Bjorn Carey

Stanford engineers have good news for Stephen Colbert: It is plausible to climb like Spider-Man

Last week, STEPHEN COLBERT took center stage on The Late Show and lamented that a recent study by zoologists at the University of Cambridge found that Spider-Man probably couldn’t actually climb walls. The researchers ran the numbers and found natural adhesive forces scale in such a way that geckos are the largest animals that can… Read more Stanford engineers have good news for Stephen Colbert: It is plausible to climb like Spider-Man

Science and theater come together at Stanford

In her Science of the Impossible seminar, JENNIFER DIONNE tells students stories of how basic science research has made things that were once thought impossible a part of daily life. Now, she is using theater to get them to think about the potential social impacts of future science breakthroughs. Dionne, an assistant professor of materials… Read more Science and theater come together at Stanford

Stanford professor wins Buckley Prize, the top honor in condensed matter physics

AHARON KAPITULNIK, the Theodore and Sydney Rosenberg Professor in Applied Physics, has been awarded the 2015 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize. The Buckley Prize is the oldest prize awarded by the American Physical Society (APS). It is one of the most prestigious prizes awarded in the field of physics, and is considered the highest honor… Read more Stanford professor wins Buckley Prize, the top honor in condensed matter physics

Shoucheng Zhang wins Franklin Medal in Physics

SHOUCHENG ZHANG, professor of physics, has been named a recipient of the 2015 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics, one of the oldest and most prestigious science awards in the United States. Zhang shares the 2015 physics recognition with Charles Kane and Eugene Mele, both of the University of Pennsylvania, for their “groundbreaking theoretical contributions leading… Read more Shoucheng Zhang wins Franklin Medal in Physics

Chemistry Department celebrates W.E. Moerner's Nobel win

For quite some time, members of the Chemistry Department had been planning an intimate party to acknowledge W.E. MOERNER’s remarkably fruitful three-year run as department chair. But when Moerner won the 2014 Nobel Prize in chemistry last week, that plan was scrapped in lieu of a grander affair. On Monday, several hundred faculty and students,… Read more Chemistry Department celebrates W.E. Moerner's Nobel win

Stanford physicist Renata Kallosh honored as part of University of Groningen's 400th anniversary celebration

Physics Professor RENATA KALLOSH has been awarded a Doctorate Honoris Causa from the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands, as part of its 400th anniversary celebrations. The university announced that Kallosh was nominated for the honor by the faculty of mathematics and natural sciences there because of her “great influence on the field of theoretical… Read more Stanford physicist Renata Kallosh honored as part of University of Groningen's 400th anniversary celebration

Harold Hwang wins prestigious European physics prize

HAROLD Y. HWANG, a professor of applied physics and of photon science, has been awarded the 2014 EPS Condensed Matter Division Europhysics Prize for his role in the discovery and investigation of electron liquids at oxide interfaces. The prize, which Hwang shares with fellow scientists Jochen Mannhart and Jean-Marc Triscone, will be presented at a… Read more Harold Hwang wins prestigious European physics prize

Stanford scientists earn Department of Energy research awards

The Department of Energy has awarded two Stanford scientists funding through the agency’s Early Career Research Program. The program is designed to fund principal investigators who are within 10 years of having received a PhD, with a goal to fund novel experiments and research. PETER GRAHAM, an assistant professor of physics, works on designing ways… Read more Stanford scientists earn Department of Energy research awards

Steven Chu, Stanford Nobel physicist, former U. S. energy secretary, elected to Royal Society

Physicist STEVEN CHU, Stanford professor and Nobel laureate, has been elected as a foreign member of the Fellowship of the Royal Society, one of the world’s most prominent groups of scientists. Chu is the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences. He is a professor of physics and of molecular… Read more Steven Chu, Stanford Nobel physicist, former U. S. energy secretary, elected to Royal Society

Professor Emeritus Carl Djerassi celebrates 90th birthday with lecture at Stanford

Dozens of students, staff and faculty packed the Clark Center Auditorium last week to wish a happy 90th birthday year to CARL DJERASSI, a longtime professor at Stanford and a world-renowned chemist. Fellow Stanford chemistry Professors RICHARD ZARE and W.E. MOERNER introduced their friend and brought the standing-room-only audience up to speed on Djerassi’s remarkable… Read more Professor Emeritus Carl Djerassi celebrates 90th birthday with lecture at Stanford