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May-June 2015

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Letters

A letter from the editor

Climate change, China’s gains, palliative care

A letter from President Faust

The College Pump

Altrocchi at his home in Reno. The goalpost has to go.

Goalpost antics, Harvard vinegar, and the flip-flop menace

Treasure

James M. Freeman wrote in his diary about having his picture taken in 1859

Harvard class albums from the early days of photography, on exhibit at Pusey Library

In this Issue

Sendhil Mullainathan

A behavioral economist’s fresh perspectives on poverty

Nuttall during his time at Harvard (the circa 1828 portrait is attributed to J. Whitfield)

Brief life of a pioneering naturalist: 1786-1859

Mara Prentiss

Why the United States may be on the cusp of an energy revolution

David Ferry

Poet and translator David Ferry

Letters

A letter from the editor

Climate change, China’s gains, palliative care

A letter from President Faust

Right Now

Locating the “command neurons that drive parental behavior”

Harvard scientists find a way to convert solar energy into a liquid fuel.

Two Harvard studies investigate the nutrient's cancer-fighting properties.

Harvard Squared

Lexington’s modernist communities include a Peacock Farm house by Henry Hoover

Bauhaus-inspired architects built their domestic visions in Lexington and on Cape Cod.

<i>Summer Palace,</i> 2009, in Philadelphia

Sculptor Patrick Dougherty builds his latest fanciful structures on Boston's North Shore.

Boston’s South End residents treasure their green spaces—which make urban life more vibrant for all.

Visitors may explore more than 30 urban green spaces during the South End Garden Tour 2015.

Commencement week calendar

Deuxave&rsquo;s updated French menu, detailed

Celebrating the graduates and their families, without the throng

John Harvard's Journal

Isaac Kohane

Building scale in biomedical informatics

Jelani Nelson

A theorist explores the limits to shrinking datasets.

From the pages of the Harvard Alumni Bulletin and Harvard Magazine

Intisar A. Rabb

SHARIASource—“Google-like aspirations” for an online resource on Islamic law

Climate change, divestment, the honor code, Olympics, fundraising, MOOCs, and more

A house on Memorial Drive becomes the master’s residence.

Along with fixing up the old things, something new for Winthrop House

Deval L. Patrick

Deval Patrick at Commencement, College admissions—and $60,000 term bills, public-affairs VP, and more University news

Harvard students find that not being connected is not really an option, but still…

After an extraordinary collegiate career, Wesley Saunders ’15 is seeking to join Jeremy Lin ’10 in the NBA.

After a rollercoaster season, and another Ivy crown, whither men’s basketball?

Charley Butt

Charley Butt succeeds the legendary Harry Parker as Harvard's heavyweight men's crew coach.

Jimmy Vesey

Strong hockey seasons end in the NCAA tournaments.

Montage

<i>Skies Painted With</i> <i>Unnumbered Sparks</i> (2014), in Vancouver, allowed viewers to choreograph its lighting using their mobile devices.

Janet Echelman’s urban sculptures take to the skies.

Matthew Aucoin, in Paine Hall for a lecture and recital to preview <i>Crossing</i>.

A young composer, finding his next notes

Tao-think: all that winter snow was moisture for your summer beans.

Recent books with Harvard connections

Shah recently toured with the ensemble for her debut album, <i>Visions</i>, which included piano, bass, guitar, and <i>mridangam,</i> a two-headed drum from southern India.

Kavita Shah makes music in many idioms.

The literary flowering of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, et al.

A philosopher’s take on individuals and maturity, in a world of institutions

Correspondence on not-so-famous lost words

Alumni

Yates (left) and Laskey have merged their talents—computer science and political communications—in Opower.

Opower works with electrical utilities to help curb energy consumption.

The 2015 nominees

Shared Interest Group gatherings

Harvard alumni may sign in to view class notes and obituaries.

The College Pump

Altrocchi at his home in Reno. The goalpost has to go.

Goalpost antics, Harvard vinegar, and the flip-flop menace

Treasure

James M. Freeman wrote in his diary about having his picture taken in 1859

Harvard class albums from the early days of photography, on exhibit at Pusey Library