science wire

Stanford Shakespeare Company’s Romeo and Juliet brings the feuding families of Verona together for a eulogy
The all-student theater company tweaks the classic tale by staging a ceremony of remembrance for the dead lovers.

Engineers use plasmonics to create an invisible photodetector
A team of engineers at Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania has for the first time used "plasmonic cloaking" to create a device that can see without being seen – an invisible machine that detects light. It may not be intuitive, but a coating of reflective metal can actually make something less visible, engineers at Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania have shown.

Turkish president tells Stanford audience, ’this is the age of people’s empowerment’

TEDxStanford ’illuminates’ Stanford’s intellectual diversity
Saturday's TEDxStanford featured inspiring presentations and performances, addressing subjects ranging from early cancer detection to the consequences of misguided philanthropy and the joys of unconventional musical composition.

Planned Parenthood president speaks to Stanford on mobilizing for reproductive health in the 21st century
Cecile Richards explained the importance of looking to the next generation, the possibilities offered by new technologies and why Planned Parenthood is arguably stronger than ever.

Stanford scholars examine big money’s influence on elections
Political scientists, Washington insiders and campaign watchdogs gathered at a conference to talk about the corrosive effect of money on politics and whether the economy can predict who will be president.

Stanford alumnus Jeffrey Raikes to join university’s Board of Trustees
Jeffrey Raikes, who earned his bachelor's degree from Stanford in 1980, has been elected to serve a five-year term on the university's Board of Trustees beginning June 1.

Senate approves Ways of Thinking, Ways of Doing breadth requirement

Scientists document fragile land-sea ecological chain
Intricate, often invisible chains of life are threatened with extinction around the world. A new study quantifies one of the longest such chains ever documented. Douglas McCauley and Paul DeSalles did not set out to discover one of the longest ecological interaction chains ever documented. But that's exactly what they and a team of researchers – all current or former Stanford students and faculty – did in a new study published in Scientific Reports .

Bay Area Photovoltaic Consortium announces $7.5 million in grants to lower the cost of large-scale solar power
The university-industry consortium led by Stanford and UC-Berkeley aims to make utility-scale solar energy cost-competitive by 2020.

Stanford’s Eavan Boland defines what it means to be a ’woman poet’
Through poetry and prose, Stanford professor and acclaimed poet Eavan Boland shares how being a woman, wife and mother influenced her work.

Stanford to feature live webcast of ’TEDxStanford: Illumination’ on Saturday
Stanford will feature a live webcast of "TEDxStanford: Illumination," an eclectic, all-day celebration of Stanford-related innovation, information, art, products and performance that will take place on Saturday, May 19.

Q&A: Professor David Plank on the budget and California’s K-12 education system
A new report by Stanford's nonpartisan research center, PACE, finds that the budget crisis crippled attempts to increase spending on students and snuffed out appetite for reform.

Stanford professor, IT specialist create interactive map of the Roman Empire
ORBIS, an interactive digital model of the ancient Roman transportation system, shows how the empire was shaped by economic constraints.

Wild blue yonder: Engineers tackle challenges of hypersonic flight
A multiyear collaboration among Stanford engineering departments uses some of the world's fastest supercomputers to model the complexities of hypersonic flight.

Hip-hop reigns at Stanford’s BlackFest 2012

Hume Writing Center celebrates 10-year anniversary May 16-17

Hold the military accountable, ex-ambassador to Afghanistan tells a Stanford audience
Karl Eikenberry, who led coalition forces in Afghanistan and served as U.S. ambassador to that country, said during a lecture at Stanford that Congress and the media must hold the military more accountable.

Amy Blue Award-winner Steve Papier credits Blue herself for his leadership style

Stanford psychologist: Achievement goals can be shaped by environment
A new study by Stanford psychologist Paul O'Keefe suggests that the culture of our learning and working environments can have long-term effects on our goals and motivation. Think about the ideal student. He or she focuses on learning, not grades; improvement, not appearances; competency, not competition.

