Sherlock Holmes, Hopkins Man p.14 The Butterfly’s Effects p.48 The 5/2 Diet p.21 The professor is already inspiring undergraduates in his acting and directing classes. JOHN ASTIN’S NEXT ACT But his true quest is to bring the theater major back to Johns Hopkins. p.28 VOLUME 64 NO. 2 SUMMER 2012 Once Quiet on the Western Front p.60 Idea The End Plan p.10 Der Blaue Jay p.73 JOHNS HOPKINS MAGAZINE Have your cake... Make a gift to Johns Hopkins now. Receive income for life. Live well and give back to Johns Hopkins with a Charitable Gift Annuity. Fund a Charitable Gift Annuity with a minimum gift of $10,000 (cash or appreciated securities) and enjoy the following benets: t Guaranteed, xed payments for life to you and/or a loved one t Partially tax-free income t Immediate charitable deduction for a portion of the gift t Favorable treatment of capital gains, if donated asset is appreciated securities t Satisfaction of knowing you are making a lasting contribution to the mission of JHU Charitable Gift Annuity Rates Calculate your benefits at as of January 1, 2012 giving.jhu.edu/giftplanning Age One-life rate To request a personalized illustration 90 9.0% or learn more, please contact: 85 7.8% 80 6.8% Johns Hopkins Oce of Gift Planning 75 5.8% 410-516-7954 or 800-548-1268 70 5.1% [email protected] 65 4.7% giving.jhu.edu/giftplanning Seek advice from a tax professional before entering into a gift annuity agreement. Johns Hopkins gift annuities are not available in all states. ...and eat it too. I’M A PRE-COLLEGE STUDENT Johns Hopkins offers two excellent programs to head your future college plans in the right direction: A five-week term of immersion-style classes that let you dig deep Theme-based programs that expose you to topics from different into fascinating subjects. Take classes alongside college students perspectives to the best of Hopkins and the Baltimore area. and earn college credit. I’M AN UNDERGRADUATE Whether you are already a Hopkins student or wish to visit from another university, JHU invites you to explore our wide range of undergraduate courses to help you keep on track: FULFILL REQUIREMENTS for your minor, or earn your COMPLETE A FULL YEAR of a foreign language, science or math distribution credits in one summer LIGHTEN YOUR COURSE LOAD for next year FREE UP TIME during the school year to study abroad or do an internship Take a class at one of America's top-ranked universities with classes available in the mornings, afternoons, evenings and online! For more information, please visit www.jhu.edu/summer/ or call 410-516-4548. CONTENTS 34 Computing Texas Hold ’em 12 The Cosmic Web FRONT DEPARTMENTS 05 Contributors 10 Idea Happier Endings 07 Note 12 Artifact The Cosmic Web 08 Dialogue 14 Forefront The Case of the Bivalve Epicure 26 Evidence Sequencing Not a Crystal Ball 56 Text Hospital Props ALUMNI 58 Who Is . Sheri Lewis 60 Campus One Opera, One Pulitzer 67 Golomb’s Gambits Word Changes 68 Giving Making Waves to Fight Cancer 70 Colleagues The Read on Culture 72 Alumni Association Hopkins True Blue 73 Notebook A Vienna Lexicon 74 Friends for Life Lacrosse Brothers 75 Class Notes 79 In Memoriam 80 Afterwords My Life as an Egyptologist 2 | johns hopkins magazine 68 Making Waves to Fight Cancer FEATURES 28 Staging a Revival 40 Parental Guidance Michael anft Bret MccaBe In a career that has included Broadway, film, For parents of kids with special needs, navigating and television, John Astin, A&S ’52, has also been the education system can be a daunting successful in his most recent role—bringing process. Johns Hopkins student Liza Brecher spotlights back to his alma mater. wants to help. 34 Computing Texas Hold ’em 48 Aping Nature Dale Keiger Michael anft Computer security expert Avi Rubin approaches We can’t talk with the animals. But by poker as he approaches his other “casual” observing their most awe-inspiring traits, pursuits—obsessively. we can learn enough from them to create new medicines and robots. Volume 64 No. 2 Summer 2012 | 3 24/7 SERVICE SECURITY PROTECTION ONLINE ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT 24/7 SERVICE SECURITY PROTECTIONaD here ONLINE ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT From breakfast on the run to a night at the movies, use your Johns Hopkins Alumni ® ® From breakfast on the ®run to a night at the Association Platinum Plus MasterCard creditmovies, card with use WorldPoints your Johns rewards. Hopkins Alumni You’ll earn points on purchases to redeem® for cash,® travel, merchandise, even ® AssociationN Platinum Plus MasterCard credit card with WorldPoints rewards. unique adventures.You’ll earn Rewards points on for purchases the things youto redeem buy anyway. for cash, travel, merchandise, even unique adventures.N Rewards for the things you buy anyway. 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Clarity Bank ofCommitment, America and Bank the Bank of America of America and the logo Bank are registeredof America trademarks logo are registered of Bank trademarksof America Corporation. of Bank of America Corporation. © 2012 Bank of America© 2012 Corporation Bank of America Corporation ARI005O0-091611ARI005O0-091611 AD-01-09-0012.C.WP.NT.0109AD-01-09-0012.C.WP.NT.0109 4 | johns hopkins magazine VOLUME 64 NO. 2 SUMMER 2012 JOHNS HOPKINS MAGAZINE Contributors Editor Cathy Shufro (“Renewing Ties appeared in the New York Times, Catherine Pierre to Myanmar,” p. 16) is a the Telegraph, Wired, and New AssociAtE Editor freelance journalist who has Scientist, among other publica- Dale Keiger, A&S ’11 (MLA) reported on global health from tions. Originally from Istanbul, sEnior WritErs Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Haiti, she lives and works in London. Michael Anft and Thailand. This spring, she Bret McCabe, A&S ’94 reported from Myanmar on a Marshall Clarke (“Making AssistAnt Editor fellowship from the Interna- Waves to Fight Cancer,” Kristen Intlekofer tional Reporting Project, a photograph, p. 68) is an Art dirEctor program at the Nitze School of independent photographer Shaul Tsemach Advanced International Studies based in the Baltimore and dEsignEr that allows U.S. journalists to do Washington, D.C., areas. His Pamela Li in-depth reporting overseas. work has appeared in exhibi- Alumni nEWs & notEs tions at the Fraser Gallery in Lisa Belman David Driver (“Applying a Slide Washington and at the Balti- Mike Field, A&S ’97 (MA) Rule to Baseball,” p. 20) is a more Museum of Art, and his BusinEss mAnAgEr freelance writer whose work has clients include magazines, Dianne MacLeod appeared in the Washington universities, multinational Post, the Washington Times, the corporations, and nonprofits. Johns Hopkins Magazine (publication number 276-260; ISSN 0021-7255) is Sacramento Bee, the Cleveland published four times a year (Fall, Winter, Plain Dealer, and the Seattle Jennifer Walker (“The Read on Spring, and Summer) by The Johns Hopkins University, 901 S. Bond Street, Post-Intelligencer. A former Culture,” p. 70) is a freelance Suite 540, Baltimore, MD 21231. college baseball player, he now writer based in Baltimore, Periodicals postage paid at Baltimore, covers sports in and around where she writes about health, Maryland, and additional entry offices.