By Paul Fendley, a theoretical physicist at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.In a 2006 book that garnered much press for its silly attacks on string theory, author and physicist Lee Smolin provides a list of "The Five Great Problems in Theoretical Physics." There are many offensive things about this list, starting with the use of the definite article in the title, which implies that people not working on these problems (the majority of theoretical physicists) are working on less-than-great problems. But to me the most offensive thing is that only one of the five pro...
I guess I kind of have water on the brain this week. But hey, it's a big deal. Today the jumping-off point is an exhibit in UVA's Newcomb Hall Art Gallery, where I stopped by this morning to see photos taken by residents of a small South African village.
Parkinson's is a major medical problem with no cure, but researchers are making some groundbreaking discoveries while looking at a new treatment for the disease.
More than four years after the death of Terri Schiavo, a University of Virginia law professor is raising questions about the legal and ethical issues surrounding Schiavo's life on a feeding tube. Lois Shepherd, who also is an associate professor of biomedical ethics at the university, is the author of the newly released "If That Ever Happens to Me: Making Life and Death Decisions after Terri Schiavo."
The University of Virginia's Board of Visitors is planning a two-day retreat later this week. New Rector John "Dubby" Wynne and his colleagues will kick off the process for selecting a successor for retiring President John Casteen.
In Thursday's UVa Today segment we talked about ways to beat the summer financial blues. From planning a family vacation to preparing for sending a child away to college for the first time, these events can be extremely stressful. Doctoral Student in Psychology, Meghan Cody, stopped by the Newsplex to talk about ways to deal with the added stresses and the best ways to cope.
People are naturally curious, so why is school such a chore for so many kids? University of Virginia cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham set out to learn why in his new book, "Why Don't Students Like School?"
Some University of Virginia alumni are upset and others are intrigued that UVa is embarking on a historic preservation project that will alter the iconic appearance of the Lawn.
By Ed Ayers, Brian Balogh and Peter OnufThis morning, on Independence Day, Americans will turn on their televisions or radios and hear Thomas Jefferson's ringing affirmation of human dignity:"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."But two centuries ago, when Americans gathered in churches or in the baking sun to recite the Declaration of Independence, they spoke mostly about killing their king. The opening parag...
American and Iranian revolutionary traditions surprisingly have much in common.When Americans celebrate the 4th of July, they often forget that the core purpose of the famous document penned by Thomas Jefferson was to declare independence from Great Britain.Had the colonies failed in that struggle for freedom to govern themselves, the Declaration of Independence’s famous “unalienable” rights to equality, liberty, and life would have been rendered not self-evident.Like America, Iran’s 1979 Revolution, had much to do with throwing off perceived shackles of for...
Steve Marino
Former U.Va. golfer, now a PGA pro
Fairfax native still seeking his first title
Washington Times / July 2
George Allayannis
Darden professor
Risk Cuts at Morgan May Lead to a Loss
New York Times / July 2
Jennifer Burns
History professor and author of the upcoming “Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right”
Ayn Rand & Economic Collapse
NPR "Here and Now" / July 1
(Alternate link that may work later in the day:
http://www.hereandnow.org/2009/07/rundown-701/)
Ed Burton
Economics professor
Burton Says Economy Has Bottomed Out
1070 WINA NewsRadio / July 1
Jonathan Haidt
Psychology professor
Commentary: When Our Brains Short-Circuit
New York Times / July 2
George...
… The future president's musical tastes -- which he imparted to his children -- were sophisticated and broadly rooted in popular composers from the 17th through the middle-18th centuries. He deemed Arcangelo Corelli his favorite composer, deeply admired Haydn and had a great love for French and Italian opera. Not surprisingly, violin, chamber and keyboard music formed a major part of his extensive music library, which he cataloged in 1783 and is now housed at the University of Virginia.
Most states don’t have systems in place to measure college students’ learning outcomes, and rare is the state that actually uses accountability data to drive policy decisions, a new report says.
Republican Bob McDonnell sent a letter to Democrat Creigh Deeds this morning asking for 10 gubernatorial debates across the state. ... McDonnell sent Deeds a schedule of debates that would start July 25 and conclude with a final debate at the University of Virginia on Oct. 20, two weeks before Election Day.
Former U.Va. men's basketball coaches Pete Gillen and Jeff Jones, plus former U.Va. assistants Dennis Wolff and Dave Odom, were among several coaches to take part in Operation Hardwood, during which they visited U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
You probably know the story: In 1895, fire gutted the single most famous academic building in America, the Rotunda that Thomas Jefferson designed to be the centerpiece of the University of Virginia campus. The university’s Board of Visitors chose a supremely talented architect, Stanford White, to oversee the Rotunda reconstruction. … Now … the university is debating another set of changes to the Rotunda and to the Lawn stretching out before it. The debate pits those who would restore as much as possible of Jefferson’s vision for the campus against those who say that g...
In 24 months, a significant economic asset for Southwest Virginia will be the site of a grand opening ceremony. But on Wednesday the groundbreaking bash for an asset yet to be built was plenty of reason for grins and congratulations for all concerned. Dignitaries — particularly Southwest Virginia’s legislative delegation — gathered at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise to hail the official start of construction of the college’s Convocation Center, a facility to be unmatched in the region for indoor athletic events, concerts and conventions.
Starting Wednesday, students at the University of Southern Maine who pay tuition using plastic will face a 2.75% processing fee. Other schools that have adopted, or are adopting, similar policies include George Mason University, Northwestern University, Wichita State and the University of Virginia.
Vijay Ravindran
Engineering, 1996
Can Vijay Ravindran and his team of technologists figure out a way to make journalism pay for itself in the Internet age? … “There’s no silver bullet,” Ravindran says. He’s the Post’s first “chief digital officer.”