Classes without Quizzes at Reunion Homecoming

If one class could change the way you approach your life, this might be it. Learn about the core ethical beliefs of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans and the Stoics and consider how they confront fundamental issues of justice, morality, and fear of death. Marsh McCall, P ’86, ’89, ’93, is a professor emeritus of classics and former dean of Stanford's Continuing Studies Program. At Stanford since 1976, he served three times as the chair of classics, associate dean of undergraduate studies and chairman of the Western Culture program committee. Professor McCall received the School of Humanities & Sciences 2013 Lifetime Teaching Award and in 2006, he received the Richard W. Lyman Award for exceptional volunteer service to alumni.

Recent breakthroughs have provided scientists with the ability to generate stem cells from adult tissues. Stem cells have already regenerated damaged heart tissue after a heart attack in clinical trials. Are these treatments safe and effective or is the hype surrounding them an example of medical "false news?" What does this mean for testing new drugs and for personalized medicine? This talk will be audio recorded. Daniel Bernstein, P, ’07, ’09, is the Alfred Woodley Salter and Mabel G. Salter Endowed Professor in Pediatrics and former chief of pediatric cardiology. His research focuses on using induced pluripotent stem cells to understand the regulation of cardiovascular function. His clinical practice is focused on heart failure and transplantation and he established Stanford’s first transplant clinic for children in 1986.

Understanding the behavior of the constantly evolving Antarctic Ice Sheet is critical for projecting and planning for future sea levels. These processes take place beneath kilometers of ice, making them difficult to observe and model. Learn how advances in radar technology and data analysis are enables scientist to see what's happening beneath the ice. Dustin Schroeder is an assistant professor of geophysics and, by courtesy, of electrical engineering. He focuses on observing and understanding the configuration and evolution of ice sheet boundary conditions using radar. Before coming to Stanford, he was a radar systems engineer with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at CalTech. He is a science team member for planetary radars on NASA’s Europa Clipper and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter missions.

The news in 2017 is a cauldron of fake-news epithets, factionalized media and journalism under siege. This plays out against a background of continued disruption of the news media by economic, cultural, social and technological forces. Important democratic values are at stake, and those values are in very real danger. James Bettinger is director emeritus of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships at Stanford. Previously he worked for 20 years as a newspaper reporter, editorial writer and editor. At Stanford, he taught courses in opinion writing, feature and analytical writing, and literary journalism. He writes and consults on journalism issues, and is a member of numerous journalism organizations.

Since the beginning of time, trust holds together our communities. With technology mediating so many of our interactions, more opportunities to deceive one another exist. Is trust one of social media’s most serious casualties? Or is tech is ushering in a new era of trust? This talk draws on psychology and media studies to consider the possibilities. Jeffery Hancock is a professor of communication. He studies the psychology of online behavior, such as deception and trust, emotional dynamics, intimacy and relationships, and social support. Professor Hancock’s work on lying and technology has been featured in numerous media outlets including the New York Times, CNN, and NPR. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. This talk was filmed at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2016.

Mutations in single genes cause thousands of diseases. On a chalkboard, it’s easy to change a single letter in a disease-causing DNA strand to eradicate disease. Professor Porteus demonstrates the progress towards editing the genome of stem cells to cure patients of disease, effectively turning this science fiction vision into reality. Matthew Porteus is an associate professor of pediatrics. He studies genome editing as therapy for children with genetic disorders. His research has enabled scientists to “edit” genes using a technology called CRISPR, which removes a singular bad gene. He attends at the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital where he supervises children undergoing stem cell transplantation. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. This talk was filmed at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2016.

Although we make daily decisions, many people base them on initial reactions or gut feelings. However, powerful frameworks exist for making more effective decisions by analyzing available choices and their possible outcomes. Learn how to make better decisions and also understand why people sometimes make seemingly reasonable, yet irrational, decisions.

Do you or a loved one have symptoms of one of the 90 different sleep disorders? Close to 40% of Americans experience problems with falling asleep or daytime sleepiness. Learn more about sleep and sleep conditions, what new tools can diagnose and treat sleep disorders, and what you can do to naturally improve your sleep. Clete Kushida, ’81, MS ’82, is a neurologist and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, medical director of the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center, and director of the Stanford Center for Human Sleep Research. His interests include the changes associated with sleep apnea and sleep loss countermeasures. He is currently the President of the World Sleep Society. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. This talk was filmed at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2016.

