell Museum of Natural History
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (11/30/2011) —“Chased By the Light: Jim Brandenburg's 90-Day Photo Journey” comes back to the University of Minnesota's Bell Museum of Natural History for a new showing that opens Dec.

New Exhibition, Website Guide Visitors through the Evolving Universe

Tritons Headed to NCAA Championship
The UC San Diego men's water polo team earned its first conference title since 2006 with an 8-7 win over UC Davis in the Western Water Polo Association Championship Nov.

Film weaves scientific and religious views of ’The Journey of the Universe’
"Journey of the Universe," a documentary exploring the human connection to Earth and the cosmos, which was produced by Yale historian of religions Mary Evelyn Tucker , will premiere on PBS stations nationwide beginning Dec.

Examining the changing face of Christianity
A century ago, 80 per cent of the world's Christians lived in Europe and North America; today, nearly 70 per cent live in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, making Christianity a predominantly non-Western religion.

'Journey of the Universe' premieres on PBS in December
"Journey of the Universe," a documentary exploring the human connection to Earth and the cosmos, which was produced by Yale historian of religions Mary Evelyn Tucker , will premiere on PBS stations nationwide beginning Dec.

A Message to the Community on Penn's Values
Amy Gutmann, President Vincent Price, Provost Craig Carnaroli, Executive Vice President The tragic events at Penn State have saddened the hearts of people throughout the world.

Digitizing a best-kept secret: Cornell’s coin collection
Cornell's coin collection is one of the best-kept secrets on campus, but if archaeologist Annetta Alexandridis has her way, the world will soon have access to every one of its 1,500 coins.

The history of angels: U-M research
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Angels are everywhere today - on lapel pins, magnetic dashboard figures, keepsake ornaments and in a Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

Chicago United names Nim Chinniah a 2011 Business Leader of Color
<p> A new scholarship for MBA students from India is now available at the <a href="http://www.chicagobooth.edu/">University of Chicago Booth School of Business</a> as a result of a $1 million gift from the Tobaccowala Foundation of India, the school announced Nov.

Oreskes’ Book Wins History of Science Society Prize
"Merchants of Doubt" (Bloomsbury Press, 2010), coauthored by Naomi Oreskes of UC San Diego's department of history with Erik Conway, has earned its share of public plaudits - including repeated praise from former Vice President Al Gore.

Pioneers of Documentary Photography Featured in New Exhibit on "Scientific Charity"
A boy with leg braces and crutches rests against a fire alarm. A woman hangs laundry from a clothesline strung across an airshaft behind a row of tenement buildings.

Nov. 16 Penn Lightbulb Café to Focus on Restoring Religious Monuments in War-torn Pakistan
WHO: Michael Meister, professor of South Asia Studies in the Department of Art History at the University of Pennsylvania WHAT: Penn Lightbulb Café lecture on "Conducting Research in Pakistan: Restoring Religious Monuments in Swat" WHEN: Wednesday, Nov.

Faculty fellow studies sound art of old recordings
Brian Hanrahan has a special appreciation for the crackle, fuzz and background chatter that characterize old radio broadcasts.

The public face of science at McGill gets a major boost
$5.5-million gift from Lorne Trottier secures the future of high-profile science outreach initiatives Does the idea of science make you think of complicated equations, test tubes and isolated laboratories?

Lives of soliders, important Canadians to be documented
As Canadians prepare to honour fallen soldiers this Remembrance Day, the federal government has announced funding for a website which chronicles the lives of war veterans, including U of'T graduate Lt.

Lives of soliders, important Canadian to be documented
As Canadians prepare to honour fallen soldiers this Remembrance Day, the federal government has announced funding for a website which chronicles the lives of war veterans, including U of'T graduate Lt.

Biological futures initiative aims to bring larger ethical issues into non-medical science
Emerging Issues in Biological Futures II: A Panel Discussion on Global Health will be presented from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov.

