WINTER 2016 COLUMBIA MAGAZINE COLUMBIA COLUMBIAMAGAZINE WINTER 2016 Your Beautiful Brain DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONTIERS OF NEUROSCIENCE 4.16_Cover_FINAL.indd 1 11/14/16 1:40 PM JORG MEYER JORG 4.16_Contents_FINAL.indd 1 11/16/16 3:36 PM WINTER 2016 PAGE 34 CONTENTS FEATURES 12 YOUR BEAUTIFUL BRAIN By Bill Retherford Dispatches from the frontiers of neuroscience 22 BEING THERE By Paul Hond In more ways than one, Columbia professor Sarah Sze is the artist of the moment 30 THE SECRET LIFE OF VOLCANOES By Kevin Krajick ’76GS, ’77JRN Can a Columbia-led expedition to South America uncover the forces that drive one of its largest volcanoes? 34 SYNCOPATED SISTERS By Paul Hond Tap-dance entrepreneurs Chloe and Maud Arnold are ready to click with a new generation — and heal the world through rhythm and shoes 40 THE BIG IDEA By Fred Strasser Chloe Arnold A Q&A with Columbia law ’02CC (left) and Maud professor Je rey Fagan on police Arnold ’08CC JORG MEYER JORG accountability COLUMBIA WINTER 2016 1 4.16_Contents_FINAL.indd 2 11/16/16 3:37 PM COLUMBIA CONTENTS MAGAZINE DEPARTMENTS Executive Vice President, 3 University Development & Alumni Relations LETTERS Amelia Alverson Deputy Vice President for Strategic Communications 6 Jerry Kisslinger ’79CC, ’82GSAS COLLEGE WALK Chord Curriculum \ The Short List \ Editor in Chief The Manahata Project \ We Are the World \ Sally Lee Bittersweet \ Let’s Go Clubbing Art Director Jeffrey Saks 42 Managing Editor EXPLORATIONS Rebecca Shapiro Climate change fuels signifi cant increase PAGE Senior Editors in US forest fi res \ Revealing the true 6 David J. Craig, Paul Hond hunting habits of Yankee whalers \ Study: Copy Chief “Wheat sensitivity” is real \ Data mining Joshua J. Friedman ’08JRN reveals risky drug combos \ Study Hall Assistant to the Editor Julia Joy 48 Editorial Assistant Marley Marius NETWORK A Virtual Museum Tour \ Products with a Purpose \ The Giving Season \ Reporting Director of Digital Strategy Reimagined \ That’s Amaro \ Newsmakers Gwynne Gauntlett Director for Marketing Research FROM TOP: RICCARDO VECCHIO; COURTESY OF JOSEPHINE HALVORSON AND SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO.; SARA KRULWICH / THE NEW YORK TIMES / REDUX TIMES / THE NEW YORK KRULWICH SARA AND SIKKEMA JENKINS & CO.; HALVORSON OF JOSEPHINE COURTESY VECCHIO; RICCARDO TOP: FROM 54 Linda Ury Greenberg BULLETIN Director for Strategic Marketing and Communications University news and views PAGE Tracy Quinn ’14SPS 50 58 Subscriptions: BOOKS Address and archive assistance 4 3 2 1, by Paul Auster \ Mischling, by [email protected] 212-851-4155 A nity Konar \ His Final Battle: The Last To update your address online, visit Months of Franklin Roosevelt, by Joseph alumni.columbia.edu/directory, Lelyveld \ Plus, Graham Moore discusses or call 1-877-854-ALUM (2586). The Last Days of Night Advertising: 212-851-4155 [email protected] 63 CLASSIFIEDS To download our advertising brochure or submit a classifi ed advertisement online, visit www.magazine.columbia.edu/advertise. 64 Letters to the editor: FINALS PAGE [email protected] 22 The Mane Event Columbia Magazine is published for alumni and friends of Columbia by the Offi ce of Alumni and Development. FOLLOW US © 2016 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York /ColumbiaMag @columbiamag COVER ILLUSTRATION: MERIJN HOS 2 COLUMBIA WINTER 2016 4.16_Contents_FINAL.indd 3 11/16/16 3:37 PM LETTERS LIT PARADE Every issue of the outstanding Columbia Magazine seems better than the one before! I frequently feel OPEN CUBA will merely throw a lifeline to sition in a country under an nostalgic about, Excellent article on Cuba the ruling elite. Elites don’t embargo as tight as the one and am always in the fall issue (“Bridges to reform because they want we have on Cuba.” But Cuba grateful for, the Cuba”). When I was a student to but because they have to; has been trading and has had classes taught by at Columbia College in the and we’ve told them they full relations with Canada‘‘ early 1970s, spending half don’t have to. and Europe for decades, yet Mark Van Doren, my food money every week Taras Wolansky ’74CC the Cuban communist gov- Eric Bentley, and at Laissez Faire Books, near Kerhonkson, NY ernment is as repressive and especially William NYU, I shared the comfort- dictatorial as ever. York Tindall. able belief that trade and I was one of the students The writer of the article Ellie F. Schmidt tourism could reform an au- who listened to Fidel Castro’s states that “the values that ’63GSAS thoritarian regime. It sound- speech on College Walk on most Cubans want to pre- Santa Rosa, CA ed a lot easier than JFK’s April 21, 1959. But I was not serve” are “universal health promise that we would “pay seduced, since I knew about care, universal education, any price, bear any burden.” communism