Michel Boudart, Stanford chemical engineer and expert in catalysis, dies at 87
Professor Boudart taught at Princeton and Berkeley but was best known for his five decades at the heart of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford.

Support for climate change action drops, Stanford poll finds
The drop was concentrated among Americans who distrust climate scientists. Americans' support for government action on global warming remains high but has dropped during the past two years, according to a new survey by Stanford researchers in collaboration with Ipsos Public Affairs.

No evidence that international health aid is wasted
The study findings, published in PLoS Medicine , are poised to influence a debate among policymakers and donors over whether international assistance is wasted and displaced by governments that receive the money.

Inside a mathematical proof lies literature, says Stanford’s Reviel Netz
Stanford scholar Reviel Netz discusses why some of the greatest mathematicians were also some of classical history's most poetic storytellers. By Corrie Goldman The Humanities at Stanford Like novelists, mathematicians are creative authors. With diagrams, symbolism, metaphor, double entendre and elements of surprise, a good proof reads like a good story.

It takes a tribe - of dedicated undergrads - to ’raise’ the Stanford Powwow

Senate conducts Round One of breadth requirement debate

Actress and author Anna Deavere Smith brings ’grace’ to Stanford
Through a series of moving monologues, Anna Deavere Smith demonstrates the many manifestations of 'grace' at the Heyns Lecture on Religion and Society.

Stanford Athletics Director Bob Bowlsby to depart for Big 12

Six Stanford faculty elected to National Academy of Sciences
Six Stanford faculty members have been elected to receive one of the highest honors for an American scientist in recognition of their achievements in original research.

Despite questions over U.S.-Afghan pact, Stanford professor remains optimistic
Erik Jensen argues that staying the course will have positive outcomes for generations of Afghans to come.

Controversial author Martin Amis coming to Stanford on May 7
He's famous for his sharp, inventive prose and his barbed public comments. The British author's next novel, about a violent criminal who wins the lottery, will be published this summer.

Use of public and private dollars for scaling up clean energy needs a reality check, say Stanford scholars
In a post-Solyndra, budget-constrained world, the transition to a decarbonized energy system faces great hurdles.

Walter F. W. Lohnes, Stanford professor emeritus of German Studies, dies at 87
Lohnes, author of the book that became the standard for beginning German language textbooks, changed the way German is taught in the United States and abroad.

Stanford scholar tracks meditation’s migration from ancient monasteries to modern yoga
Religious Studies Professor Carl Bielefeldt has dedicated his academic career to the study of 13th century Japanese Zen, a tradition of Buddhism that emphasizes the practice of meditation.

Bejeweled: Stanford nanotech gets boost from nanowire decorations
Engineers at Stanford have found a novel method for "decorating" nanowires with chains of tiny particles to increase their electrical and catalytic performance. The new technique is simpler, faster and provides greater control than earlier methods and could lead to better batteries, solar cells and catalysts.

Where does that creative spark come from? Stanford’s Tina Seelig has some ideas
In her new book, Tina Seelig provides tools and techniques to enhance creativity in individuals, teams and organizations.

Stanford course explores art and the shifting ideas of ’occupation’
Students and members of the community explore how artists have occupied spaces in order to transform them, and consider the role of the arts in economic, immigrant, political and social justice struggles.

Affirmative action is needed to get the best candidates, Stanford psychologist says
The researchers plan on submitting their findings to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is expected to hear arguments next fall on what could become a landmark affirmative action case. When it comes to affirmative action, the argument usually focuses on diversity. Promoting diversity, the Supreme Court ruled in 2003, can justify taking race into account.

Helmut Krawinkler, earthquake engineering expert, dies at 72
Krawinkler was widely respected around the world and recognized for extraordinary and lasting contributions to earthquake safety.

Stanford’s distinguished outdoor art collection is on view 365 days a year
Cantor Arts Center's highly trained docents lead guided tours of the outdoor collection. By Robin Wander There are different tours on different days that focus exclusively on the Rodin collection and the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden.