What if the smartest minds of our generation could be brought together with a single click? What would you do with them? I will talk about how design and technology intertwine in crowdsourcing, and show how computer science research is enabling the crowdsourced creation of short animated movies, mobile apps, Kickstarter-backed card games, and much more.

In recent years, scientific studies have demonstrated that the mindsets people hold have a profound impact on learning and resilience. Professor Boaler discusses the ways in which positive mindsets can encourage greater persistence, engagement and high mathematics achievement. Jo Boaler is a professor of mathematics education, founder of youcubed, and author of the first MOOC on mathematics teaching. Her book, Experiencing School Mathematics, won the 'Outstanding Book of the Year' award for education in Britain. Professor Boaler serves as an advisor to several Silicon Valley companies, and is a White House presenter on girls and STEM. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. This talk was recorded at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2016.

With less than three weeks until the U.S. election, Professor Brady analyzes the 2016 presidential campaign from the nomination through the campaign including pivotal states and key issues. He’ll conclude with an exploration of the issues the new government will face post-election.

Gaining more news attention due to the spotlight on sports, a concussion is caused by a blow to the head or body, a fall, or another injury that shakes the brain causing mainly attention and balance problems. Professor Ghajar discusses the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and biology of concussion.

In recent years, increasing attention has been devoted to inequality, opportunity and mobility. What are the facts on these issues? What are the roles of our government, Stanford and each of us in building opportunity? What factors and policies are likely to have the largest effects on inequality, opportunity and mobility, in America and globally? Larry Diamond, ’73, MA ’78, PhD ’80 is the Haas Faculty Director for the Haas Center for Public Service, a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Hoover Institution, and a professor, by courtesy, of political science and sociology. Michelle Wilde Anderson is a professor of law at Stanford Law School. Michael J. Boskin is the Friedman Professor of Economics, and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. Francis Fukuyama is the director of the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, the Nomellini Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and a professor, by courtesy, of political science. Caroline Hoxby is the Bommer Professor in Economics, a professor, by courtesy, of economics at the Graduate School of Business, and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. Jesper Sørensen, PhD ’96 is the Jeffe Professor of organizational behavior at the Graduate School of Business, a professor, by courtesy, of sociology, and the faculty director, Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Countries. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2015 in partnership with the Haas Center for Public Service.

Imaging the brain in action is changing the way we view education. How does brain activity change as children learn new cognitive skills, like reading? How does this challenge differ from one brain to the next, and can we intervene to help struggling students? Bruce McCandliss is a professor at the Graduate School of Education. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2015 in partnership with the Graduate School of Education.

To find meaning in life, people seek happiness, authenticity, spirituality, love, knowledge. But the existence of suffering and injustice begs the question: How can it be right to work on one’s self when others face harder challenges? Professor Willer navigates this tension and offers insights for cultivating a meaningful life without ignoring injustice. Robb Willer is an associate professor in sociology, and a professor, by courtesy, of psychology and at the Graduate School of Business. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2015.

Every culture and civilization had its dreams about eternal youth, but what if there was something to it? Professor Wyss-Coray will share an amazing development in aging research that could revolutionize how we understand aging and treat age-related diseases. Tony Wyss-Coray is a professor of neurology and neurological sciences. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2015.

Operas—those beautiful melodies that stick in our brain for us to sing all week after a show. Are you aware that this started about 400 years ago, thanks to a small group of artists in the city of Florence? Professor Aquilanti shares how they radically changed the way composers wrote music and the inner technique of composition. Giancarlo Aquilanti, DMA ’96 is a senior lecturer in music and director of the Music Theory Program. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2015.

Are democracy and gender equality always good? Are violence and wealth inequality always bad? This presentation will dive into what drives changes in human values and what we as a society consider good or evil. Ian Morris is a Willard Professor of Classics and fellow of the Archaeology Center. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2015 in partnership with the Humanities Center.

Almost 20% of the United States suffers from severe to exceptional drought, as well as sizable portions of every inhabited continent, costing global agriculture and business $6–$8 billion per year. Come learn about and discuss solutions to what the United Nations has called “the world’s most costly natural disaster.” Buzz Thompson, ’73, MBA ’75, JD ’76 is the Paradise Professor of natural resources law and McCarty Director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2015.

