Science

In recognition of his efforts "to protect and conserve" its cultural resources, Maya archaeologist Arthur Demarest has received one of the Republic of Guatemala's highest awards, the National Order of Cultural Patrimony. Read More

Russian and American scientists hope to help each other avert nuclear disasters by coming together at Vanderbilt Nov. 14-17 to share methods, techniques and scientific research related to secure management of nuclear materials, including those at nuclear power plants, nuclear weapons' sites and nuclear waste facilities. Read More

Nashville Christian School students will have a chance to explore the field of astronomy Tuesday, Nov. 9, thanks to a visit from the Fisk-Vanderbilt NASA Roadshow. Astronomers from Vanderbilt and Fisk universities will bring a portable, inflatable planetarium to the school to help teach students about the stars with the goal of interesting them in a career in science. Read More

Four Vanderbilt scientists ñ Walter J. Chazin, Raymond N. Dubois Jr., Leonard C. Feldman and Dennis G. Hall ñ have been elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), an honor bestowed upon them by their peers. They are being honored for contributions to research that runs the gamut from determining the atomic structure of proteins to paving the way for improved treatments of digestive diseases including colon cancer, from investigating the atomic structure of materials to providing new insights into the fundamental nature of light. Read More

More than 300 students at Franklin's Page High School will have a chance to visit a planetarium without leaving school grounds Wednesday, Oct. 27. Astronomers from Vanderbilt and Fisk universities will bring a portable, inflatable planetarium to the school to help educate students about the stars with the goal of interesting them in a career in science. The planetarium is the centerpiece of the Fisk-Vanderbilt NASA Roadshow, made possible by a grant from NASA. Read More

Biomedical engineers and physicians at Vanderbilt University have brought the day when artificial limbs will be controlled directly by the brain considerably closer by discovering a method that uses laser light, rather than electricity, to stimulate and control nerve cells. Read More

There are many terms that can be used to define Monica J. Casper, the new director of the women's studies program at Vanderbilt University ñ feminist scholar, bioethicist, medical sociologist and mom. Indeed, Casper's varied roles reflect one of her major goals since joining the university this fall ñ to expand people's definition of women's studies. Read More

Call it the illuminated brain cell: Imagine a neuron decked out with thousands of tiny red, yellow, green and blue lights. As the neuron fires and recovers, visualize these lights as blinking on and off, moving this way and that, revealing the location and movement of the nerve's molecular machinery in action. Read More

Does environment determine the reading success of a student? Stephen Petrill will address this question as he presents a lecture in a series on development and developmental disabilities on Thursday, Oct. 7, at 4 p.m. at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. Read More

ENIGMA ñ you may have seen the movie, read the book or downloaded a software simulation of the secret code machine the Germans used in World War II. Now you have an opportunity to hear a firsthand account of the code-breaking effort that made a major contribution to defeating Nazi Germany. Read More

Oak Ridge National Laboratory announced today that Vanderbilt University has joined the laboratory's "core universities." ORNL's core universities--which now number sevenóassume a scientific leadership role in working with the laboratory to help shape the research agenda for more than one billion dollars in science and technology programs. Read More

Three junior Vanderbilt faculty members have won highly competitive national grants designed to recognize and promote promising researchers. The grants from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Army and the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Physics will support research ranging from the origin of stars to better equipment for combat personnel and first responders. Read More

Keeping stockholders satisfied while maintaining a commitment to artistry is the knotty problem facing recording industry executives in the current merger-and-acquisitions business climate. Read More

Psychologists often conclude from research subjects' behavior in psychological experiments that humans are irrational. New research indicates that humans are in fact quite rational; they just do not trust what people in lab coats tell them. The research suggests that by taking doubt into account, psychologists have the opportunity to strengthen the predictive power of many commonly used models and potentially better understand human behavior. Read More

The art and science of being an effective preacher will be examined at a community breakfast sponsored by Vanderbilt University Divinity School and featuring new homiletics professor Brad Braxton. Read More

For a Saturday night outing in Nashville, it's hard to do better than a beautiful mountaintop setting, world-class talent and a bargain price for carpoolers. Read More

Presidential elections, modern poetry and health care are among the wide-ranging non-credit classes available to the public during the fall term of Retirement Learning at Vanderbilt. Read More

An increase in funding of nearly 100 percent in four years has put Vanderbilt among the top 25 U.S. universities for the first time in recent history in terms of the amount of federally supported research and development projects that it conducts. Read More

Richard Woodcock, a world-renowned researcher of learning ability assessment, will present a lecture on historical advances in cognitive assessment on Thursday, Sept. 9, at 4 p.m. at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. The lecture will take place in Room 241 of the Kennedy Center/MRL Building and is free and open to the public. Read More

Vanderbilt University professor Robert D. Sherwood is on loan from the university to the National Science Foundation (NSF), where he will play an integral role in the funding of research and education. Read More