Stanford hosts election-year debate pitting political heavyweights Rove and Gibbs
The student-sponsored debate, moderated by political science Professor Rob Reich, transported the audience inside the Beltway for a tête-à-tête over immigration, jobs and political parties.

Stanford Hospital and Blue Shield in contract discussions
Negotiations continue between Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Blue Shield of California with an April 27 deadline.

Trustees approve $4.2 million contemplative center for Windhover paintings

Researchers help Hawaii’s largest landholder plan an ecological future
The future of a large chunk of the island of Oahu was at stake when Stanford environmental scientists were called in to lend a helping hand.

Stanford’s Frost Amphitheater to roar back with Modest Mouse

Stanford Medical School professor to receive 2012 Roland Volunteer Service Prize

Climate change may create corn market price volatility, say researchers from Stanford and Purdue
America's No. 1 crop could see its prime growing region shift to the Canadian border or its price volatility increase sharply within 30 years. A new Stanford study points to climate change as the cause. By Rob Jordan The study, based on economic, climatic and agricultural data and computational models, finds that even if climate change stays within the internationally recognized target limit of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels, the temperature changes could still make damaging heat waves much more common over the U.S. corn belt.

Online Stanford courses: ’Everything that we’re doing is experimental’

Ramón Saldívar to become director of Bing Overseas Studies
The program, which sends about half of each undergraduate class abroad, has overseas studies at 11 centers all over the world, including Beijing, Cape Town and Paris, and offers overseas seminars in rotating locations that have included Brazil, India, the Netherlands, Tanzania and Turkey.

Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan brings his teaching philosophy to Stanford
The Department of Music expands its non-Western musical offerings by hosting one of Northern India's greatest living musicians during the spring quarter.

Stanford’s Özgen Felek investigates the power of dreams in Sufism
Through a study of dreams, Özgen Felek charts the ascendance of the 16 th -century Ottoman ruler Sultan Murad III from humble disciple to spiritual and political leader.

Stanford’s Community Partnership Awards recognize work of DreamCatchers, Canopy, InnVision and Stanford Project on Hunger

Robots dazzle spectators at Stanford block party, job fair
Inventors, researchers and toymakers showed off a variety of robots that do everything from dance to the King of Pop to help doctors perform more precise surgical procedures.

Stanford summit draws Arab Spring activists, youth leaders from the Middle East and US
The student-led initiative brought nearly 40 delegates from across North Africa, the Middle East and the United States to Stanford to swap stories and grow new ideas for change in the volatile region.

Thomas Cover, acclaimed information theorist, dies at 73
Cover was a man of remarkable breadth in his research interests, making landmark contributions in fields ranging from information theory and mathematical statistics to data compression, pattern recognition and stock market investment strategies.

Stanford professor asks, how does God become real to people?
Tanya Luhrmann's research seeks to narrow the gap between believers and nonbelievers, which she says has grown so wide it can be difficult for one side to respect the other. By Brooke Donald "What I found out is that there's a learning process. People are able to learn to have vivid experiences of God," Luhrmann said.

Alan Harvey to direct Stanford University Press
Alan Harvey is an expert in evolving digital and print-on-demand delivery of books. He will lead Stanford University Press through a period of industry-wide upheaval when he takes the reins July 1.

Stanford musicologist Stephen Hinton gets inside the music of Kurt Weill
Stanford musicologist Stephen Hinton presents an in-depth portrait of the artistic and cultural contributions of one of the most influential figures in 20th-century musical theater.

Geoffrey West will deliver Stanford’s annual Hofstadter Lectures
Cities are the future of the world, with a million people a week becoming urbanized. From cities come the world's problems, and also their solutions, says physicist Geoffrey West of the Santa Fe Institute.

Researchers call for policy, aid and innovation to help world’s poorest
Philanthropist and software giant Bill Gates spoke to a Stanford audience last week about the importance of foreign aid and product innovation in the fight against chronic hunger, poverty and disease in the developing world.

