🌷 HOT OFF THE PRESS! 🌷
The Spring 2024 edition of the Institute Letter, featuring original cover art by
@islenia_mil
, is now available online!
Read to discover the exciting work being carried out by IAS scholars. In this issue…
🆕BLACK HOLE GETS NEW LOOK WITH MACHINE LEARNING. A team led by IAS Member Lia Medeiros (
@astronolia
) has produced a groundbreaking new image of the M87 black hole, achieving, for the first time, the full resolution of the
@ehtelescope
. Read more:
🔊 Applications are now open! Join the Institute for Advanced Study for the 2024–25 academic year and pursue your own research within one of our four Schools: Historical Studies, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Science. Funding available. More:
Proud to announce the appointment of
@alondra
as Professor & Harold F. Linder Chair in the School of Social Science. An acclaimed sociologist, author, & researcher, Prof. Nelson is recognized for pathbreaking work in science, tech, & social inequality.
"I have found that the art of weaving sentences into a story can be as creative as the art of weaving ideas into a theorem."
The Institute is deeply saddened by the passing of Freeman J. Dyson, who called IAS his academic home for more than 60 years.
April 2022 saw Hollywood come to the Institute as the stars of
@OppenheimerFilm
shot scenes on campus. The IAS Woods and pond provided a setting for meetings between Oppenheimer and former IAS Faculty Albert Einstein.
#BehindTheScenes
📸: Melinda Sue Gordon/
@UniversalPics
🏆 Edward Witten, renowned physicist in the IAS School of Natural Sciences, has been awarded the Hamburg Prize for Theoretical Physics “for his groundbreaking contributions to a unified mathematical description of fundamental forces of nature.” Read more:
Thrilled to announce Wendy Brown’s appointment as UPS Foundation Professor in the School of Social Science. A preeminent political theorist and prolific author, Brown has revolutionized understandings of
#democracy
and the modern powers that challenge it.
🏆 Avi Wigderson, Herbert H. Maass Professor in the IAS School of Mathematics, has been named by
@TheOfficialACM
as the recipient of the 2023 ACM A.M. Turing Award, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Computing." Read more:
🎉
@ERC_Research
awarded a €10M Synergy Grant to a project led by Nima Arkani-Hamed, Professor in the School of Natural Sciences, and past IAS Members. They aim to create a new mathematical language to describe physical phenomena on all scales:
#ERCSyG
🗞️ BREAKING NEWS: Alondra Nelson (
@Alondra
), Harold F. Linder Professor in the Institute's School of Social Science, concludes her landmark term as the first woman of color to lead
@WHOSTP
on February 10, 2023.
Read more:
Freeman J. Dyson, who has been on the Natural Sciences Faculty since 1953, can always be found at afternoon tea in Fuld Hall. During today's tea service, the Institute community gathered to surprise him with a 96th birthday party. Happy birthday, Freeman!
Thrilled to announce that David Nirenberg will become the 10th Director of IAS. The dean of
@UChiDivinity
at
@UChicago
and professor of medieval history, Nirenberg champions IAS values of joining together excellence, diverse perspectives, and curiosity.
Today is the 91st birthday of Natalie Zemon Davis, acclaimed early modern historian and past Social Science Member! Celebrate with newly published essays by Davis's colleagues and friends, written for April's IAS/Princeton workshop commemorating her 90th.
🌌 This December, 200+ global scholars visited
@the_IAS
for a Qubit workshop focused on applying ideas and concepts from quantum information theory to the study of spacetime. Read more about the event and find the playlist of videos from the workshop here:
🎞️ At a moment when movies are at the forefront of everyone’s minds, the Institute for Advanced Study is delighted to present a 90-second film of its own: a new anthem video showcasing IAS and its mission of enabling foundational discovery.
Harold F. Linder Professor Alondra Nelson (
@alondra
) has been elected to the newest class of Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (
@aaas
)
#AAASFellow
In March, we were happy to be joined by researchers from
@DeepMind
, culminating in a Fireside Chat on how machine learning is aiding mathematicians in discovering new conjectures and theorems:
🎧 Edward Witten, Professor Emeritus in the School of Natural Sciences, is the latest guest on the
@BBCSounds
podcast The Life Scientific. In addition to discussing his career, Witten described the "stimulation" of working at the Institute. Listen here:
Proud to recognize
@RHDijkgraaf
for his nomination as Minister of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands; for 10 years of leadership as IAS Director; and for his ongoing work to champion research, curiosity, inclusion, and academic excellence.
Congratulations to Nima Arkani-Hamed, 2022 recipient of the J.J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics, for outstanding achievement in particle theory
@APSphysics
We are proud to welcome Suzanne Conklin Akbari to the Faculty of the School of Historical Studies. Specializing in medieval literature, Prof. Akbari is involved in various projects to expand the range and methods of exploring texts from the Middle Ages.