New book explores how Lincoln's nationalism helped to save the Union
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - How Abraham Lincoln viewed the U.S. Constitution played a more important role in preserving the Union during the Civil War than previous scholarship has indicated, according to a new book by Mark E. Neely Jr., McCabe Greer Professor of History at Penn State.

’Shabbat Friendly Project’ addresses needs of UCLA’s Jewish patients, family members
Jewish people of all observances can now feel that their religious practices are fully accommodated when they visit Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood.

Celebrating 90 Years of Insulin
Ninety years after Frederick Banting , Charles Best , John Macleod and Bertram Collip uncovered the role of insulin in diabetes, the legacy of their ground-breaking discovery has a place to call home.

U of M documentary 'Cornerstones' traces history of North Minneapolis through place-based memories
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (11/01/2011) —North Minneapolis' legendary buildings and historic spaces are the backdrops for an exploration of the power of place and community in "Cornerstones: Stories of Place on the North Side," premiering statewide at 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov.

Dr. Livingstone’s lost 1871 ’massacre’ diary recovered; discovery rewrites history
In Africa 140 years ago, David Livingstone, the Victorian explorer, met Henry M. Stanley of the New York Herald and gave him a harrowing account of a massacre he witnessed, in which slave traders slaughtered 400 innocent people.

Ramon Saldivar takes helm of the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity
The center, whose twin pillars are undergraduate teaching and faculty research, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.

Thirty Japanese cloths from recent gift to be displayed at Fowler Museum

Professor James Shapiro Examines the Question of Who Wrote Shakespeare
(Editor's note: This story on English professor James Shapiro was originally published in the May 14, 2010, Vol.

Experts reveal new images, analyses of Spurlock Museum mummy
CHAMPAIGN, lll. - In 1990, a team of researchers and medical experts placed an ancient Egyptian mummy into a computed tomography (CT) scanner at a hospital in Central Illinois, hoping to learn what they could about the individual shrouded inside its linen cocoon. Those scans, along with X-rays and analyses of fragments collected from the fraying base of the mummy, revealed that it was a child from a wealthy family, likely from the Roman period of ancient Egypt.

Book by UW–Madison professor explores new media ethics
A new book on media ethics by University of Wisconsin–Madison professor Stephen J. A. Ward explores the leading issues in global, online media.

Mapping Gothic France: Digital Insights Into the Genius of Medieval Cathedrals
Art history professor Stephen Murray has been lucky enough to spend months at a time snapping pictures of France's Gothic cathedrals so others interested in these architectural marvels who may not have the resources to go to Europe won't have to.

Caltech Event Marks 75th Anniversary of JPL Rocket Tests
October 11, 2011 PASADENA, Calif.

University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler names alumna Karen Hanson as the new provost
Board of Regents to vote on the appointment at October meeting MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (10/10/2011) —University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler today announced that Karen Hanson will

Wash away your troubles with soap
ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Cleaning your hands removes more than dirt, it also removes residues of the past, such as guilt and doubt, a new University of Michigan study finds.

Deborah Lipstadt, outspoken scholar of Holocaust denial, speaking in Minn. Oct. 26-27
Deborah Lipstadt, author of "The Eichmann Trial and History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier," will speak about Holocaust denial at two events in Minnesota this month.

Columbia History Class Puts the Pedal to the Metal
When Kenneth T. Jackson began teaching his course, " The History of the City of New York ," 37 years ago, he decided to take his students out of the classroom to grasp the full impact of the urban environment.

Historian mixes policy and personal stories in history of U.S. immigration
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - It's not one border, one time, that makes an immigrant, says Dorothee Schneider. It's not a matter of crossing over and you're done.

Five Principles Critical to Successful Nation-Building, Finds History and Global Affairs Scholar
Sept. 26, 2011 AUSTIN, Texas — The United States must follow five fundamental principles in order to successfully build strong, self-sufficient nations in post-conflict situations, according to new research from The University of Texas at Austin.

Black talk, blue thoughts
As a budding "black journalista," UCLA alumna Erin Aubry Kaplan couldn't believe her luck when the Los Angeles Times asked her to cover South Central Los Angeles after the 1992 riots.