Stanford arts looking ahead to 2016

At your service: Stanford’s entrepreneurship concierge

Tickets go on sale April 9 for ’TEDxStanford: Illumination’
After successfully piloting a TED-like event in 2011, Stanford is now launching 'TEDxStanford: Illumination,' which will be held May 19.

Renowned Stegner Fellowship program announces 2012-2014 fellows
Five poets and five fiction writers will spend two years developing their writing skills in the company of peers and under the guidance of Stanford faculty.

At Stanford, Bill Gates says foreign aid is threatened, but big ideas can turn the tide
Stanford President John Hennessy leads a question and answer session with Bill Gates following the billionaire philanthropist's presentation on campus.

Stanford author Adam Johnson on truth and totalitarianism in North Korea
This month's scheduled rocket launch says a lot more about consolidating the Kim Jong Un regime than it does about any global aspirations, according to the author.

Straintronics: Stanford engineers create piezoelectric graphene
By depositing atoms on one side of a grid of the "miracle material" graphene, researchers at Stanford have engineered piezoelectricity into a nanoscale material for the first time. Twist it and it generates electricity. The implications could yield a dramatic degree of control in nanotechnology. To the long list of exceptional physical properties of graphene, Stanford engineers have added yet another: piezoelectricity, the property of some materials to produce an electric charge when bent, squeezed or twisted.

Where the wild winds blow: Stanford engineers use weather models to site offshore wind farms
Stanford engineers enlist weather models to find the best place on the map for a grid of four wind farms in the ocean off the U.S. East Coast.

Study to try cold cash and social game to relieve rush hour traffic
Sleeping in might never feel better. To lower traffic congestion and pollution, a new program seeks to get Stanford drivers to avoid arriving and departing the campus during peak hours.

Interpreting an artist’s intent involves a team of experts at Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center
Staying true to the artist and the artwork is at the heart of each decision made by museum curators, conservators and preparators while installing works by Dan Flavin and Robert Irwin.

Stanford economist narrows China’s education gap with research, technology and policy
Stanford economist Scott Rozelle says 80 percent of urban Chinese students have Internet access, compared with 2 percent of their rural peers.

Stanford sends notification to the Class of 2016

Marsha Friberg Shinkman, former assistant director of Stanford in Washington, dead at 69

Stanford’s Global Climate and Energy Project awards $8.4 million to develop innovative energy technologies
GCEP has awarded $8.4 million to researchers from Stanford to develop innovative technologies that address global climate change.

Dean Larry Kramer to leave Stanford Law School to lead Hewlett Foundation

Q&A: Stanford’s Dr. Jay Bhattacharya explains what’s at stake in debate over health care
With legal arguments at the Supreme Court over, the fate of the Obama administration's health care law is in the hands of the justices.

Small dams on Mekong River tributaries could harm fish and people, Stanford researcher finds
Planned dams in Southeast Asia would affect fish productivity and biodiversity in the world's largest inland fishery, says Stanford researcher Guy Ziv. New dams planned for tributaries of the Mekong River in Southeast Asia will be more environmentally destructive and will produce less energy than the dams in the main river, according to Stanford researcher Guy Ziv.

Lythcott-Haims stepping down as dean of freshmen and undergraduate advising

At Stanford forum, Christie calls long GOP primary contest ’stupid’
Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey said during a speech at Stanford's Hoover Institution that the drawn-out primary fight makes the candidates look stupid and turns the public off.

Now, brought to the big screen by physicists at SLAC: the universe
The first stars in the universe were massive and burned intensely bright before they died in supernova explosions. (Photo: Courtesy of KIPAC) Dramatic 3-D videos, created from actual data, show the origins of the universe. Now playing on screens at SLAC, as well as museums in San Francisco and New York.

Researcher cooks up the courtly culture of Europe in the 1600’s
Study of 17th-century food and dining practices yields compelling cultural information about a society struggling to rebuild after the Thirty Years War.

