Jan. 17, 2017: Searching for the Ninth Planet, Morgenthau ’39’s New Book of Poetry, and More

Caltech astronomer Mike Brown ’87 believes that there is a ninth planet beyond Pluto that is 10 to 20 times more massive than Earth and takes 15,000 years to go around the Sun. — 60 Minutes (CBS)

At age 100, Henry Morgenthau III ’39 has a new line to add to his impressive resume: published poet. He spoke about his new book, A Sunday in Purgatory, with NPR’s Scott Simon. — NPR Weekend Edition

Classics have resonance in the modern world, writes Danielle Allen ’93: “In November, reading Cicero’s steady, even, unchanging prose against the backdrop of the frenzied froth of our own politics, I finally got it.” — The Washington Post

Wilson School alumni Ezra Levin *13 and Angel Padilla *13 are among the lead authors of a new “practical guide for resisting the Trump agenda.” They suggest that Democrats draw on tactics used by the Tea Party movement. — The New Yorker

TerraPower, a nuclear-energy company co-founded by Bill Gates and Nathan Myhrvold *83, aims to take advantage of low-level nuclear waste to generate power. — PBS NewsHour

“There is no reason advances in machine learning have to cost society more jobs than they create,” writes Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt ’76. — Newsweek

Former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean ’57, a co-chair of the 9/11 Commission, advocates for expanding the authority of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, saying that without the DNI, “we are less safe.” — CBS News

In an essay for “The Big Idea,” Yale professor and cognitive scientist Joshua Knobe *06 explains how political rhetoric can shift what we see as normal and abnormal behavior. — Vox

University of Houston professor Gerald Horne ’70 argues that Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions’ poor civil-rights record makes him ill-suited to be attorney general. — The Real News Network

Chief Justice Stuart Rabner ’82 wrote the New Jersey Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling to overhaul the sentencing of juveniles convicted of committing violent crimes. — NJ.com

George Hawkins ’83, the general manager of the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority, joined the board of directors of the U.S. Water Alliance to “tackle the country’s most pressing water challenges.” — Water Online

In a recent opinion piece, Michael Eric Dyson *93 describes the joy and anxiety that many black Americans felt during President Barack Obama’s eight years in office. — The New York Times

President Obama re-nominated John Keker ’65 to serve on the board of the Presidio Trust, which preserves the historic Presidio in San Francisco. — The White House

President Obama also stopped by Jacksonville, Fla., to attend the wedding of former campaign staffer Helen Pajcic ’08, daughter of Democratic fundraiser Steve Pajcic ’68. — The Chicago Tribune

Michelle Obama ’85 visited The Tonight Show and surprised friends and supporters who came to record messages of appreciation, including an alumna who saluted the first lady with a Locomotive cheer. — The Tonight Show

Sign up now to receive weekly Alumni in the News updates.