Yale Bulletin and Calendar

January 11, 2008|Volume 36, Number 14

In the News

“The grains, the seeds, of the solar system are inside meteorites. … If we didn’t have meteorites we wouldn’t know what the Earth was made of or how old it is.”

— Karl Turekian, Sterling Professor of Geology and Geophysics and director of the Center for the Study of Global Change, “First Recorded U.S. Meteorite Blazes Back for Bicentennial,” Christian Science Monitor, Dec. 13, 2007.

“Many U.S. executives [who are posted overseas] fear that the further away from the mothership, the more they become an out-of-sight, out-of-mind-phenomenon.”

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean of the School of Management and the Lester Crown Professor in the Practice of Management, “U.S. Bosses ‘Lack European Rivals’ Experience,’”MSNBC, Dec. 4, 2007.

“It’s a tremendous honor any time you get the opportunity to represent your country on an international stage. Standing on a U.S. bench after a victory in a foreign country and listening to our national anthem is a feeling like none other.”

— Keith Allain, head coach of men’s ice hockey, on his 11 years of working as a hockey coach with Team USA, “Yale’s Allain Selected as USA Assistant,” New Haven Register, Dec. 8, 2007.

“People tend to gravitate toward life outcomes that resemble their names. So for example, we know now that people named Jack are more likely to move to Jacksonville as compared to people named Phil, who are more likely to move to Philadelphia. ... [Researchers] think that it’s this sort of unconscious thing, you don’t know why you like the thing you like.”

— Joseph Simmons, assistant professor of marketing, “Why People’s Initials Affect Grades, Batting Averages,” Fox News, Dec. 10, 2007.

“I’ve been watching performers on the screen, on stage and in my classes for many years, and there are certain personalities with a certain gift. [The ‘It’ factor] causes everyone in a room to stop what they’re doing and turn around. I’ve always wondered what that is and why that happens. … There has to be an ‘It’ factor in politics. George Washington certainly had it, in his imperious, powerful appearance and his ability to make people follow him. Do you know, after the terrible winter in Valley Forge, one of the first things George Washington did was stage a play, ‘Cato,’ about a charismatic Roman leader.”

— Joseph Roach, professor of English and the Charles C. and Dorathea S. Dilley Professor of Theater, “Cause Celebre,” New Haven Register, Dec. 9, 2007.

“If you’re a diligent sort, maybe obsessive, you can watch the lectures [in Yale’s online courses], take the exams and see how you do. I hope they don’t send me stuff I’m supposed to grade.”

— Paul Bloom, professor of psychology, “Ivy League Curtain Opened; Yale University Allows Free Access to Select Undergraduate Courses,” ABC News, Dec. 15, 2007.

“I want people to wish they were dyslexic. There are many positive attributes that can’t be taught that people are generally not aware of. We always write about how we’re losing human capital — dyslexics are not able to achieve their potential because they’ve had to go around the system.”

— Dr. Sally Shaywitz, professor of pediatrics and the Audrey Ratner Professor of Learning Development, arguing that dyslexia should be evaluated as an asset, not just a handicap, “Why Dyslexics Make Great Entrepreneurs,” BusinessWeek Online, Dec. 13, 2007.

“Iraq is also a potential advantage for the Republicans [in the 2008 elections]. If, in a year’s time, Iraq is undeniably on the road to stabilization, the Democratic effort to end the war will be seen as a drive to legislate defeat. This summer, that looked like a forlorn hope. But with Coalition casualties in October 2007 at their lowest level since February 2004, it is now a possibility that must worry the Democrats. In 2008, their defeatism would be quoted repeatedly against them.”

— Ted R. Bromund, associate director of International Security Studies and lecturer in history, in his article, “Why Rudy and the Republicans Can Still March to Victory,” Yorkshire Post (UK), Dec. 10, 2007.

“Maimonides, the 12th-century Jewish physician and philosopher, believed that anonymous giving was nobler than charity performed face to face because it protected the beneficiary from shame or a sense of indebtedness. He was onto something. I ruminated constantly about what it would mean to be related to someone ‘by organ.’ Would my future donor assume a proprietary interest in how I lived my life, since she had made it possible? … It was exhausting to think about; I wanted no part of a debtor-creditor relationship. I didn’t want a gift, I wanted a kidney.”

— Dr. Sally Satel, lecturer in psychiatry, in her article, “Desperately Seeking a Kidney,” The New York Times Magazine, Dec. 16, 2007.