Stanford opens research center at Peking University

Learning how to speak ’American’

Stanford robots clash in class finale
Amid a cheering audience, student robots faced off in a "mechatronics" class showdown. In a nod to the political season, the autonomous machines raced to transport poker chips for Michelle Botman or Team Robama.

From glovebox to archive: Private collector gives huge trove of road maps to Stanford libraries
It is one of the most significant and comprehensive collections in the West – yet Robert Berlo's mother lode of 13,000 road maps began modestly with a young boy's cross-country trip to Boston.

Software allows users to protect personal, university data stored on mobile devices
Stanford's new Mobile Device Management software is available for free to faculty, students and staff with active SUNet IDs.

Brook H. Byers will join Stanford’s Board of Trustees in April

Terman Engineering Center is gone, but not lost
The Department of Project Management diverted 99.6 percent of the demolished Terman Engineering Center from landfill through recycling or reuse.

Artist takes performance to new heights at Stanford biological preserve
Tom Seligman stands in the shade of an oak as he portrays Domingo Grosso, a 'hermit' who lived in the Jasper Ridge area around 1890-1920.

Researchers create exotic electrons that may lead to new materials, devices
The handcrafted, honeycomb-shaped structures were inspired by graphene, a pure form of carbon widely heralded for its potential in future electronics. By Mike Ross To tune the electrons' properties, the researchers repositioned the carbon monoxide molecules on the surface; this changed the symmetry of the electron flow.

Stanford scholars deconstruct Middle East uprisings by looking at Europe’s past
Scholars draw connections between the revolutionary past of Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia and the recent uprisings in the Middle East.

Stanford lectures, research examine sexuality, religion and the cosmos
Through a combination of guest lecturers, coursework and research, the "Religion and Gender Lecture Series" highlights how the study of gender and sexuality transforms the way scholars understand religious traditions, practices and beliefs.

DuPont joins Stanford’s Global Climate and Energy Project
DuPont is GCEP's newest corporate sponsor, joining ExxonMobil, GE, Schlumberger and Toyota in support of innovative research on sustainable energy technologies.

An exploration of human and electronic sound on Stanford’s CCRMA Stage
Joan La Barbara presents a colloquium on her work as a composer, performer and sound artist, followed by a lecture and demonstration by Morton Subotnick, a pioneer in electronic music.

Stanford visiting artist Ellen Lake creates a cultural paradox across decades
The artist returns to obsolete technologies as a way to slow down time and reflect on both the past and the current media landscape.

Stanford Humanities Center hosts annual celebration of publications
From history and poetry to music and philosophy, the 19th annual event showcased the wide-ranging scope of humanities scholarship at Stanford.

Stanford experts say Silicon Valley is poised to play a key role as Japan restructures its power industry
Stanford experts predict Silicon Valley technologies will likely play a key role in redeveloping Japan's earthquake- and tsunami-damaged cities and towns.

Searsville Dam steering committee wrestling with complex issues
The steering committee studying the future of Searsville Dam and Reservoir is preparing to engage consultants, while continuing discussions with local organizations and residents, as it begins sorting through the complicated issues governing the dam's fate.

Stanford offers more free online classes for the world

Trans-Atlantic bond between the Keats brothers was a poetic inspiration, Stanford scholar says
Stanford English Professor Denise Gigante examines the life of John Keats through the lens of his relationship with his American immigrant brother.

Q&A: Margot Gerritsen on the critical need for energy literacy in the US
Although the United States is one of the world's biggest energy consumers, the average American has little knowledge about basic energy issues, says Margot Gerritsen.

Stanford’s Quake-Catcher Network detects a tremor 10 seconds before the shaking reaches campus
The Quake-Catcher Network, a web of sensors plugged into the computers of 2,000 volunteers, detected the shaking of an earthquake this week in less time than it took the motion to travel about 45 mile

Researchers bring life to high school history classes with a curriculum built around historical documents
Valerie Ziegler, center, a teacher at Lincoln High School in San Francisco, leads students through an exercise that evaluates possible biases in a photograph taken during the Depression.

