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Quick Studies

Learn, Stanford style, without going back to class. Presenting Quick Studies, a monthly collection of articles, videos and podcasts curated exclusively for you.

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Foursquare for Sharks
Just when you thought it was safe... A team of marine biologists led by Professor Barbara Block has deployed a self-propelled Wave Glider robot that listens for and follows white sharks off the coast of San Francisco. Bonus: You can follow the robot's progress via the Shark Net app right on your iPhone or iPad.
Read the ABC News report  »

 

A Simple Solution to Voter Apathy
"If more candidates ask more young Latinos to turn out, it will demonstrate to the political establishment that the conventional wisdom is wrong," writes Matt Platkin, '09, JD '14, who once served as a campaign manager for a young, Latino city council candidate.
Read the New York Times op-ed piece  »

The Downside of Choice
"When viewed through the lens of choice, people's misfortunes are seen as caused by the actions they've taken rather than situations they have encountered." Aneeta Rattan, MA '07, PhD '11, examines how a sense of options can negatively impact one's empathy and support for equality.
Read the Scientific American article  »

Watch

Stephen Colbert, Ayn Rand and Right-Wing Politics video
Stanford professor Jennifer Burns, author of Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right, explains why author Ayn Rand is and always has been the "gateway drug to life on the right."
Watch the The Colbert Report video  » (5 min.)







 

Baby Steps to Better Habits video
Start small. BJ Fogg, MA '95, PhD '97, presents a step-by-step guide to adopting healthier habits, starting with tiny behavior changes.
Watch the Rock Health video  » (37 min.)

Yes, You Are the Creative Type video
"People are inherently creative, but they opt out of it at some point." Stanford d.school founder David Kelley talks about creative confidence and how to rediscover it as an adult.
Watch the CNN video clip  » (10 min.)

Listen

Eat Organic? Maybe Not audio
"There isn't much difference between organic and conventional foods," says Dena Bravata, CRT '97, MS '00. A recent study led by Bravata and Crystal Smith-Spangler, MF '08, MS '10, found no strong evidence that organic foods are more nutritious or carry fewer health risks than conventional alternatives.
Listen to the KQED News report  » (1 min.)

As Seen on Facebook: We Need Your DNA audio
23andMe is using social media to invite anyone diagnosed with Parkinson's disease to donate a DNA sample. Law professor Hank Greely explains why this unconventional approach could be the way of the future.
Listen to NPR's Morning Edition report  » (5 min.)

There Is No One California audio
Senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, farmer and conservative columnist Victor Davis Hanson, PhD '80, discusses his recent article, "There Is No One California." He talks about how California is really two separate states, each dysfunctional in its own way.
Listen to KQED's Forum podcast  » (52 min.)