In the article "Luers decries Iran sanctions," published on Sept. 30, the Project on Justice in Times of Transition was said to be a Harvard University-affiliated program. In fact, the Project on Justice in Times of Transition is an independent non-profit organization housed on the Tufts campus in the Institute for Global Leadership.
Distinguished physicist and mathematician Freeman Dyson yesterday urged openness and cooperation in nuclear disarmament and genetic advancements, calling for scientists to continue in their pursuit of knowledge even though such attempts may cause controversy. "A more open world is a safer world. Openness rather than secrecy is our best defense," he told a packed crowd in Cabot Auditorium as he delivered this semester's Richard E. Snyder Presidential Lecture, which aims to bring figures that hold viewpoints that are contrary to conventional thought to campus. Dyson, professor emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., is noted for his work in solid-state physics, quantum field theory and nuclear engineering. He has more recently attracted attention for his unconventional views on climate change, but his lectured focused instead on nuclear issues. In his speech entitled "Nukes and Genomes: Two Genies out of the Bottle," Dyson argued against nuclear weapons, voicing his belief that the greatest threat to nuclear stability in the present day is not the weapons belonging to "rogue" nations such as Iran, North Korea and Pakistan, but the United States' own arms stockpile. "These are more dangerous to the world and to us than the small numbers belonging to Iran or Pakistan," Dyson said of the roughly 10,000 nuclear weapons the United States now holds. Dyson urged American leaders to reduce or destroy their nuclear stockpiles. "The removal of our weapons would make the world a lot safer, even if other countries kept some of theirs," he said, stating that this would reduce the risk of a nuclear war. The scientist cited several accounts of nuclear disarmament to support his view that unilateral action was the most effective way to successfully ridding the world of nuclear weapons. He referred to Richard Nixon's independent decision in 1969 to ban the use of biological weapons of warfare, which, though not entirely effective in prompting Soviet Russia's disarmament, did reduce the risk of a biological weapon crisis, he said. Similarly, he referenced George H. W. Bush's decision in 1991 to disarm the U.S. Navy surface areas, submarines and aircraft as an example of how nuclear disarmament is better achieved through individual rather than group negotiation. Then-Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev responded with similar steps toward disarmament after Bush's decision. Dyson said that information and new technology have the potential to cause harm but ultimately must be explored cautiously in order to make progress. He urged scientists to pursue research openly for the safety and development of the planet. "We can never know in advance what dangers new knowledge will bring," he said. Dyson highlighted the possibilities that have become available through biotechnology, a field commonly known for its development of genetic engineering. He spoke on advancement within the biotechnology industry, calling it a "new revolution in human society" and positing that "designing genomes will be a new art form, as creative as painting and sculpting." He raised concerns that apply to both nuclear armament and the biotechnology industry, asking whether such advancements, which many consider dangerous, should be stopped. "What are the limits?" he asked. "How are they decided and enforced?" Dyson said that scientists cannot stop pursuing scientific knowledge but must be cautious with their findings. "The magic of genes will be available to those with the will and imagination to use it," he said, referencing the fact that biotechnology allows silicon-leaved plants to produce 10 to 15 percent more chemical energy than regular plants and decrease the total area necessary for crop land. Biotechnology has the ability to "solve immediate social problems and alleviate the human condition," he said. He illustrated this principle by focusing on the jobs and opportunities green technology could provide for the developing world. "Rural poverty is one of the great evils of the modern world," he said. People migrate into cities due to lack of opportunity in the rural communities, he said, and the "world needs technology that attacks poverty by creating industry and jobs in the villages." His "dream of resurgent green technology" would allow for more rural industry because, he said, green technology uses land and sunlight as its primary resources. The speaker pointed out that tropical areas, which receive the most sunlight, are also typically some of the poorest in the world. This technology could bring jobs to the rural poor of these tropical countries.