At the Cantor: Innovations that established the reputations of five contemporary artists
The best tools to teach art history are works of art seen in person. By Robin Wander Seeing a handful of seminal works of art by important artists in person can be as meaningful as reading the latest tome on art history.

Seeking harmony of body and mind at Stanford through Shaolin Kung Fu
Lisa Becker, a biology research assistant, learns Shaolin Kung Fu from the masters in the class at Stanford.

First acts announced for opening of Stanford’s much-anticipated Bing Concert Hall
The first performers at the Bing are expected to establish the hall as one of the preeminent concert venues in Northern California and a model for the intersection of performance and curriculum.

Senate engages in lively discussions on freshman-year requirements, faculty conflicts of interest

Eight more ’engineering heroes’ celebrated by Stanford’s School of Engineering
Stanford School of Engineering honors eight engineering trailblazers whose work has changed the world.

Engineers create wireless, self-propelled medical device
For 50 years, scientists searched for the secret to making tiny implantable devices that could travel through the bloodstream.

Cantor exhibition showcases Stanford’s collection of Native American paintings
Highlights from Stanford's Native American paintings collection are showcased in Memory and Markets: Pueblo Painting in the Early 20th Century The works at the Cantor Arts Center celebrate the emergence of Native American painters in the modern art market, beginning in Santa Fe in the 1930s.

Rare Judeo-Spanish memoir gives a voice to the people of a lost culture
Historians Aron Rodrigue and Sarah Abrevaya Stein bring the history of Ottoman Jews to life in a text published by Stanford University Press.

Redwood City takes up Stanford building proposals
The Redwood City Planning Commission's review of Stanford's proposed Redwood City redevelopment project begins today, Feb.

Q&A: Stanford’s Morris Fiorina on Santorum’s rise and a dissatisfied Republican Party
Santorum is surging in the polls, Romney is having a hard time relating to voters and there's a real possibility the GOP could have no nominee by the time the convention rolls around, says political scientist Morris Fiorina.

Look for new roles for older citizens in an aging America, says Stanford’s Laura Carstensen
The country's percentage of older people is rising rapidly. But that's not just a problem, says Laura Carstensen, an expert on aging, it's also a chance to improve transportation, redesign the suburbs and gain from the talents and experience of our elders.

Stanford alumna named a 2012 Gates Cambridge Scholar
A Stanford alumna who is the executive director of a tutoring and mentoring program for middle school students in Palo Alto is one of 40 Americans recently selected as 2012 Gates Cambridge Scholars.

International interactive artist Camille Utterback delivers public lecture at Stanford
The artist discusses her interactive installations and how they engage the viewer in a dynamic, kinesthetic experience at the intersection of art and technology.

State-owned oil companies increase price volatility and pollution, Stanford researcher says
State-owned oil companies dominate the world's oil supplies, and politicians often cannot resist getting involved.

Trustees give site OKs for SLAC science and user support building and campus energy center

President Obama gives the National Humanities Medal to Stanford literary scholar Ramón Saldívar
Saldívar receives a 2011 National Humanities Medal in honor of his cultural explorations of the U.S-Mexico border .

Steven A. Denning elected chair of Stanford University Board of Trustees

Stanford scholar chronicles evolution of Chinese love through texts
Stanford Professor Haiyan Lee chronicles the Chinese "love revolution" through a study of cultural changes influenced by Western ideals.

Not for profit: Why democracy needs the humanities
Author and philosopher Martha Nussbaum says a declining emphasis on the study of the humanities could lead to a world of "useful profit makers with no imaginations." From the United States to India and the United Kingdom, humanities and arts programs are being cut at all levels of education.

Report of the president: Academic Council Professoriate appointments
The following Academic Council Professoriate appointments, promotions, and reappointments for the periods indicated were reviewed by the Advisory Board of the Academic Council on January 17, January 31, February 28, and March 13, 2012, and were approved by the President.

Dancers perform Anna Sokolow’s Rooms
Artistry, artifacts and scholarship come together in a dance history project presented by Stanford Dance, the Clayman Institute for Gender Research and Stanford Hillel.

