In an article about a Manhattan think tank’s effort to promote intellectual pluralism in academia, Brown University’s Political Theory Project and Janus Forum are praised as models for “open, rigorous and civil dialogue.” Project director John Tomasi, associate professor of political science, discusses his definition of a “healthy polity.”
www.nysun.com/article/44152

This week, British Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to deliver a “historical expression of regret” for the British state's involvement in slavery. This commentary piece explores the complexities of such involvement and such an apology, and notes the “interesting approach” Brown took with the study conducted by the Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice and its recommendations to President Simmons.
observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,1957354,00.html

Brown University’s October report elucidating the institution’s early ties to slavery has stepped up the pressure on other colleges to delve deeply into their own pasts and fully acknowledge their institutional links to slavery, Nazi Germany and other disgraced ideas.
insidehighered.com/news/2006/11/27/skeletons

Textbooks say that the moon’s volcanos, geysers and other signs of geological activity ended a billion years ago. Not so fast, says Professor of Geological Sciences Peter Schultz. He and colleagues report in the journal Nature that water and carbon dioxide still leak out of surface cracks–a sign of underground heat. The moon's landscape continues to change, and not just from meteorites.
See news release: www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2006-07/06-051.html

New technology and new media quickly spread news of racial slurs used by celebrities like Michael Richards or Mel Gibson. "Everything is caught on tape now," said John R. Logan, a sociology professor whose research has focused on racial segregation and race relations. "We're hearing things we wouldn't have heard before. If 10 percent of America has racist attitudes, why wouldn't 10 percent of movie stars? ... It's usually hidden. Most public figures have learned they've got to be careful. Just because they're in a casual setting, they can't assume they can be carefree with what they say. They still have to watch their words."
www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-to.race22nov22,0,1900802.story

Researchers who study campus drinking games like Beer Pong say they can cause serious problems. "Drinking games are a structured way to drink heavily," said Brian Borsari, assistant professor of community health (research), who has studied drinking games. "One motivation is to get people drunk. There is a link between alcohol use and sexual assault."
www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=534056

BBC International interviewed Sergei Khrushchev, a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies, about Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian spy who was poisoned. The interview was conducted in Brown University’s remote television studio.

Brown University senior Keriann Backus is one of 32 students from the United States selected to be a Rhodes Scholar. In this article, Backus talks about her research, scholarly interests, professional aspirations, and her unusual childhood sailing around the world.
www.projo.com/news/content/rhodes_scholars23_11-23-06_U92VRC4.279bb49.html
See news release: www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2006-07/06-057.html

An opinion piece by a Kent State University professor takes Brown to task for the way it handled the suspension of a student group, Reformed University Fellowship.
www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/projo_20061127_ctzelle.31efc04.html

“The Internet is a great tool for public engagement,” Professor of Political Science Darrell West notes in an article about how South Carolinians use South Carolina Legislature Online. "Anything that puts information out to the public boosts accountability and helps the political process," he adds.
www.charleston.net/assets/webPages/departmental/news/Stories.aspx?section=localn
ews&tableId=120223&pubDate=11/26/2006

Professor of Geology Donald Forsyth and students from Brown University on a routine ocean-floor mapping cruise jumped into action when they realized that many of the seafloor seismometers they were supposed to collect had been buried by a recent lava flow. Data from the remaining instruments yielded the first detailed record of seismic vibrations leading up to a seafloor spreading event. This press release was published on several science Web sites.
www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2006-07/06-058.html

Professor of Geological Sciences Peter Schultz discusses recent findings that some lunar craters were formed as recently as 10 million years ago by gas eruptions, suggesting that there’s still something bubbling away beneath the moon’s surface.
thechronicleherald.ca/Science/543205.html
See news release: www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2006-07/06-051.html