🎙️ What does a public vision for A.I. actually look like? Alondra Nelson (
@alondra
), Harold F. Linder Professor in the Institute's School of Social Science, discusses the A.I. policy challenge with
@ezraklein
in today's episode of the
@nytopinion
podcast:
#Congratulations
to Karen Uhlenbeck, Visitor in the School of Mathematics as well as a former Member and Visiting Professor, who has been awarded the 2019
#AbelPrize
by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters—the first woman to receive this prestigious award.
Congratulations to Professor Avi Wigderson, who has been awarded the 2019 Knuth Prize! The prize recognizes his fundamental and lasting contributions to the foundations of computer science, including the training of generations of computer scientists.
IAS Public Lecture Live Streaming Today at 5:30 p.m.: Juan Maldacena, Carl P. Feinberg Professor in the School of Natural Sciences, and Douglas Stanford, Member in the School, on THE COOL ALTER-EGO OF A BLACK HOLE
#IAS
Karina Urbach, IAS Visitor in the School of Historical Studies, explains how her research is connected to the current debate involving the Hohenzollern family, Germany’s former royal house, and restitution negotiations with the German government.
The Institute proudly welcomes Jacob Lurie to the Faculty of the School of Mathematics. Singularly original in his approach, Lurie’s perspective is shaping a new generation of mathematics and will carry on the great tradition of IAS innovators.
Lia Medeiros (
@astronolia
), co-lead of the
@ehtelescope
Gravitational Physics Working Group and
@NSF
Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow, co-coordinated one of six collaboration papers (Paper VI), presenting the 2022 Sgr A* results.
Congratulations to Professor Nicola Di Cosmo, co-editor of "Empires and Exchanges in Eurasian Late Antiquity: Rome, China, Iran, and the Steppe, ca. 250–750," which Choice recognizes as an Outstanding Academic Title 2018!
Congratulations to Professor Alondra Nelson (
@alondra
) who will receive an honorary doctorate from
@Northeastern
as a “groundbreaking advocate for scientific discovery and technology innovation that focuses on ethics, racial and gender equity, and access.”
Proud to welcome Bhargav Bhatt, renowned expert in arithmetic geometry and commutative algebra, as Fernholz Joint Professor in the School of Math at IAS in a shared appointment with
@Princeton
. Read more about Bhatt’s work and varied collaborations here:
“I think the most important thing you learn from Einstein is the power of an idea. […] He was able, with pure thought, to solve the riddle of the universe.” IAS Director
@RHDijkgraaf
from “Inside Einstein’s Mind” (2015). Now streaming on Netflix.
"I suppose I reluctantly came to accept that the universe was not created for our convenience in understanding it" – Charles Simonyi Professor Edward Witten in
@CERNCourier
Welcome IAS scholars! As the 2022–23 academic year kicks off, 281 new and returning scholars arrive on campus, hailing from 36 countries and representing 107 academic institutions worldwide. Looking forward to the conversations and discoveries that await!
“Building a theory that works is like building a washing machine that works.”
@SymmetryMag
profiles Natural Sciences Professor Juan Maldacena, with perspectives from fellow Professor Nathan Seiberg.
Can a human travel through a wormhole? Such a voyage might be possible according to the theories explored in a new paper by Juan Maldacena, Carl P. Feinberg Professor in the School of Natural Sciences, and Alexey Milekhin
@Princeton
.
@APSphysics
@PhysRevD
For 65 years, Freeman Dyson, one of the world's most original thinkers, has been a professor at IAS. Join us at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow, April 13, 2018, to celebrate the publication of his latest book Maker of Patterns: An Autobiography through Letters.
Sir Michael Atiyah, a former Professor and Member at the Institute, passed away at 89. As one of the world’s most revered mathematicians, Atiyah produced work that has served as an inspiration to scholars around the globe. He will be greatly missed.
Congratulations to Avi Wigderson & László Lovász, recipients of the 2021
@abel_prize
“for foundational contributions to theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics” areas of deep intellectual meaning uniquely linked to technology & society
@DNVA1
IAS Prof.
@Alondra
Nelson and co-authors present a forward-looking approach to the accelerating field of computational social science in
@ScienceMagazine
, outlining a new ethical framework and considering whom research processes may benefit and harm.
Congratulations to current Member
@JLeeSoc
who has been selected as a 2023 Fellow of the
@TheAAPSS
for her contributions to social science which have "deepened public understanding of human behavior and social dynamics."
