January/February 2008

Features

COVER STORY

Seeing Is Believing

In Jeremy Bailenson's virtual reality lab, researchers are testing whether avatars can tell us something deeper about human behavior. Can pretending lead you to a better place?

Up Toward Mountains Higher

A group of climbers set out to conquer the Sierra's shyest peak, Mount Stanford, but then things took an unusual turn—especially for the 70-year-old.

How Green Is My Quadrangle

Stanford has taken steps to become more sustainable. From saving water in lab sinks to reducing traffic on campus, here are some examples of a leaner, greener Farm.

Who am I? No one special. Except I died nearly 40 years ago.

Struck down with a cerebral hemorrhage and all but declared dead, Richard Burns, '52, regained consciousness, and a life. This is the story of his resurrection, in his own words.

Departments

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Me and My Avatar

PRESIDENT'S COLUMN

Managing Years of Change

1,000 WORDS

We Needed That

Red All Over

Farm Report

Planet Cardinal

BRIGHT IDEA

The Electric Company

Tesla's Stanford engineers

BEING THERE

A Cut Above

A new kind of hair club

DEPARTMENT OF GOOD WORKS

Mending Fences

Hands across the border

Showcase

He Plays Well With Eras

Jordan Harrison's brainy plays

Noir Guy

The noir world of Mark Coggins

Tinker Tankers

Truck sculpture

Editor's Lessons

Bill Woo's advice

Class Notes

Profiles

TIME CAPSULE: WILLIAM J. COUGHLIN, '44

Praise for a "Congenial Idiot"

SPOTLIGHT: DENNIS PINTO, '77

An Outfitter's Wild Life

SNAPSHOT: PETER HOMER, MS '84

Handy Man

POSTCARD FROM PALESTINE: PAMELA OLSON, '02

The Ramallah I Remembered

Farewells

A Scientific Legend

Arthur Kornberg

Power in Peace

William J. Crowe Jr.