Renowned scientist Freeman Dyson, who delivered this semester's Richard E. Snyder Presidential Lecture yesterday, is professor emeritus in the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study, where he first began teaching in 1953. Dyson has attracted attention recently for his challenges to traditional thought on climate change and global warming. Among a swath of scientific accomplishments in his decades-long career, the physicist is arguably best known for his work on nuclear reactors and quantum electrodynamics, a field in physics centered on electrically charged particles. Dyson has authored a number of books, including "Disturbing the Universe" (1979), "Origins of Life" (1986) and "Weapons and Hope" (1984) a study on the implications of nuclear weapons for war and peace. The Daily sat down with Dyson hours before he spoke yesterday. Tessa Gellerson: I just wanted to start on a more personal note, if you can tell me a little bit about your life and what it's taken for you to get where you are today? Freeman Dyson: I started life in England ... My basic skill is mathematics; I was a mathematician. On the other hand, I don't find it interesting to spend my whole life doing mathematics, and so my tastes always were perpendicular to my skills, so it's a problem of how you'd handle that. So I tried to find important and interesting problems where mathematics would be useful, so that sort of line, my strategy as far as I had a strategy. So I got involved in all sorts of different ... activities, in physics and engineering, a little bit in biology, and I also started climate, and I was doing climate 30 years ago internationally ... Of course, my main characteristic is that I have a rather short attention span. I get involved in something very intensely for six months and then, when the job is either done or not done, I quit and do something else. It's been an interesting life. I've done nothing very great but a lot of things that were fun. TG: From the reading I've done so far, it seems like you have a reputation within the scientific community for being a skeptic of conventional wisdom, perhaps most prominently for your views on global warming. I'm wondering how that's shaped your career, or if it's ever been difficult to face the criticism that that solicited? FD: Not at all, no. In fact, what amazes me is that so many people agree with me but won't come out in public, and I think that's really sad. Almost all my friends sort of agree with me that skepticism is the right attitude and that scientists should be skeptical, that's why we're here ... Yet in this climate, it's become a kind of religion where people are afraid to speak up. I'm lucky I'm retired; I can say what I please ... I have never really encountered any problems. People are always friendly and polite. TG: Would you say there's been one experience in your life that's had the most profound impact on your career? FD: Oh, well I don't know. There [are] so many different things. One thing which I'm very proud of is designing a nuclear reactor, which is also politically incorrect in some circles, but I had a great time actually designing a reactor. Nuclear energy is a still a great thing, and it will be. It's not the answer to all our prayers, but it still does a lot of a good. This reactor — we built it in San Diego [in] California. At that time, you could build, you could design a reactor — first of all invent it, then design it, then build it and then license it and sell it — all within two years. And that was wonderful, a great ride for us and also for the company. The company that built it actually made money ... These reactors, many of them are still running, they've never given any trouble. So, I'm proud of that, and I find it very sad that in today's world you can't do that. If you imagine doing that in today's world it would take you 20 years and not two years, because there are so many regulations, obstacles you'd have to jump over. I find that troublesome, that new technologies are so very, very hard to get going just because of this hostility that society has created. So, I mentioned that because to some extent it's not only a problem for nuclear power, but it's a problem for many other technologies, particularly bioengineering, all of which are immensely dangerous and you could easily invent all sorts of disasters, but still it's much better to make mistakes early and learn from the mistakes than to try not to have mistakes at all. If you don't allow people to make mistakes, then you don't allow anything new.
A college degree is generally associated with a better chance of career success in the United States, but, while U.S. high-schoolers contribute to a very high rate of enrollment in higher education programs, now more than ever they are failing to stick to the plan and complete their college degrees.
Boston Conservatory's Zack Box Theater is a classic black box. Tolerably comfortable plastic chairs face a dark, small and versatile stage for intimate theater viewing.
Gabriel Bol Deng, who was displaced by the Sudanese civil war, last night delivered a motivational speech in the Sophia Gordon Multipurpose Room. Deng founded the non-profit organization HOPE for Ariang, which provides education and health services to people affected by the conflict in Sudan. Delta Tau Delta fraternity sponsored the talk.
Tisch Library recently compiled a series of research guides aimed at assisting students and faculty in conducting credible and scholarly research on a collegiate level. The project intends to make research a less daunting task for students — particularly freshmen who may be unfamiliar with the process — by collecting all relevant information in one place, hopefully ending the fruitless Internet searches so many embark on when faced with a paper or research project.
1. Frequent the farmer's market: Davis Square hosts a farmer's market every Wednesday until Thanksgiving. The Boston area has markets every day of the week. Find one at www.massfarmersmarkets.org. 2. Dine at Dewick (or Carmichael): Though the pickings are scarcer during the winter months, Dining Services has a select number of products that they buy locally all year round. "Local apples we supply throughout the year, and winter squash. We buy greenhouse-grown tomatoes from Maine, called Backyard Beauties, that we source all year round," Tufts Nutritionist Julie Lampie said.
First-year students attending Tufts may find the number of security alerts and tests already issued this year by the Department of Public Safety a bit shocking; but for upperclassmen, it is almost commonplace to receive e-mails about attacks and muggings near campus. Security alerts issued to students have seen an increase in the last five years but, contrary to what some students may believe, this increase does not represent an actual rise in campus crime.
A new program headed by the dean of Tufts' nutrition school that grades the health value of food products has drawn severe criticism for its ties to members of the food industry and for endorsing what many experts call unhealthy eating choices.
This election season, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg faces a serious challenger for his job: Tufts alum Bill Thompson.
