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Insight Archives
A New Portrait of Portrait of a Lady Emerges

Literary scholars find it hard to envision a cultural world without Henry James, the great American novelist whose novel The Portrait of a Lady enjoys a lasting mystique more than 130 years after its first publication. Now, Smith professor Michael Gorra has written a new book exploring why James’ work and his enigmatic life are still so intriguing. More...

Oppositional Behavior in the Presidential Contest

Is there a positive to negative campaigning? While the candidates in the current presidential contest are clashing over ideologies, many people wonder if this is the most rancorous election ever.

Hoarding: Making Disorder an Official Disorder

For the first time in psychiatric history, hoarding is poised to become an official mental disorder. Professor Randy Frost reflects on the early research that began in a Smith psychology laboratory

Alone on the Sandy Shores, Again

English professor Michael Thurston set out to walk from Eastham to Provincetown, following Henry David Thoreau's footsteps and finding surprising insights about his own life along the way.

Olympics or Bust

Cities that host major sports events like the Olympics often expect a financial windfall. But economics professor Andrew Zimbalist says the costs of putting on these extravaganzas often outweigh any benefits.

Opinion / The Higgs Boson Has Been Found!

But what is it and who cares? Finding the Higgs boson particle is a big step for scientists, but physics professor Gary Felder says there are more secrets of the universe yet to be discovered.

Exploring Fact, Fiction and the Details In Between

Taking a fresh approach to teaching nonfiction writing, academics are drawing on the novelist’s techniques for storytelling but emphasizing “a slavish obligation to serve fact and to observe accurately



Spring 2012

Predicting Women’s Success in Congressional Races

Why aren’t more women serving in Congress? Senior Alana Eichner has spent the past year analyzing the successes and failures of women who ran as party nominees for the House of Representatives.

The Power of the Printed Page Endures

Despite gloomy predictions from publishing aficionados, he is in fact confident that the ink-and-paper book as we’ve come to know it isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

It’s Not Always About the Genes

Evelyn Fox Keller, the 2012 William Allan Neilson Chair of Research, has lectured on contemporary scientific problems, including the persistent discussion regarding medical genetics and the nature-nurture debate.

What's the Big Deal About Cloud Computing?

The research of Associate Professor of Computer Science Dominique Thiébaut focuses on “the cloud’s” significance in everyday life as well as on how scientists are tapping into it to accomplish complex computations

What Do You Know? And How Well Do You Think?

Smith is one of the first institutions of higher education to apply innovative teaching methods known as knowledge building to the liberal arts. With video.

Opinion / Instant Replay for Presidential Debates: A Logical Move

A Smith professor suggests that a team of logicians should review all statements made by political candidates during public debates.


Fall 2011

The Undead and the Digital

The vampires captivating the popular imagination on the big screen in the Twilight movies and in popular television series like True Blood are bloodsucking creatures of the digital age.

Discussing Dying and Death in America

Smith Professor Donald Joralemon is not only asking engaging questions about death in America. He’s inviting public input on the topic by posting a draft of his upcoming book on the Internet.

With Digital Mapmaking, Scholars “See” a New Virtual Landscape of Paris

How can scholars and their students visualize the complex and multilayered urban space of Paris without touring firsthand the famous city?

Learning How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep From Jet-Lagged Mice

What happens when the aging brain experiences sleep disruptions? Jet-lagged mice might help us understand.

Fossil Coral Dating Reveals Critical Clues About Sea-level Change

There is new evidence of sea-level oscillations during a warm period that started about 125,000 years ago.

Fear Eats the Soul: 9/11 and the Cycle of Fear and Violence

Psychological and social healing are aided by reconciliation with adversaries, says Joshua Miller, professor in the School for Social Work.

Reflections on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11

“I think the shock of 9/11 literally unhinged us, at Smith and nationally,” says John Connolly, who was serving as Smith’s acting president on September 11, 2001.

Using the Power of Computing to Understand the Interactions of Early Christians and Muslims

Smith professor Nicholas Howe’s work might some day contribute to improving Muslim-Christian relations.

What's In a Name?

A recently scholarly publication, authored by a Smith chemistry professor and his student, analyzes women’s roles in the discovery and development of named organic reactions.

Designing a New Solar Energy System at a Closing Landfill Site

Using solar panels to generate electrical power at the site of a soon-to-close landfill is a good way to capture new revenue. With video.

What Drew Settlers to the Peruvian Highlands?

Why thousands of bureaucrats, priests, artisans and farmers settled some 2,000 years ago in the Lake Titicaca Basin of the Andes and developed an important regional center there is a mystery.

Sleuths Find Clues to Ancient Environments in Bahamian Sands

Smith College geologists have discovered that polygonal sandcracks can develop without the usual necessary ingredient: mud.

Opinion / How Many Syrians Have to Die?

A Smith College professor asks why American and European policy makers are hesitating to call for the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s Baathist regime.