“The ‘bring it on, the more information the better’ attitude we have about genetic testing [for breast cancer risk] could really come back to bite us. … At the end of the testing process, you’ve paid $3,200 out of pocket, and you’re likely to end up with more questions than answers.”

— Ellen Matloff, research scientist in genetics, noting that if you don’t have a family history of breast cancer, the test results are likely to be ambiguous, “Should I Test My Breasts?” CNN.com, Dec. 13, 2007.

“Many modernist works of our time tend to be self-important objects, and that’s a real quarrel that I have. Buildings can be icons or objects, but they still have to engage with the larger whole. ... You can’t have a world that is built of only original things, where every shape is different from every other. You can, but then it becomes a World Fair. You can’t have caviar five nights in a row.”

— Robert A.M. Stern, dean of the School of Architecture and the J.M. Hoppin Professor of Architecture, “Building Respect at Yale,” The New York Times, Dec. 16, 2007.

“Up until about 10 years ago, it was viewed that it didn’t really matter if you were a man or a woman: someone is in a physiological depression. End of story. They’re treated all the same. Not true. Women are different from men. ... Depression that adolescents have is very different between girls and boys. Frequently the testosterone will make the depression more physically aggressive. Boys will be more agitated. They get into trouble with the law. They get into fights. Girls will be more withdrawn, emotionally vulnerable, extremely sensitive and will feel more rejection.”

— Dr. Carl Mueller, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry, “Women and Depression in Eagle County; Women Suffer Depression at Higher Rates Than Men,” Vail Daily News (CO), Dec. 10, 2007.

“I think that we really have to rethink why we load our kids down with so much stuff rather than giving them the opportunity to just play with us in a simple way or read to them, tell them stories or even listen to music.”

— Dorothy Singer, senior research scientist in psychology and co-director of the Television and Consultation Center, “Encourage Make Believe with Thinking Toys,” Shreveport Times (LA), Dec. 13, 2007.

“[W]e should consider why [carbon] emissions from China are soaring. There are numerous factors, all stemming from China’s rapid economic development. Yet one of the biggest is the enormous increase in China’s production of manufactured goods for export. ... We know where most of those Chinese exports are headed — to developed countries, like the United States, which accounts for about a quarter of them. A rough calculation suggests that almost 6% of Chinese carbon emissions are generated in the production of goods consumed here. That is the rough equivalent of the total emissions produced by Australia or France.”

— Judith Chevalier, deputy provost for faculty development and the William S. Beinecke Professor of Economics and Finance, in her article, “A Carbon Cap That Starts in Washington,” The New York Times, Dec. 15, 2007.

“Illegal immigration, along with terrorism, is the chief cause of today’s anti-immigration backlash. It is also inconsistent with the rule of law, which, as any immigrant from a developing country will tell you, is a critical aspect of U.S. national identity. But if we’re serious about this problem, we need to enforce the law against not only illegal aliens, but also those who hire them. It’s the worst of all worlds to allow U.S. employers who hire illegal aliens — thus keeping the flow of illegal workers coming — to break the law while demonizing the aliens as lawbreakers.”

— Amy Chua, the John M. Duff Jr. Professor of Law, in her article, “The Right Road to America?” Washington Post, Dec. 16, 2007.

“It’s not Shakespeare, but there is a kind of folk eloquence in [the phrase ‘Don’t tase me, bro’]. It wouldn’t be a quote if he didn’t say ‘bro.’ That had just the right rhythm to make it memorable.”

— Fred R. Shapiro, associate librarian for collections and access services at the Law School, lecturer in legal research and editor of “The Yale Book of Quotations,” about the plea by a Florida college student which became a popular motto on college campuses and which Shapiro listed as the number-one quote of 2007, “Year’s Top Quotes: ‘Don’t Tase Me, Bro,’” Associated Press, Dec. 20, 2007.

T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S

University is increasing payout from endowment

Stern named to third term as dean of School of Architecture

Findings set stage for prevention of epilepsy

Antibody may delay development of diabetes

Scientists determine intricate process used in assembly . . .

Mutant gene identified as ‘villain’ in hardening of the arteries

Researchers find gene that protects newborns . . .

Yale Rep stages the world premiere of ‘The Evildoers’

Exhibit reveals the ways in which mathematics . . .

Advocates for universal preschools win Grawemeyer Award . . .

Two medical school researchers win awards . . .

Lewis Walpole Library celebrates re-opening with exhibition

Peabody to honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy with festival

Stanton Wheeler, was musician, master, sociologist and sports fan

Change of venue for Waith memorial

Campus Notes