Features
Editor’s Choice
Features
As the population ages, robots are poised to offer a helping hand, a leg up, and a pep for your step.
The Human Whisperer
In an age when lab tests and diagnostic protocols dominate, doctor/author Abraham Verghese has opened a new chapter on an old practice: bedside medicine. His students are listening, one patient at a time.
by Susan Cohen
This Is Your Brain on Bargains
Neuroscientists are getting closer to understanding why buying things makes us feel better. This could be a boon for marketers. Could it also be a tool for self-control?
by Joan O’C. Hamilton
Focus on the Forgotten
In refugee camps and war-torn neighborhoods around the world, documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy finds the people scarred by violence and deprivation, and gives them a voice.
by Diane Rogers
Chance of a Lifetime
Forrest Church, diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, took stock of his prospects. The Unitarian minister shares his outlook on life and death.
646 Very Personal Questions
Poor sanitation and contaminated drinking water cause the deaths of millions of children throughout Africa. Using Tanzania as a test site, assistant professor Jenna Davis is leading an effort to learn what information best helps families stay healthy.
by Robert L. Strauss
The Big Thaw
Trapped in permafrost for thousands of years, the remains of woolly mammoths and other now-extinct species present a massive carbon bank that could wreck the climate. How can scientists keep them locked in the ground?
by Adam Wolf
Let Me Introduce Myself
How do you make a lasting first impression? Write an attention-grabbing opening sentence in your admission essay. One like these from the Class of '12.
iProd
We know we need it, but sticking to an exercise program is tough. New health research shows that with a helpful reminder from a PDA or the instant feedback from a pedometer, test subjects took steps in the right direction. Now, will it work for the rest of us?
by Kara Platoni
Exit Interview
What do seniors say on their way out of the Farm? We piggybacked on a yearbook survey with our own questions about love, life and what happens next.
Farm Aid
Under Stanford's new financial aid program, all families earning less than $100,000 get tuition free. How can the University make that commitment, and why is it necessary? Provost John Etchemendy and dean of admission Richard Shaw provide the answers.