Campus right now.
In a move that reflects the guidance issued by the State of California to inform reopening considerations for institutions of higher learning, Stanford president Marc Tessier‑Lavigne announced on August 13 that the university has suspended its plans to provide on-campus housing to undergraduates for fall quarter, absent special circumstances, and that almost all fall quarter undergraduate instruction will be held online. Previously, the university had planned to welcome freshmen, sophomores and new transfer students in September. Noting that the living, dining and academic experiences of graduate and professional students are significantly different than those of undergraduates, the announcement said, “Even with the new guidance, we remain confident in our plans for these students to continue to reside and pursue their degrees on campus if they wish to.”
It only takes a spark.
California wildfire season began early this year when a thunderbolt shattered the finial atop Hoover Tower during storms that resulted in hundreds of wildfires across the state. Experts say this bodes ill for fall, which is when California’s most devastating wildfires have tended to occur. “The context of very dry fuels from the preexisting drought and the very hot summer conditions, that is a recipe for elevated wildfire risk when those strong wind events occur,” earth system science professor Noah Diffenbaugh told the Mercury News.
Summer thunderstorms in Northern California are rare, making it hard to determine the role climate change played in the current fires, Daniel Swain, PhD ’16, a climate scientist at UCLA, told MIT Technology Review. But we know climate change exacerbates heat waves, which created the conditions for these wildfires to spread so quickly. “The answer is basically always that climate change played a large role in the severity or likelihood [of heat waves],” he said. Or, as Diffenbaugh told NPR, “We have strong evidence that global warming put runners on base.”
We love it when a plan comes together.
What makes some people more effective than others at conquering challenging tasks? A new study by researchers, including growth mindset pioneer and professor of psychology Carol Dweck, suggests it has to do with employing a “strategic mindset” when approaching a difficult or frustrating problem. Study participants used a scale of 1 to 5 to answer questions such as “Whenever you feel like you are not making progress, how often do you ask yourself, ‘Is there a better way of doing this?’” and “Whenever you feel frustrated with something, how often do you ask yourself, ‘How can I do this better?’” Higher scores predicted greater success in academics and on professional and fitness goals. The study also found that priming yourself to think this way before you tackle a challenge can make you more likely to succeed. So, before you start, ask yourself these six questions.
Because you’re getting tired of Animal Crossing.
Illustration: Club Cardinal
Students, alumni, faculty and staff can still hang out on the Farm—or at least their avatars can, thanks to Club Cardinal, a virtual Stanford campus created by five undergrads who met spring quarter in the Women in Computer Science Innovation Mentorship Program. To play, log in with your Stanford Alumni email and then customize your avatar, chat with other players, decorate your dorm room (everyone gets one), fountain hop and even attend events in Zoom meeting rooms around campus.
More clues about COVID.
A Stanford study published on August 11 found that three molecules may explain why some people get so sick from COVID-19. Researchers found higher levels of three cytokines (hormone-like molecules that promote inflammation) in the blood of severely ill patients. The scientists are now testing drugs that target these molecules as a potential therapy for the disease. The study also found that the more severe the case of the virus, the more sluggish the immune system cells that are supposed to respond vigorously to the first sign of viruses and bacteria. “These findings reveal how the immune system goes awry during coronavirus infections, leading to severe disease, and point to potential therapeutic targets,” said the study’s senior author, Bali Pulendran, a professor of pathology and of microbiology and immunology.
But wait, there’s more.
You know bingeing on bad news isn’t good for you, but sometimes you just get stuck. Nina Vasan, MBA ’18, director of Brainstorm: the Stanford Lab for Mental Health Innovation, offers some simple tips to help you stop doomscrolling.
A half-century before remote learning, there was Tutored Video Instruction. James Gibbons, MS ’54, PhD ’56, former dean of the School of Engineering, was asked to join President Nixon’s Science Advisory Council in 1971 to study the effectiveness of televised education. What they learned, he says, could help educators today.
After struggling to explain to his toddler daughter why she can’t hug her grandparents during the pandemic, an emergency medicine doctor wrote a children’s book.
Rabbi Jeffrey Kaye, ’87, spoke with STANFORD magazine about what it’s like to be a hospital chaplain right now and where he finds hope.
“Young people may believe their age protects them from contracting the virus or that they will not experience symptoms of COVID-19, but the data show this isn’t true among those who vape,” said postdoctoral scholar Shivani Mathur Gaiha, lead author of a study that linked vaping with increased COVID-19 risks in teens and young adults.
Mark Mancall, Stanford history professor emeritus and founder of Structured Liberal Education, who shaped the lives of generations of students and transformed undergraduate education at Stanford, has died. Mancall helped establish Grove House, the first co-ed residence on campus, which became a precursor to SLE, an integrated residence-based program designed to serve as a tight-knit liberal arts college experience within the larger university.
Summer Moore Batte, ’99, is the editor of Stanfordmag.org. Email her at summerm@stanford.edu.
Note: The Loop sometimes links to articles outside of Stanford that may require a subscription to view.
