The Institute Letter, Spring 2025

Hong Wang, Member (2019–21) in the School of Mathematics, and Joshua Zahl of the University of British Columbia have announced a solution of the three-dimensional Kakeya conjecture. Their groundbreaking work builds on that of other IAS scholars, including Jean Bourgain, Professor (1994–2018), and Terence Tao, Member (2005, 2023), in the School.

The Institute is home to an intriguing collection of marginalia. Such notes—appearing in books and offprints, on photographs and squeezes, and on notecards—transform what might seem like static artifacts into dynamic records of scholarly engagement. They document the history of how scholars have interpreted, connected, and published ideas throughout time and space, creating a multilayered conversation that can even stretch across millennia. 

Giovanni Maria Tomaselli, Member in the School of Natural Sciences, delves into the cosmic mystery of dark matter—the invisible substance that comprises 85 percent of the universe. He introduces three of the main candidates for dark matter's composition and discusses his own innovative insights into how such matter might interact with binary black hole pairs.

Brad Bolman, Member in the School of Historical Studies, illuminates how beagles became vital yet overlooked contributors to scientific knowledge during World War II. His work also highlights how incremental, methodical research forms an essential foundation of scientific progress and understanding.

In the cognitive revolution, psychologists, recognizing that developments in information processing had potential for studying the human mind, sought for the first time to apply new ideas in early artificial intelligence, computer science, and neuroscience to psychology. The Institute, as the home of one of the first modern computers, was uniquely poised to serve as a hub for this nascent field of study.

Esther Liberman Cuenca, Member (2022–23) in the School of Historical Studies, shows how customary laws—which emerged from everyday practices rather than formal institutions—shaped medieval English towns. Her work highlights how male urban elites crafted these evolving legal frameworks to their advantage.

Nana Osei-Opare, Member (2022–23) in the School of Historical Studies, provides a new perspective on the Ghanaian political economy under President Kwame Nkrumah. Through meticulous analysis of archival sources, he reveals how the policies employed during Nkrumah's presidency show Black Marxists’ deep understandings of state capitalist ideas.

Joëlle Vailly, Member (2019–20) in the School of Social Science, analyzes how expanding genetic databases in criminal justice systems transform our understanding of criminality and identity, highlighting tensions between surveillance capabilities and individual rights.

How has choice become a defining feature of modern freedom? The option to choose where to live, what to buy, and what to believe was neither universally available nor consistently desired throughout history. Sophia Rosenfeld, Ed Kaufmann Founders' Circle Member (2014–15) in the School of Social Science, traces the evolution of choice from the seventeenth century to today.

Rubina Raja, Member (2019) in the School of Historical Studies, explains how archaeological context can transform understanding of ancient societies. By analyzing a "loose head" from Palmyra, Syria, once misidentified as the work of a Greek sculptor, she demonstrates how local craftsmen were not merely imitating foreign styles but creating distinct works, fundamentally reshaping our view of Palmyra's cultural identity.