The Sound of Prehistory
SAR scholars have pursued many unusual research projects over the decades, but one of the more memorable of recent years was that of Miriam Kolar (Weatherhead Resident Scholar, 2016-2017). Kolar, who received her doctorate from Stanford, is a prominent practitioner of the emerging specialty of archaeoacoustics, which brings together acoustic science and archaeology in an effort to understand how sound was used in used in prehistoric times to coordinate collective activity and, in some cases, to inspire awe during religious rituals.
Climate Change, Skepticism, Scale
On June 1, 2018, the School for Advanced Research and The Nature Conservancy in New Mexico hosted New Yorker staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert at Santa Fe’s Lensic Performing Arts Center. The event drew a capacity crowd of more than 700. Kolbert presented a 30-minute talk that was followed by an on-stage Q&A by Terry Sullivan, director of The Nature Conservancy NM, and SAR president Michael Brown. This event, the title of which was “The Fate of the Earth,” was presented under the auspices of SAR’s annual President’s Lecture.
Are Human Bodies Private Property or Part of a Commons?
Are Human Bodies Private Property or Part of a Commons? Michael F. Brown On Wednesday, April 17, 2018, SAR was pleased to host presentations by Nancy Scheper-Hughes (Chancellor's Professor Emerita, UC-Berkeley) and Òrla O'Donovan (School of Applied Social...
The Great Land–Thomas Michael Swensen post
Katrin Lamon Fellow Thomas Michael Swensen explains his book writing project, The Great Land, which he is completing during his 2017-2018 residency at SAR.
Immigration, Race and Place: Roots and Raices in Los Angeles
Sociologist Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo summarizes the research underlying the book she is writing at SAR, examining the transformation and persistence of communities in South L.A., which has seen a tremendous influx of Latino/a immigration and is no longer predominantly African-American. She focuses on three neighborhoods, on generational differences, and particularly on changing uses of public spaces such as parks.
Relaunching Discovery: SAR Resident Scholars at Work
This post introduces a new series, “SAR Fellows: In Their Own Words,” conceived as a 21st century update on the old SAR publication, “Discovery.” Fellows are each asked to write a blog post presenting the research they are writing up during their residence here this year, and are invited to enrich that post with images, links, sound files, or other multimedia content appropriate to their individual projects.
Launching SAR’s new and improved website
By the time you land on this page you will have noticed that SAR has updated its venerable website. The new site offers a number of distinct advantages, including a simpler updating process and the ability to adapt to the smaller screens of mobile devices.