Edward N. Lorenz ScD'38, the creator of the scientific field of chaos theory, died of cancer Wednesday at his home in Cambridge, Mass., The New York Times reported. Lorenz, who graduated from Darmouth with a degree in mathematics, proved that complex systems such as weather patterns cannot be predicted because all the many variables interact in complex, subtle ways. Lorenz stumbled upon the theory in 1961 when, while using a computer model to predict weather, he discovered that rounding off a single variable by less than .01 percent drastically changed the results. To illustrate the ramifications of his theory he came up with the now-famous idea of a butterfly flapping its wings causing a storm on the other side of the world. Lorenz served as a professor in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology meteorology department from 1955 to 1987. His theories have had a profound impact on many fields of mathematics and science.
Taylor Thompson '08 and Nathan Sigworth '07 are among 41 finalists out of an applicant pool of nearly 1,500 to reach the final round of judging for the Echoing Green fellowship. Echoing Green awards seed money, management assistance and other aid to rising entrepreneurs interested in social development. Sigworth and Thompson would use the fellowship to create a hotline that would allow people in developing countries to verify the authenticity of their pharmaceuticals via text-message. The finalists will meet with a panel of judges in New York this spring. Twenty projects will ultimately receive the fellowship.
The vast majority of college students say colleges and universities should focus on moral, ethical and social responsibility, but many assert that their institutions are not doing enough to emphasize these issues, according to a study by the Association of American Colleges and Universities. More than 50 percent of college students said they very strongly agreed that their school should highlight these principles, and an additional 40 percent somewhat strongly agreed. Less than 40 percent of students strongly agreed that their school was succeeding. The study also found that older students are less likely to believe their schools are emphasizing these values. Campus professionals were more likely than students to say schools should focus on these issues and that their school was succeeding.
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