Worth a Glam

Their history spanned more than eight decades, from horse-drawn water carts of the 19th century to antiwar arson fires of the 1970s. Student firefighters, who lived and worked alongside professionals, battled spectacular blazes and established bonds that persisted long after they left the Farm.

by Theresa Johnston

Somewhere on the East African savanna about 45,000 years ago, Stone Age humans exploded with creativity. What caused the great leap that made us capable of language, art and engineering? Archaeologist Richard Klein proposes an answer.

by Mitchell Leslie

Most people saw him as an enterprising reporter murdered by Pakistani extremists and a symbol of national mourning. But to those who knew Daniel Pearl, that was only part of the story.

by Felicity Barringer

Researchers Danielle Lapp and Jerome Yesavage know how to make good memories they've been working at it for years. Their experiments point to a fundamental truth: enriching our memories means enriching our lives.

by Christopher Vaughan

Students always complain that nobody dates at Stanford. Is it true? Our reporter spent a few Saturday nights in the dorms trying to find out: just what is a "date," anyway?

by Marisa Milanese

Before Eavan Boland came along, Irish poets weren’t interested in portraying women except as symbols. Boland’s fierce advocacy broke the patriarchal grip on the canon, and her powerful verse gave voice to everyday domestic life.

by Diane Rogers

What began as a small celebration of Austrian formality in 1978 has mushroomed into Stanford's fanciest student social event, the Viennese Ball, featuring months of planning, hours of primping and a lot of fancy footwork.

by Theresa Johnston

Gone are the fat paychecks and dreams of early retirement, but so are the 80-hour work weeks. In the aftermath of the latest boom-to-bust cycle, some alumni learned that getting ahead wasn't worth leaving everything else behind.

by Ann Marsh

Our annual fiction-contest winner features a young traveler teetering on the edge as her friend and companion slips away.

by Zo Ida Bradbury