The inhabitants of 156 Powder House Boulevard have done more than rent a house — they have fallen into an inheritance. Seniors Mike Brundage, Alex Nisetich, Ty Burdette, Missy Ricculli, Leah Resneck, Kailah Hayden-Karp, Travis Lowry, Ricky Zimmerman and Ned Berger are living in a two apartment house fit for a king — or in more true-to-life terms, an heiress.
The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine earlier this month announced a new Master of Science in Conservation Medicine degree program, which will provide a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to biodiversity.
Chi Omega sisters and basketball enthusiasts came together on Saturday in Gantcher Center to participate in the annual Swishes for Wishes basketball tournament. The tournament, which benefits the Make-A-Wish foundation, is one of Chi Omega's biggest fundraisers.
The newly renovated building at 51 Winthrop Street is already attracting attention from student groups looking for space to host events and student-led activities.
Before you down that fifth shot of Jägermeister, you might want to fire up a joint. Research shows that compared with alcohol, marijuana causes less brain damage.
Spending yet another night at a sweaty, freshmen-filled Tufts frat party is always a blast, but those Jumbos looking to get the heck off campus should consider hitting Drink, a new bar in Boston opened by famous Beantown chef Barbara Lynch. Drink is one of the newest incarnations of the speakeasy trend that has hit major cities in recent years. During Prohibition, speakeasies were hidden, underground establishments that illegally sold alcohol — today, alcohol is legal, but the speakeasy concept hasn't gone out of vogue.
Tufts Community Union (TCU) President Brandon Rattiner criticized the administration's handling of a recent change to the school's alcohol policy, saying in his State of the TCU address on Sept. 20 that administrators did not seek student input before making a decision.
Tufts will no longer dispense complementary $10 print cards to students, as public printers and copiers on campus transition into exclusively using JumboCash. Printers across campus now feature touch screens, an update that came about after the university transitioned from old technology over the summer. The recent modifications allow students to pay with their university identification cards and will eventually eliminate the need for the system's previously used Conway print cards. In addition, Tisch Library has purchased a new color printer. Together, these changes highlight a major software and hardware overhaul to the campus' printing and copying system. "I'm honestly really confident that it will be really easy to use and that users will really like it once it's set in stone and put in place," said Christine Kittle, head of library information technology support. The changeover eliminated several problems inherent to the old system, including card jamming, said Jeff Weiner, assistant director of instructional services and training for Information Technology Services. Utilizing the JumboCash debit program, which is run by Tufts Dining Services, allows for a more standardized system of payment across campus. JumboCash is accepted at on-campus eateries, laundry rooms, the bookstore, some off-campus restaurants and other locations. "We think that it's certainly more efficient from an administrative standpoint, but we also believe from talking to students that it's a much more convenient way to approach things," Director of Dining Services Patti Klos said. The elimination of the white plastic Conway cards used in years past makes printing and copying more environmentally friendly, according to Kittle. University visitors as well as students who have yet to activate their JumboCash accounts can purchase $1 JumboCash guest cards for printing and copying. The university installed five self-service kiosks that dispense JumboCash guest cards — four on the Medford/Somerville campus and one on the Boston campus. On the Hill, kiosks are located at Tisch Library, Eaton Computer Lab, the Engineering Project Development Center in Anderson Hall and Ginn Library. Tufts began giving away $10 print cards at the beginning of every semester several years ago. It was meant to ease the original transition to the pay-to-print system, which had been introduced when the university dubbed allowing students to print for free too expensive. The free print card system was always meant to be temporary, according to Kittle. "It was never intended to go on forever," she said. Sophomore Angela Lyonsjustus, who does not have a personal printer at school, said that she depended on her free $10 print card last year. "Now that they've changed the system, it's not as affordable to not have a printer on campus," she said. The majority of student feedback about the new system has been positive, Kittle said. "We're getting feedback from users on how easy it is to use," she said, but added that the system is still a work in progress and additional student feedback is key. To retrieve a job sent to the printer, people must scroll through other users' print jobs shown on the touch screen, an annoyance Kittle said staff is currently trying to fix. The loss of free cards aside, students praised the new system for its convenience. "I think it's a change in the right direction to continue to integrate more things into JumboCash and continue to expand the program," said Tufts Community Union Senator Dan Pasternack, a junior who serves as a student representative to the faculty's Library Committee. But senior Nina Foo says that while the new system may be more streamlined, it has created more confusion than convenience because the university did not publicize the changes well enough. "It's supposed to be more convenient, but they didn't explain everything in a way that really translates well for people used to the old system," Foo said, adding that she did not know the system had switched over until she tried to make a copy for the first time this year. But senior Mary Sullivan, who works in Eaton Computer Lab, believes the new printing and copying system is an improvement and says it has not generated much misunderstanding. "It's actually gone pretty smoothly," she said. "It's actually working a lot better than the old system … although there are a lot of people who miss the free $10 print cards."
Can college students make a difference? A new campus group is answering this question with a resounding "yes."
