RESEARCH CONTENTS 06 EDITOR'S NOTE 07 RESEARCH NEWS Recent Northwestern discoveries
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12 VISUALIZING THE UNSEEN
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From revealing life’s building blocks to solving the mystery of cosmic forces, Northwestern research is transforming the world
18 LIFE OF THE MIND Philosopher Sanford Goldberg on knowledge and metaphysics
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20 INSIDE THE NUMBERS
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From Broadway to biomedicine, Big Data is unlocking the secrets to creativity
24 LANDMARK DISCOVERY MAKES WAVES
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neurons in nanofiber gel
Northwestern astrophysicists help prove Einstein right
SPRING + SUMMER 2016 VOLUME 1, NUMBER 2
26 SCIENCE CLUB ADVANCES STEM EDUCATION 28 WHO CAN YOU TRUST? New research project provides answers through interdisciplinary lens
32 RELIGHTING HISTORY Ultramodern imaging shows hidden story of artifacts
36 POETIC JUSTICE Can literature save democracy?
42 SCIENCE OF THE SALE Exploring the hidden processes that influence decisions
46 CENTERPIECE News from our knowledge hubs
50 WONDER-FILLED LIFE Faculty share how they found their passion for discovery
52 BOOKS Recent faculty publications
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On the cover: Chad Mirkin and Teri Odom, both chemistry, are among Northwestern’s thought leaders in cross-disciplinary research. Mirkin is director of the University’s International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN); Odom is its associate director. Since 2000, IIN’s collaborative discovery has harnessed the talents of thousands of chemists, engineers, biologists, physicians, and business experts to reveal new insights and solve complex challenges. Learn more on page 12.
Research | Spring + Summer 2016
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