🏆 The 2023
@InfosysPrize
in Mathematical Sciences has been awarded to Bhargav Bhatt, Fernholz Joint Professor in the IAS School of Mathematics and
@Princeton
, for his "groundbreaking contributions" to arithmetic geometry and commutative algebra. More:
⚛️ The Institute was pleased to welcome Cari Cesarotti (
@MIT
) to today's Amplitudes Group Meeting for her presentation on "The Physics Potential at a Future
@MuonCollider
& Demonstrator Facilities".
Don't miss "The Universe Speaks in Numbers," a public IAS event bringing together world-class science communicators to discuss the close unity between math and physics. Starts 2 p.m. on 05/29. Register to attend, or catch the live stream:
Discover the life and legacy of Kurt Gödel, the twentieth century's foremost mathematical logician and a longtime IAS scholar, in "Journey to the Edge of Reason," the new biography by Stephen Budiansky.
The bright ring of accreting gas in the new image is thinner by about a factor of two, which will be a powerful constraint for future tests of gravity. The work was conducted in collaboration with
@NOIRLabAstro
&
@GeorgiaTech
with
@NSF
support, published by
@AAS_Publishing
.
Were Hawking and Einstein wrong? Last week, Juan Maldacena,
@AlmheiriAE
,
@quantum_geoff
, and
@SubirSachdev
presented four fascinating lectures on the nature of spacetime, quantum entanglement, and black holes. Watch the video here:
Congratulations to
@alondra
Nelson, Harold F. Linder Professor in the School of Social Science, who was appointed by President-elect
@JoeBiden
as Deputy Director for Science and Society in the Office of Science and Technology Policy
#OSTP
"No life was more entangled with the Institute for Advanced Study." For
@QuantaMagazine
, IAS Director
@RHDijkgraaf
remembers Freeman Dyson, IAS Professor of over 65 years and one of the world's "most versatile scientists and astute humanists."
Congratulations to Historical Studies Prof. Francesca Trivellato, winner of
@AmPhilSociety
's 2020 Jacques Barzun Prize for "The Promise and Peril of Credit"!
📢 Maria Hsiuya Loh, an internationally recognized art historian, has joined IAS as Professor in the School of Historical Studies. Loh is best known for her work on Venetian art of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, particularly Titian. Read more:
HOT OFF THE PRESS: The Fall 2022 edition of the Institute Letter, featuring original cover art by
@NatureInTheory
🍂
Read the digital edition, or download the pdf, to discover the exciting work being carried out by IAS scholars, including...
"I actually don’t save my notes; every time I sit down to look at a problem I tend to start thinking it through fresh to see if I find a different way to approach it." - Karen Uhlenbeck, Abel Prize laureate and frequent IAS scholar since '79, for
@sciam
:
🍂 The Fall 2023 edition of the Institute Letter is here, featuring original cover art by
@treelet
. Read the digital edition, or download the pdf, to discover the exciting work being carried out by IAS scholars past and present including...
Streaming live Apr. 24, 7:30 p.m. EST: "What's the Point of Doing Fundamental Science?," a discussion with Natural Sciences Professor Nima Arkani-Hamed about the real point of curiosity-driven, basic research. Hosted by
@CornellPhysics
.
Watch now: videos from October's "Theory of Deep Learning: Where Next?" workshop, hosted by the IAS School of Math. Speakers discuss the progress that has been made on deep learning theory and identify promising avenues where theory is possible and useful.
Was the universe created by a mathematician? Prof. Edward Witten joins Director
@RHDijkgraaf
for an interview on the interplay between math and physics during last week's
#UniverseSpeaks
event.
🌌 Any astrophysical object that comes too close to a black hole will fall inside. Right? But new research by scholars from
@the_IAS
,
@Princeton
, and
@VanderbiltU
shows that energy close to the black hole at the center of galaxy M87 pushes…outward! More:
After concluding her term at the
@WHOSTP
, Harold F. Linder Professor Alondra Nelson (
@alondra
) will return to IAS to lead the special theme year in the School of Social Science, exploring the expansion, rise, and influence of "the platform" in society:
🪄 Renowned for his talent for using everyday objects to highlight unique mathematical surprises, Tadashi Tokieda of
@Stanford
visited IAS last month! Tokieda used everything from wooden spoons to strips of paper to captivate the IAS community with the magic of math.
Congratulations to Professor Juan Maldacena, recipient of the 2018 Richard E. Prange Prize in recognition of his transformative contributions to exploring condensed matter physics
@UMDPhysics
The Hidden Stories project
@UofT
, co-led by Suzanne Conklin Akbari, will examine physical and biological properties—from fungal growth to trade routes—of centuries-old books to understand the systems, peoples, and cultures that make a book.
IAS toasts 2021
@abel_prize
laureates Avi Wigderson and László Lovász during a digital reception, bringing together family, friends, and colleagues from around the world and special guest
@NorwayAmbUSA
.
