If your resolution lasts until February, you’re officially amazing.
Whether you’re determined to reduce stress, live more mindfully in the moment or eat less takeout this year, Stanfordmag.org has a whole collection of how-tos that can help you stay on target. If improving your short-term memory sounds appealing, consider this: One of the simplest and most important things you can do is get more sleep. That’s when short-term memories get turned into long-term ones. “You think your brain is resting, but actually your brain is doing a lot of work,” says Sharon Sha, clinical associate professor of neurology and neurological sciences at the Stanford Center for Memory Disorders. Another memory booster: regular aerobic exercise, which probably checks another box on your resolution list. Planning to read more this year? Here’s what Stanford Law School faculty are reading (and listening to).
Coffee tastes better with a dash of wisdom.
Upping your game at work might mean seeking support from someone well-placed to guide you. Check out these 8 mistakes to avoid when looking for a mentor, including this one from former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Denning Professor in Global Business and the Economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a former Stanford provost: Don’t limit your consideration to mentors who look like you. “Had I been waiting for a black, female Soviet specialist mentor, I would still be waiting. Most of my mentors have been old white men, because they were the ones who dominated my field.” (All the more reason for young women to think of themselves as mentors—here’s how to do it and why you should.)
The science of sticking to it.
You’re results oriented; we get it. But what happens after you achieve that hard-earned goal? The GSB’s Szu-chi Huang and Jennifer Aaker, PhD ’95, wondered what might help people retain the lessons they learned while working toward a goal and keep using those lessons to move forward. The two conducted six experiments on goal setting and found that the trick to not slacking off once you’ve lost 10 pounds (or made it through Dry January or hit your performance goal at work) is to think of that goal not as a destination but as a journey. That way you’re more likely to reflect on the actions you took along the way, learn from them and continue to apply them.
Hi, art.
Deborah Kass’s Instagrammable sculpture OY/YO was installed outside the front steps of the Cantor Arts Center on December 20. “This brightly colored, monumental piece has something to say—and not just because it’s a play on words,” director Susan Dackerman told Stanford News Service. “One thing we hope it conveys to students and visitors is a good-natured ‘Come in! You are welcome here.’”
Photo credit: Farrin Abbott
Can we turn down the heat?
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran following the assassination of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iran’s missile strike against Iraqi military bases housing U.S. forces have deescalated for now, and Stanford scholars say that in order to avoid continued conflict, both sides have to move away from using the kind of rhetoric that binds them to escalating things. “In the long run, we need a more democratic government in Iran that recognizes the United States as not a Great Satan but as an ally,” says Abbas Milani, director of the Iranian studies program. Milani was among the Stanford experts who participated on a panel moderated by Michael McFaul, ’86, MA ’86, director of the Freeman Spogli Institute, last week that discussed how recent developments could affect this volatile region.
But wait, there's more.
“An asteroid would be an unlikely place to find life, especially giant space slugs.” Laura Schaefer, assistant professor of geological sciences, and her colleagues discuss the science of Star Wars.
When going sideways is a good thing. The Dynamic Design Lab’s autonomous car drifts with control, an ability that could transform the capabilities of autonomous driving systems found in cars today and make them better at avoiding accidents.
Twenty percent of the U.S. population will experience a mental health disorder in their lifetime, but there are no objective tests for diagnosing disorders such as clinical depression and anxiety. Researchers are working to change that.
So long, 2019. Take a fun, feel-good look back at a year that included myriad research discoveries, a new hospital, athletic triumphs, a thriving arts and music scene, and more in this video by Stanford News Service.
Pardon our L’oops! Last issue we reported that Stanford had won two NCAA titles in a single day only once before 2019. Turns out that it has happened at least twice in prior years.
Summer Moore Batte, ’99, is editor of the Loop. Email her at summerm@stanford.edu.
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