September/October 2011

Features

What Drives Mary Barra

As the successor to a legend in the auto industry, General Motors' new product chief is gearing up for a renaissance in carmaking—and hoping to deliver a vital future for one of America's most venerable companies.

Curious About Everything

He practically invented the field of microbe study, and he helped launch the careers of scores of leading researchers along the way. At 77, Stanley Falkow remains as adventurous outside the lab as he was inside it.

Putting Philosophy to the Test

Josh Knobe, '96, leads a vanguard of thinkers whose brand of experimental philosophy has won both converts and critics. Is it really philosophy, and what does it tell us?

Another Kind of Country Club

Now in its 50th year, the Peace Corps has sent tens of thousands of Americans—including 1,350 Stanford alumni—abroad to help others. What did volunteers learn and how has their service mattered?

Farm Report

IN CLASS

All About Willpower

The science of willpower

Research Notebook

Rethinking Autism

FINE ART

A 'Transformative' Bonanza

Lucifer, et al.

ARTS & LETTERS

Making Sense of Gertrude Stein

All about the 20th-century icon

MILESTONE

HumBio Turns 40

Human biology's birthday

EXCURSIONS

The Bomb Project

An all-nuke zone

Planet Cardinal

A WRITER'S LIFE

Out of the Wild

The man he became

ON THE JOB

Can She Clear Up the Budget Mess?

California counts on her

SCREEN SCENE

Now Playing

An actor arrives

BRIGHT IDEA

Cleaner and Greener

Groundwork in Haiti

WHERE YOU'LL FIND ME

Art and Soul

Chapel of appreciation

Departments

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Riding in Style? Not So Much

1,000 WORDS

This End Up

END NOTE

Room to Learn

Class Notes

Profiles

TIME CAPSULE: GEORGE WIELAND, '58

A Series of Unfortunate Alarms

SPOTLIGHT: MARJORIE NURSE SMITH, '60

A Devout Blogger

SPOTLIGHT: WALTER KOENIG, '72

Full Life With Woodpeckers

TIME CAPSULE: MEIMEI FOX, '94, MA '95

Here's to Good Friends

SPOTLIGHT: TERRI VALENTI, MS '91

A Groundbreaking Referee

Farewells

Civil Rights Pioneer

H.J. Belton Hamilton

Radio Science Expert

Robert Helliwell

Thank Him for Coolers

Bud D. Klein

Online Exclusives