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The Moment: September 2025
In this issue
Another school year is upon us! As frosh roam the campus wondering whether ENGR20 is a class or a Wi-Fi password, it’s worth appreciating how far Stanford has come since its very first day.
The year was 1891. Students were choosing majors that didn’t exist yet—architecture, agriculture, and drawing were but nifty-sounding words. Supplies? Still en route, as microscopes, books, and drawing tables had to be shipped from the East. (Tracking number: That train in the distance.)
Entrance exams had taken place only a few months prior. One eager parent showed up with their 8-year-old, beseeching admissions officials to “learn ’em everything.” And let’s not forget the first official school chant, clearly written before our English classes got underway: “Rah, rah, rah! Rah, rah, rah! Rah! Rah! Stanford! Stanford! Stanford!”
There were no traditions. No infrastructure. MemChu was under construction. The students and professors showed up anyway, because they believed greatness was coming. (And microscopes. Totally coming.) And then they made it so.
Stanford’s story has always been about bold starts—and the next chapter begins now. We herald the new academic year with fresh tales of impact, from a radiation oncologist’s breakthrough to a landmark study on kids and phones. Read ’em, share ’em, and watch history take shape.
Rah, rah, rah!
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Billy Loo
A flash of hope
What if curing cancer didn’t have to mean harming healthy tissue? Stanford physician-scientist Billy Loo is leading a bold effort to deliver radiation therapy 500 times faster—with the potential to treat more patients, more effectively, and with fewer side effects.
Billy Loo
A flash of hope
Find out why this technology could change cancer care worldwideWhat if curing cancer didn’t have to mean harming healthy tissue? Stanford physician-scientist Billy Loo is leading a bold effort to deliver radiation therapy 500 times faster—with the potential to treat more patients, more effectively, and with fewer side effects.
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The universe, now in high-def
Explore the new frontier of space and dataStanford’s new Center for Decoding the Universe is turning a cosmic data deluge into discovery—using AI, astrophysics, and a bit of audacity. At its heart is one of humanity’s oldest questions: What is out there?
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Matthew Gentzkow
Can research finally settle the kids-and-phones debate?
See how this study could transform kids’ well-beingStanford economist Matthew Gentzkow is launching one of the first large-scale studies of phone-use policies for children. The results could shape how parents, schools, and policymakers sort out which strategies actually protect kids and which might backfire.
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Yoshiko Matsumoto
A shared verse, a deeper bond
Discover how a few lines of haiku are bridging dividesStanford linguist Yoshiko Matsumoto turned to an ancient poetic form to solve a modern challenge: how to improve social connection for older adults living with cognitive challenges. The result? Seventeen syllables that speak volumes.
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