March 2: Economist Michael Spence ’66 Warns of Worsening Inequality

A new world map created by Princeton astrophysicist J. Richard Gott *73, Drexel University cosmologist David M. Goldberg *00, and Princeton mathematician Robert Vanderbei seeks to avoid the distortions of other maps by putting the hemispheres on opposite sides of a disc like a vinyl record. — The New York Times
 
Lawrence Otis Graham ’83, a prominent lawyer and writer of “searingly self-aware explorations of class identity and divisions among African-Americans,” died Feb. 19 at age 59. — The New York Times
 
Cornel West *80 said his fight with Harvard over tenure speaks to a broader crisis in higher education where Black scholars are devalued and the pursuit of donor money is paramount. — The Chronicle of Higher Education
 
A new Indian biographical film, Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, follows aerospace engineer Nambi Narayanan *71 from his days as a Princeton graduate student to the false espionage charges filed against him.  — RepublicWorld.com

Economist and Nobel laureate Michael Spence ’66 warned that as technology transforms work and prompts people to seek new skill sets, there’s danger the disruption will cause an “uptick in inequality and its social and political ramifications.” — Project Syndicate
 
Toms River High School North plans to name its newly renovated auditorium after journalist Maria Ressa ’86, an alumna of the school whose investigative work in the Philippines has been targeted by President Rodrigo Duterte. — NJ.com

Investigative reporter Barton Gellman ’82’s book about government surveillance, Dark Mirror, is a finalist for the Lukas Book Prize, as is Caste by former Princeton professor Isabel Wilkerson. — Tulsa World

“There is something wrong with the way Americans think about who deserves social justice — as though attention to nonwhite groups, their histories and conditions, is only as pressing as the injuries that they have suffered.”

— Princeton English and American studies professor Anne Anlin Cheng ’85, unpacking the recent violence and history of racism against Asian Americans. — The New York Times

In Endpapers: A Family Story of Books, War, Escape and Home, longtime sports journalist Alexander Wolff ’79 weaves together biographies of his German father, who was forced into the Hitler Youth, and grandfather, who helped his son immigrate to the U.S. — The Boston Globe

Conservative columnist John Stossel ’69 decried bans on rhino horn sales, arguing it’s more effective to allow rhino farmers to sell the horns — which grow back after being trimmed — to flood the market and stop poaching. — Fremont News Messenger
 
Michelle Obama ’85’s new children’s cooking show, “Waffles + Mochi,” stars two puppets and debuts March 16 on Netflix. — The Washington Post

Engineering manager Alan Johnson *08 learned insider details when he appeared twice on Jeopardy! in February, like how the staff calls contestants “champ” and hydraulic lifts equalize the contestants’ heights. — Iowa State University College of Engineering News

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