#AbelPrize2021
@DNVA1
🎊 The 2023–24 academic year is officially underway! The international IAS community, which this year hails from 47 countries and 105 institutions, is united across disciplines by a common cause to push the boundaries of knowledge. Read more:
“I don’t know how to live without doing research.” Prof.
@Alondra
Nelson joins
@believermag
for an interview discussing art and science, Blackness and technology, current projects, and much more.
Kristen R. Ghodsee, former Member in the School of Social Science reflects on the diverse legacy of Freeman Dyson, whose imagination and optimism knew no bounds. Dyson would have turned 97 today. Happy birthday Freeman.
👏 Join IAS on May 5 for a Celebration of Great Minds with
@WalterIsaacson
and
@DM_Rubenstein
. Isaacson will discuss his biography of past Institute Faculty member Albert Einstein and the host of other geniuses about whom he has written. Register here:
Created by IAS Director
@RHDijkgraaf
, the artwork below depicts the different scales of knowledge about the natural world, from the cosmic microwave background to the Planck scale. Very Best Wishes for the Holidays and a Wonderful New Year!
👏 Congratulations to
@OppenheimerFilm
on receiving 7
@TheAcademy
awards at
#Oscars2024
! As shown in the film, after the Manhattan Project J. Robert Oppenheimer served as Director of the Institute for Advanced Study from 1947–66, the longest tenure of any IAS Director to date.
Jean Bourgain, IBM von Neumann Professor in the School of Mathematics, revered for the exceptional range, depth, & power of his mathematical work, passed on Dec 22. He will be deeply missed by colleagues & friends around the world. We extend our deepest condolences to his family.
Meet our newest Members and discover their unique passion for curiosity-driven research in the new Scholar Spotlight video series. This week, IAS Director
@RHDijkgraaf
shares why the unconstrained pursuit of knowledge is more important than ever.
Proud to begin the 2020–21 academic year with 241 leading scholars & scientists from over 100 academic institutions in over 20 countries, working with 25 Faculty to push boundaries of knowledge & leverage the creativity of our global community of scholars.
Listen to Natural Sciences Prof. Juan Maldacena and Director
@RHDijkgraaf
discuss the discovery of AdS/CFT correspondence, the evolution of the theory since, and the future of scientific research at the recent Lorentz Medal ceremony in Maldacena's honor.
📺 On last night's edition of the
@colbertlateshow
, Christopher Nolan joined Stephen Colbert to discuss
@OppenheimerFilm
in an interview taped on the IAS campus. IAS scholars decorated blackboards to be used as backdrops and even chatted with Colbert about their research!
@RHDijkgraaf
@ehtelescope
As Einstein said: "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."
@RHDijkgraaf
inspires the next generation to follow "Einstein's Dream" and their own curiosity wherever it takes them. Watch the full video at
For
@WSJ
, IAS Director David Nirenberg discusses how “Oppenheimer and other Institute faculty channeled much of their effort toward what AI researchers today call the “alignment” problem: how to make sure our discoveries serve us instead of destroying us.”
"We Need Social Science, Not Just Medical Science, to Beat the Pandemic" By Nicholas Dirks, former Social Science Member and current
@NYASciences
President and CEO, for
@sciam
:
🥳 Congratulations to
@Alondra
Nelson, Harold F. Linder Professor in the IAS School of Social Science, who will be presented with a Public Service Award by
@FAScientists
for her outstanding work in science policy and culture. Read more:
Happy birthday, IAS! Today we celebrate our 90th with a special message from Director
@RHDijkgraaf
, scholars, and other members of our community. Thank you to our scholars and supporters for joining us in our mission to push knowledge forward.
#IAS90th
11/6 at IAS: A cross-disciplinary conversation on "Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and Society." With talks by
@pmddomingos
(left) and
@marylgray
(center), and a discussion moderated by IAS Prof.
@Alondra
Nelson (right). Open to the public. Register here:
“I have only two talents—doing calculations and writing essays.” Freeman Dyson, IAS Natural Sciences Professor of over 65 years, is remembered by frequent IAS Director's Visitor
@grahamfarmelo
for
@sciam
.
Don't miss "The Universe Speaks in Numbers," a public IAS event bringing together world-class science communicators to discuss the close unity between math and physics. Starts 2 p.m. on 05/29. Register to attend, or catch the live stream:
👏 Edward Witten, Professor Emeritus in the School of Natural Sciences, has been awarded a Benjamin Lee Professorship by the APCTP. The professorship was named for South Korean physicist Benjamin Lee, a frequent IAS Member:
Writing for
@ubleiden
, curator Arnoud Vrolijk discusses Yemen's distinctive written heritage, the threat war poses to the country's rich library tradition, and the work Professor Sabine Schmidtke (
@scsincyberspace
) is doing to counteract that threat.