Our emotions seem so natural and automatic that we assume everyone feels and wants to feel the same way we do. In this talk, Professor Tsai focuses on cultural differences and how they influence people’s definitions of happiness, perceptions of others and other aspects of daily life. Jeanne Tsai, ’91 is the associate professor of psychology and director of the Culture and Emotion Lab. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2015.

In a world with ubiquitous access to information, many multi-task with multiple media streams. Does this alter fundamental aspects of human cognition? Professor Wagner will discuss the latest science on how cognition and neural function relate to chronic media multi-tasking. Anthony Wagner, PhD ’97 is a professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Stanford Memory Laboratory. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2015.

The standard world political map appears to be a straightforward depiction of the earth’s sovereign states. In actuality, it forwards a vision of how we think the world ought to be structured—omitting some countries and including non-existent others. Martin Lewis is a senior lecturer in international history. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2015.

"Why does ""macaroon"" sound like ""macaroni""? Did ketchup really come from China? Do the adjectives on a menu predict how much your dinner will cost? Do men and women use different words in restaurant reviews? The language we use to talk about food offers surprising insights on world history, economics and psychology. Dan Jurafsky is professor of linguistics and computer science, and chair of linguistics. A 2002 MacArthur Fellowship recipient, he teaches computational linguistics—he co-wrote the popular textbook Speech and Language Processing and co-created the first massively open online course in “Natural Language Processing.” Professor Jurafsky's research focuses on the automatic extraction of meaning from speech and text in English and Chinese, with applications to the behavioral and social sciences. His most recent book is The Language of Food: A Linguist Reads the Menu. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2014."

"Many medical interventions today are qualitatively and quantitatively limited by human physical and cognitive capabilities. Professor Allison Okamura will discuss robotic systems that will extend humans’ ability to improve patient care by minimizing invasiveness and improving accuracy. Allison Okamura, MS '96, PhD '00, is an associate professor in mechanical engineering. Her academic interests include haptics (tactile feedback technology), virtual environments and simulators, medical robotics, neuromechanics, prosthetics, and engineering education. She has served as associate editor of the IEEE Transactions on Haptics, editor of the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation Conference Editorial Board, and co-chair of the IEEE Haptics Symposium. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2014."

"The labor movement has moved to the college arena. Are college athletes students or unpaid workers? Video game and television lawsuits set new precedents while recent team rulings may dramatically change college sports. Hear from those at the center of the debate. Panel Discussion Moderated by William B. Gould IV, Charles A. Beardsley Professor of Law, Emeritus Bernard Muir, Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics at Stanford University Debra Zumwalt, JD ’79, Vice President and General Counsel at Stanford University Mary Magill, Dean of the School of Law and Richard E. Lang Professor of Law Leonard Aragon, JD ’01, Partner, Hagens Berman Elsa Cole, ’71, University Counsel at University of New Mexico and former General Counsel of the NCAA Michael Gosling, ’02, JD ’15, former Stanford Baseball pitcher and retired Major League Baseball pitcher Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2014."

Today’s international borders have been shaped by warfare, colonialism, geography, and demography. While some borders seem quite sensible because they follow a river or mountain range, others appear irrational and arbitrary – often with real consequences for the people who must live with them. We’ll explore the processes that have formed the world’s borders by examining some of the strangest, including one that might not even exist. Kenneth Schultz, MA ’93, PhD ’96, is a professor of political science and an affiliate at the Center for International Security and Cooperation. His interests include international conflict and conflict resolution with a particular emphasis on the role of domestic politics in foreign policy choices. Professor Schultz’s current research seeks to understand the origins and resolution of conflicts over territory. He is the author of Democracy and Coercive Diplomacy and co-author of World Politics: Interests, Interactions, and Institutions. Classes Without Quizzes are presented by the Stanford Alumni Association. Filmed on location at Stanford Reunion Homecoming 2014.

Amidst pervasive concern about the state of adolescent reading comes a publishing explosion of young adult fiction—sales of which far surpass those of adult-intended genres. Current research from a diversity of fields constructs a complex and surprising picture. Come get a glimpse into what teens are reading today, and how they’re doing it. Jennifer Lynn Wolf, MAT ’91, PhD ’05, is a senior lecturer in the Graduate School of Education and the Program in Human Biology, and she is director of the Undergraduate Minor in Education. She examines the role of literature and the arts in learning, with particular interest in adolescents reluctant to let their out-of-school talents surface in school settings, and teachers who use these students to strengthen their teaching.

