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The Moment: March 2025
In this issue
Last week The Moment took an uncharacteristically discombobulated stroll through campus. Things have been topsy-turvy lately in higher education and [checks notes] every other corner of the universe. Which explains why our ears pricked up upon overhearing a conversation outside Tresidder.
Two students were discussing the feasibility of solar radiation management, a theoretical geoengineering strategy for reducing global surface temperatures on Earth. As English majors, we can’t reproduce the exact dialogue (“something something orbital mechanics something”) but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the deeper reminder: Stanford’s gonna Stanford, no matter how turbulent the outside world gets.
That conversation—that mix of idealism and academic rigor—reminded us of something vital. Real progress comes not from shouting, but thinking. Stanford will always enshrine curiosity, inquiry, and intellectual integrity. And those will always be precisely what the world needs.
The world also invites you to read some unmissable new stories. From a Muslim suicide crisis to a loneliness epidemic to heat-trapping greenhouse gases, Stanford is tackling some of the most tenacious challenges of our era. Read on and recombobulate!
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A tragedy in the shadows
When a teen’s suicide shook a California mosque, psychiatrist and faith leader Rania Awaad realized how unprepared the community was to respond. Now she’s on a mission to change that—teaching imams to deal with an under-acknowledged crisis among American Muslims.
A tragedy in the shadows
See how Awaad is saving livesWhen a teen’s suicide shook a California mosque, psychiatrist and faith leader Rania Awaad realized how unprepared the community was to respond. Now she’s on a mission to change that—teaching imams to deal with an under-acknowledged crisis among American Muslims.
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The gigaton gambit
Explore four moonshot projectsStanford’s Sustainability Accelerator is betting big on groundbreaking ways to fight climate change. Goal number one: Remove massive quantities of greenhouse gas from our atmosphere.
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Flipping the script on loneliness
Read about hidden barriers to well-beingStanford psychologist Jamil Zaki reveals why making connections feels so hard, what keeps us from reaching out—and how we can change that.
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The second envelope
See how he went from dishwasher to scholarMichael McFaul, the former U.S. ambassador to Russia, is preparing to step down as longtime director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. But getting to the Farm in the first place is a story all its own.
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