Barnard Professor Explores the Rich, Sweet History of Milk
Throughout history, milk has been a symbol of motherhood and fertility, but also prosperity, health and strength.

Stanford takes Estonia’s ’Museum of Occupations’ under its wing
"While the Cold War may be over, history goes on, and it is the role of universities, and very much that of their libraries, to serve as institutions of cultural memory," said Stanford Librarian Michael Keller.

Three U-M researchers named 2011 MacArthur Fellows
Sept.

Compatibilism: Can free will and determinism co-exist?
Stanford philosophy professor takes the side of a beleaguered theory – that predetermination and free will are not mutually exclusive.

Excerpt From Grand Pursuit, by Sylvia Nasar
The idea that humanity could turn tables on economic necessity—mastering rather than being enslaved by material circumstances—is so new that Consider the world of Georgian opulence that the author of Pride and Prejudice inhabited.

Minnesota native Majka Burhardt to share tale of coffee and hope in Ethiopia at Bell Museum of Natural History Sept. 21
What: "Coffee Story: Ethiopia" presentation by author Majka Burhardt, followed by panel discussion When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept.

Stanford Libraries acquire Jim Cullum’s ’Riverwalk Jazz’ archives
Stanford's Archive of Recorded Sound will begin streaming the jazz maestro's radio programs in January 2013.

U of M School of Journalism hosts events exploring Latino media history Sept. 22-23
Félix Gutiérrez, a nationally acclaimed expert in social media and racial diversity and professor of journalism and communication at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, visits the University of Minnesota on Sept.

Stanford experts: how 9/11 has changed the world
Never-ending war? A new "greatest generation?" A professor whose 3-year-old son is on the government's watchlist? Six Stanford experts talk about the world since that terrible day a decade ago.

Harry Ransom Center Receiving Applications for Research Fellowships in the Humanities
Aug. 31, 2011 AUSTIN, Texas — The Harry Ransom Center , a humanities research library and museum at The University of Texas at Austin, is now receiving applications for its 2012-2013 research fellowships in the humanities. The application deadline is Feb. 1, 2012. Information about the fellowships and the application process is available online.  More than 50 fellowships are awarded annually by the Ransom Center to support research projects in all areas of the humanities.

Marine Science Institute Receives $7 Million Grant to Study the Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Aug.

Cornell Formula SAE team makes international debut

When the Towers Fell: An Oral History of 9/11 and Its Aftermath
In the aftermath of 9/11, Mary Marshall Clark began noticing that a deep stillness had fallen over New York City.

Sunday is Maroon and Gold Day at the State Fair
U president Kaler, athletic director Maturi and Marching Band to headline State Fair parade An annual highlight for fairgoers takes place this Sunday, Aug.

University of Minnesota receives $14 million estate gift for scholarships

Elaine Tennant named new Bancroft Library director
BERKELEY — Elaine Tennant, a medieval and early modern specialist in the German and Scandinavian departments at the University of California, Berkeley, will become the James D. Hart Director of UC Berkeley's Bancroft Library starting in September.

Marcus Garvey movement owes large debt to Caribbean expats, UCLA historian finds
Conventional wisdom has long held that Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association, which advocated racial self-help and the unity of the African diaspora, grew out of the heady political

Historian charts a transformation of the night, from fear to embrace
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Darkness truly ruled the night in the Europe of 1500. People feared almost everything about the hours after sunset, says University of Illinois historian Craig Koslofsky.

Tireless Scholar Ehsan Yarshater, at 91, Continues Work on Encyclopedia Iranica
For years, Iranian studies scholar Ehsan Yarshater was frustrated that there was only one comprehensive and reliable reference for his field.

Breathing new life into Earth
New research shows evidence of early oxygen on our planet. Today, oxygen takes up a hefty portion of Earth's atmosphere: Life-sustaining O 2 molecules make up 21 percent of the air we breathe. However, very early in Earth's history, O 2 was a rare ‘ if not completely absent ' player in the turbulent mix of primordial gases.