Stanford’s Revs Program sponsors film series celebrating cars and car culture
A film series explores the dynamic relationship between the cinema and the profound social impact of the automobile during the 20th century.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker will give Stanford’s Commencement speech

Got photos? Yes, just ask SALLIE
A new free image repository gives the Stanford community a place to store and manage pictures and a huge database for finding images to use in university publications.

Engineers’ nanoshell whispering galleries improve thin solar panels
Engineers at Stanford have created photovoltaic nanoshells that harness a peculiar physical phenomenon to better trap light..

As Chinese courts announce ’guiding cases,’ Stanford Law School helps to spread the word
A Stanford website translates important rulings by the Supreme People's Court that serve as guides for lower courts, helping the vast country to move toward more consistent judicial decisions.

Stanford geophysicist: More environmental rules needed for shale gas
Obama's new rule is only one step toward ensuring the safety of hydraulic fracturing, the booming technology that offers economic and environmental benefits, according to Stanford geophysicist and DOE adviser Mark Zoback.

Aphasia: A Stanford music professor’s work about obsessive attention to ridiculous things
Aphasia: A Stanford music professor's work, with hand gestures and odd sounds, about obsessive attention to ridiculous things Mangled vocal samples, random icons and precise hand gestures come together in a mesmerizing performance by Stanford music scholar Mark Applebaum.

Q&A: Stanford’s Philip Taubman on an unlikely alliance to rid the world of nuclear weapons
In a new book, former New York Times reporter Philip Taubman, a consulting professor at Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation, tells the story of five famous men who have joined efforts to eliminate the ultimate weapon.

New generation explores cultural changes through Asian music at Stanford festival

Wireless power could revolutionize highway transportation, Stanford researchers say
Stanford researchers have designed a new technology that could lead to wireless charging of electric vehicles while they cruise down the highway.

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.

Tanner Lectures explore ancient philosophies as ways of life

Astronomer Andrea Ghez to highlight ever-improving technology for studying space in annual Bunyan lecture

Stanford, Columbia get a joint $30 million gift for media innovation
The gift establishes a first-of-its-kind bi-coastal Institute for Media Innovation, bringing together the best in West Coast technology with East Coast content.

Four decades - and counting - of feminist journalism
At a Stanford panel discussion, editors, activists and bloggers come together to salute Ms. magazine and consider the future.

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.

The feminist struggle continues, Gloria Steinem says, encouraging a Stanford audience toward ’one new subversive thing’
The co-founder of Ms. magazine celebrates the 40th anniversary of the pioneering publication. She also said there needs to be more cooperation among various rights movements.

Faculty Senate to hear report on reimagining undergraduate education

Stanford scholars reflect on Arab Spring
A year after the Egyptian uprising, five scholars talk about democracy in the Middle East, how lives have changed in the Arab world, and what the United States has learned from the Arab Spring.

Multitasking may harm the social and emotional development of tweenage girls, Stanford researchers say
Multitasking may harm the social and emotional development of tweenage girls, but face-to-face talks could save the day, say Stanford researchers Too much screen time can be detrimental to girls

The Thinker, one of the world’s most famous works of art, comes home to Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center
Auguste Rodin's The Thinker returns to the Stanford campus after a two-year loan to the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Elliott Levinthal, Stanford professor emeritus of mechanical engineering, dead at 89
In a career that ranged from radar to medicine to outer space, Elliott Levinthal played an instrumental role in the schools of Engineering and Medicine, and in the rise of Silicon Valley.

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.

It’s all about the space at Stanford’s design school
Stanford's d.school space is the stage for creative collaboration. A new book by two of its leaders provides direction for design spaces elsewhere.

Stanford’s International Travel Assistance Program offers peace of mind 24/7

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.

Energy efficiency paves way to a low-carbon future, but barriers persist
Save money, save the world. The promise and problems of getting people to stop wasting energy was the topic of a Stanford conference that gathered business people, government representatives and scholars from the United States and Australia.