Rogue states threaten the world’s peace. This talk examines rogue regimes in historical perspective, looking at policies and interactions of the United States with adversarial nations. Dr. Henriksen explores why Washington has relied on non-military options (and delves into the Iraq exception) in dealing with rogues. Looking at the future, he assesses current polices for dealing with rogue states.

The 20th century was called the American Century, but what does the 21st century hold for the U.S. economy? Professor Bloom will evaluate what the US has been through in the Great Recession, the current state of economy, and the long-run prospects for growth, given the crisis in Education and increasing inequality. He’ll also provide an overview of the broad sweep of current economic thinking, his own economics research and his experiences as a British immigrant working in the US.

Here in the U.S., we are facing an epidemic of a disease that threatens to leave our children with a shorter life expectancy than their parents. One in three American children is either overweight or obese and while the origins of the problem are complex, the solution doesn't have to be. Join in on a discussion about contemporary child nutrition in America and explore a sustainable, readily available solution.

Thinking about cost as an engineering constraint brings new life to ideas. Physicists like to make stuff and use these skills (and field work) to design solutions for extremely resource constrained settings, especially in the field of global health. In this talk, Professor Prakash discusses his work on the "Foldscope," a rugged, 50-cent paper microscope that can be mass-produced to diagnose malaria and tuberculosis in rural Africa and Southeast Asia.

In the breadwinner-and-homemaker family, there was a clear division of labor, with men concentrating on work outside the home and women on family. But since the 1960s, when this family form began to break down, many have sought both satisfying paid work and rewarding family relationships. We will look at what research says about what we can do in our personal lives, at work and as a society to help women and men balance work and family.

Why is health care spending so high in the U.S. and what should we do about it? How will reform of the health care system affect health care spending?

Main Quad, Bldg 320 (Geology corner), Room 105 (D/E-6), capacity: 242
 Recent technological developments in telescope optics, large-format imaging detectors, and the ability to handle enormous volumes of data, have now made it possible for us to survey a large fraction of the total sky for faint stars and galaxies. This capability enables a wide variety of high statistics astronomical investigations we could never dream of earlier. Major advances will come in fields as diverse as the study of small moving bodies in the solar system to the structure and evolution of the entire Universe.

Spy-themed entertainment has skyrocketed since 9/11, often blurring the lines between fact and fiction. What's real and what isn't in Zero Dark Thirty? How has the television show 24 influenced training at West Point? How is spytainment affecting public opinion about wiretapping, torture, and other controversial intelligence issues?

Eleanor Roosevelt rose from a demure debutante to a major figure on the 20th century world stage. She broke the mold for first ladies, and no first lady since has achieved her influence. How did Eleanor Roosevelt overcome personal struggles to become the transformative first lady she was, and what were her enduring achievements?

Communication is critical to success in business and life! Concerned about an upcoming interview? Anxious when asked to provide your thoughts during a meeting? Fearful of giving a presentation? Then, you are not alone. Many of us are uneasy about speaking in public. In fact, The Book of Lists identifies speaking in front of others as Americans' number one fear. Matt Abrahams delivers a workshop designed to provide you with several practical techniques you can use to communicate more confidently.

Sylvia Yanagisako gives a talk on how the production of "Italian" fashion in China is impacting both the products and the producers. (October 4, 2012)

Professor Cliff Nass discusses the effects of multitasking on adults and children and talks about some possible solutions to the most common problems. (October 5, 2012)

Professor Scott Rozelle talks about the possible stagnation of China's growth and what implications it might have on the rest of the world and on China itself. (October 6, 2012)

Fred Luskin discusses what it is that makes humans happy and how we can go about making ourselves happier even without incredible achievements or vast amounts of money. (October 5, 2012)

Jennifer Summit talks about the evolving nature of the humanities and discusses how she things the balance between humanities and science will shift as society develops. (October 20, 2011)

In a discussion based on his book, Is Marriage for White People, Professor Banks discusses shifting trends in regard to the marital status and terrain of intimacy that confront black women. (October 22, 2011)

Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar discusses how every day the executive branch of the federal government faces complex challenges involving peace and security, protecting our natural resources, public health. (October 21, 2011)

In December of 2010 Congress passes legislation that determined the estate and gift tax for 2010 through 2012. The director of Principal Gifts at Stanford, Howard Pearson looks at how you should handle estate planning. (October 21, 2011)