from my par- egalitarianism, anti-imperial- Unfortunately, the years ents, who were refugees from ism.” How does he know this? that followed showed that the the Soviet Union. Your article There is no democracy in easy way didn’t work. South quotes President Obama as Cuba, so there has never been Africa ended apartheid not saying, in Havana, “I have an election to test what because we engaged with it, come here to bury the last Cubans value the most. Even but because we embargoed remnant of the Cold War in if you polled Cubans, people and ostracized it. The Soviet the Americas.” This is a naive would not tell you their true Union changed because the statement. Cuba has a dic- feelings, since they are afraid Reagan administration put tatorial communist regime, of being arrested. How naive pressure on its every weak and so as long as there is no can you get? point simultaneously. In the democracy in Cuba, there will Roman George Kernitsky Questions? Comments? meantime, engagement with be a remnant of the Cold War. ’62CC WE WELCOME THEM ALL! China helped transform an There is also no point in Colts Neck, NJ E-MAIL US AT: authoritarian regime that was people-to-people engagement [email protected] too poor to do much damage if the Cuban people have ab- ALWAYS FAITHFUL OR WRITE TO US: in the world into one that solutely no power to change I enjoyed your article “Leave Columbia Magazine now has the wealth to do a the government. SIPA pro- Them Laughing,” about Columbia Alumni Center great deal of damage. fessor Christopher Sabatini comedian Negin Farsad 622 W. 113th Street, MC 4521 New York, NY 10025 In much the same way, it’s is quoted as saying, “There’s (Network, Fall 2016), but I Letters may be edited for brevity or clarity. likely that opening to Cuba never been a democratic tran- noticed an incorrect term COLUMBIA WINTER 2016 3 4.16_Letters_FINAL_Revised.indd 3 11/14/16 11:39 AM LETTERS being used. You quote Farsad as saying, “I always think about the ex-Marine who had been stationed in Afghani- stan. He came in angry and left laugh- ing.” As the daughter of a Marine who is a combat veteran of Vietnam, and as a cousin or friend to many Marines who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, I Calling All wanted to clarify that for Marines — as my dad always says — “once a Marine, always a Marine.” There are no “ex-” Marines — except, perhaps, in the case of a dishonorable discharge. Jillian Kelly ’10SW Readers Brooklyn, NY REDESIGN REACTIONS What happened to Columbia Magazine? Did some marketing guru Do you enjoy tell you that you are not up-to-date, ➜ Engaging with ideas that will change the way we live and think? that we have short attention spans and have become a foodie nation? I used ➜ Learning about breakthroughs in climate science and to read long, thoughtful, well-written precision medicine, and reading about artists, humanitarians, articles. Now pictures have replaced text, and short, breezy, uninteresting entrepreneurs, and inventors? articles dominate. The new look: glitz without substance. ➜ Keeping up with Columbia and your alumni community? Peter Gibbon ’80TC Duxbury, MA Good idea to have the caption contest, and nice changes to the magazine. Please support Columbia Al McGovern ’78SEAS Naperville, IL Magazine with a voluntary For those who wrote to express disappointment that your school was not listed in our fall issue’s abbreviation key, we hear you loud and clear! We were experimenting with listing only the abbreviations of schools that appeared in a given edition, in an effort to subscription of $36 or save space. We’re now reevaluating, and we appreciate your sharing your views. — Ed. KEY TO ABBREVIATIONS the amount of your choice. CODE SCHOOL BC Barnard College can be sent to: BUS Graduate School of Business Checks payable to Columbia Magazine CC Columbia College DM College of Dental Medicine Columbia Magazine GS School of General Studies GSAPP Graduate School of Architecture, 622 West 113th Street Planning, and Preservation New York, NY 10025 GSAS Graduate School of Arts and Sciences HON (Honorary degree) JRN Graduate School of Journalism Or donate online: JTS Jewish Theological Seminary KC King’s College giving.columbia.edu/ColumbiaMagazine LAW School of Law LS School of Library Service 4 COLUMBIA FALL 2016 4.16_Letters_FINAL_Revised.indd 4 11/14/16 11:39 AM LETTERS New from being used. You quote Farsad as saying, Columbia University Press “I always think about the ex-Marine 3 More Alumni TED Talks who had been stationed in Afghani- You Might Have Missed stan. He came in angry and left laugh- Readers who enjoyed the fall issue’s ing.” As the daughter of a Marine who Network feature on alumni TED Talks is a combat veteran of Vietnam, and sent in a few more suggestions for your as a cousin or friend to many Marines viewing pleasure.