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.

Health insurance no guarantee for diabetes care in developing countries, Stanford researchers find
A doctor prepares an injection for a diabetes patient in a Cuban hospital. Diabetes is on the rise in Latin America and throughout many developing countries, but access to care and medication for the disease is often costly and scarce, according to Stanford researchers.

Stanford University names Wiley Hausam managing director of Bing Concert Hall
Opening January 2013, the Bing Concert Hall will showcase world-class visiting performers and Stanford's community of faculty and student musicians.

Take a tour of the virtual future at Stanford
Stanford's newly renovated Virtual Human Interaction Lab is now open for public tours. In the multisensory room, experimental subjects wear a head-mounted display with small screens placed close to each eye to mimic stereoscopic vision and create the illusion of virtual space.

Stanford expert discusses North Korea’s new leadership
Since Kim Jong Il's death on Dec. 17, North Korea has a young new leader: Kim's 28-year-old son Kim Jong Un.

Papers of Europe’s first female professor to become available online, with help from Stanford’s libraries
Courtesy of Biblioteca comunale dell'Archiginnasio Laura Bassi (1711-1778) was the first woman to be offered an official teaching position at a European university.

Stanford political scientist maps militant groups around the globe
A supporter of Indonesian militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir wears a shirt with the image of Osama bin Laden.

Stanford physicist’s moderate approach to climate change gaining supporters
Stanford physicist's prescriptions include more natural gas and nuclear power, doubts about renewable energy goals, and a new way to gain political support.

Engineers boost electrical efficiency in organic semiconductors
By packing molecules closer together, chemical engineers at Stanford have dramatically improved the electrical conductivity of organic semiconductors. The advance could herald flexible electronics, more efficient solar panels, and perhaps even better television screens. Organic semiconductors could usher in an era of foldable smartphones, better high-definition television screens and solar clothing that turns sunlight into electricity for recharging your iPad.

Stanford expert discusses Kim Jong Il’s death and what’s next for North Korea
People read an extra edition of a newspaper reporting the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Seoul.

Robert Osserman, noted Stanford mathematician, dies at 84
In addition to his important research, Bob Osserman brought math to a broad audience through public conversations with comedian Steve Martin, among others.

Stanford University reports FY 2011 financial results
Stanford University reported its financial results for fiscal year 2011 (FY2011), which ended Aug. 31, 2011.

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.

Stanford’s Board of Trustees approves sites for two new arts buildings
The Anderson Collection at Stanford University, which will open in 2014, and the McMurtry Building, which will open in 2015, will join the Bing Concert Hall, which will open in 2013, and the Cantor Arts Center as cornerstones of the new arts district.

Pension funds for California state workers are still in peril - action needed now
Almost two years ago, a Stanford study stirred up discussion statewide with the prediction that the pension funds of California's state workers were headed for a train wreck.

Scientists’ computer models help predict tsunami risk
Stanford scientists are using complex computational models to solve the puzzle of the devastating tsunami that struck Japan earlier this year and predict where future tsunamis might occur.

Planting trees may save Costa Rican birds threatened by intensive farming
The fiery-billed aracari is a fruit-eating bird found in the Costa Rican forest or in areas of low-intensity agriculture.

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.

Stanford offers its own take on the Occupy movement
On Friday afternoon, students and faculty held Occupy the Future, an event that included teach-ins and a rally on White Plaza.

Chemically scrubbing CO2 from the air too expensive, says Stanford researcher who offers an alternative plan
Scrub carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere? Too expensive, says a Stanford researcher.

Rosemary Knight: Geophysicist, senate chair, hitchhiking advocate
Rosemary Knight, who joined the Stanford faculty in 2000 after teaching for a decade at the University of British Columbia, loved math, physics and chemistry in high school and was elated when she "discovered" geology, a field that combined all three.

New year, new names for Stanford retirement plans
The merger of Stanford's retirement plans will take place without any action required by participating employees.