The Institute Letter Spring 2023

Uncover how climate change and climate migration were exploited for profit at the Qatar World Cup. Explore how the combination of ancient DNA analysis with archaeological and historical approaches is revolutionizing knowledge of prehistoric population change. Trace “lost” scholars within the Institute’s archives. Fall into Alice’s rabbit hole and explore how individuals, as avatars, form communities in 3D virtual worlds. Follow a Baroque bust as it journeys from Rome to IAS and back again. Consider what it looks like to live in and beyond climate crisis. Read the latest research news covering everything from black holes to galaxy clusters; an excerpt from the IAS reading list; and interviews with scholars Sophie Lund Schrøder (Natural Sciences) and K-Sue Park (Social Science).

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Since 2007, when she made her own avatar on the 3D virtual world of Second Life, Eiko Ikegami has been immersed in a study of how individuals, as avatars, form communities. Explore how her research has evolved from studying Japanese history to understanding the metaverse, and how the two seemingly disparate fields are linked by ideas surrounding networks and "virtuality".

Lia Medeiros, current Member in the School of Natural Sciences, has led a group of researchers from the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration in producing a groundbreaking new image of the M87 black hole, using machine learning algorithm PRIMO to achieve the full resolution of the array for the first time.