Keys to happiness: Belief and the company of believers

A study by Cornell sociologist Matthew Brashears finds that happiness comes from having firmly held beliefs and being around people who affirm those beliefs.

Report: Arecibo unparalleled for finding near-Earth objects

The radar system at Arecibo Observatory plays a unique role in the ongoing effort to identify and characterize near-Earth objects, according to a final report to Congress. (Jan. 26, 2010)

Devastation in Haiti had human causes, too, panelists say

The tragedy surrounding the earthquake in Haiti is the result of human failure as much as natural disaster, said geology and engineering faculty members in a panel discussion Jan. 25 in Phillips Hall. (Jan. 26, 2010)

Trustees approve 4.5 percent endowed tuition increase; statutory tuition will rise by same dollar amount

The board of trustees has approved a plan that calls for a 4.5 percent tuition increase for undergrads in the endowed colleges and an increase of the same dollar amount for the state-supported colleges.

Library seeks support from other institutions for arXiv

Cornell Library is asking other research institutions to contribute to the support of the online arXiv repository of science and mathematics preprints. (Jan. 25, 2010)

David Levitsky -- part teacher, part showman -- wins USDA teaching award

A central plank of David Levitsky's teaching philosophy, honed over 40 years of instructing Cornell students, is to make his lessons unpredictable, and his style has earned him a USDA teaching award.

Watching crystals grow provides clues to making smoother, defect-free thin films

In the journal Science, Cornell researchers shed new light on how atoms arrange themselves layer by layer into crystalline thin films.

Researcher suggests new memory storage mineral

Researcher Derek Stewart says the mineral kotoite could be an ideal insulator for memory storage devices called magnetic tunnel junctions.

Watt Webb receives National Academy of Sciences Hollaender Award for biophysics

The award cites Webb for 'pioneering the applications of rigorous physical principles to the development of optical tools that have broadly impacted our ability to examine biological systems.'