January/February 2004

Features

COVER STORY

If They Could Read Your Mind

As neuroscientists hone new technologies for probing our brains, predicting our behavior and perhaps even altering our thoughts, ethicists wrestle with some vexing questions.

Family Firsts

Academically gifted but occasionally lacking advantages other students take for granted, “first-generation” students must fight through anxiety, feelings of isolation and the difficulty of negotiating two worlds. Their success may change their families forever.

The Gospel Truth

Elaine Pagels’s commentaries on so-called heretical texts like the Gospel of Thomas are broadening scholars’ views of early Christianity and challenging long-held assumptions.

The Work of Art

The idea was simple: mount an exhibition of artwork loaned by Stanford alumni and friends. It was also a learning opportunity for student curators, who got a behind-the-walls look at how a major museum show comes together.

Columns

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

What It Means to be First

College changes everything

PRESIDENT'S COLUMN

Students Remind Me Why I Love This Job

Why I love this job

END NOTE

A Teacher's Test

The other side of the desk

Departments

1,000 WORDS

Fumble!

ASKED & ANSWERED

What NASA Needs

What next for NASA?

BRIGHT IDEAS

The Mondavi of Mumbai

Wine from India

BEING THERE

A Different Path

Magic formula

Red All Over

One-Hit Wonder

A winning combination

The Nip and Tuck Store

Storefront surgery

Taking Health Care Outdoors

Wilderness medicine

Farm Report

Showcase

NOTEWORTHY

Perfect for the Parlor

Hello, harpsichord

EXCERPT

My Afternoon Tea with the Secret Police

Damascus, close up

ONSTAGE

Finding 'Liberation from Thinking'

The dancing life

Class Notes

Profiles

SPOTLIGHT: PATRICIA GEARY JOHNSON, '51

Her Ship Came In

TIME CAPSULE

The Envelope, Please!

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO . . . SONJA HENNING, '91

Great Court Awareness

UNFORGETTABLE TEACHERS: BRETT BOURBON

'Let's Challenge the Concept'

Farewells

REMEMBERING JONATHAN MCGHEE REICHENTHAL, '01, 1979-2003

He Broke the Barriers