Jonathan Luk tackles the mathematics of black holes

The Stanford mathematician’s work opens up new possibilities—and questions—about Einstein’s theory of general relativity and, ultimately, the nature of the universe. 

an illustration of a black hole
Illustration by iStock/ComicSans

Featured News

Paul R. Ehrlich standing in front of trees
March 20, 2026

Biologist and environmentalist Paul Ehrlich has died

The longtime Stanford professor, a giant in his field of evolutionary and population biology, also led the effort to establish Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve.

David Abernethy speaks to Faculty Senate
March 18, 2026

Political scientist David Abernethy has died

An expert in African studies, he was also a leader in faculty governance.

closeup of part of the iISM microscope showing a purple laser moving through several lenses
March 2, 2026

High-resolution look inside living cells now possible without fluorescence

A microscope developed at Stanford can reveal the interaction of nanostructures inside living cells at the highest resolution yet, about 120 nanometers, without the use of fluorescent labels. The technology could lead to a host...

Person looking up at the galaxy

Understanding our world through research

Our faculty pursue curiosity-driven research across disciplines. Their foundational scholarship surfaces new understanding in an ever-evolving world and can lead to solutions for pressing problems.

Learn more about H&S foundational research

Recent News

Portrait of Jorge Ruffinelli
April 20, 2026

Jorge Ruffinelli, leading scholar of Latin American literature and film, dies at 82

Matthew Morrison in the Stanford arcade
March 25, 2026

Matthew D. Morrison wins Woody Guthrie, Irving Lowens book awards

Jessica Riskin in the Stanford arcade
March 23, 2026

Diving into the mind of pioneering French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

March 17, 2026

What does it mean to be reasonable?

Thomas Mullaney
March 13, 2026

Thomas Mullaney named UNESCO chair

Table covered with many old letters. Angle view, selective focus. Text is unrecognizable.
March 6, 2026

Historian leads project to design new AI architecture for humanities research

Caroline Winterer
February 17, 2026

Caroline Winterer receives 2026 Lyman award

February 12, 2026

Exploring the medieval roots of romance

From left: Ray Briggs, Julian Jara-Ettinger, and Joshua Landy talk
February 9, 2026

Beloved podcast 'Philosophy Talk' now available for free

Two seated students look intensely at a speaker as they perform Richard III
January 30, 2026

New English courses fuse creativity with literary criticism

Portrait of Jonathan Gienapp
January 22, 2026

Jonathan Gienapp wins Order of the Coif book award

Portrait of Al Camarillo
December 15, 2025

Four things to know about ethnic studies in California high schools

Portrait of Gerald Gillespie
December 8, 2025

Gerald Gillespie, devoted professor of German and comparative literature, dies at 92

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité engraved between two columns
November 18, 2025

Historian chronicles one of the French Revolution’s most notorious figures

Collage of Keith Baker and cover of "Jean-Paul Marat"
November 17, 2025

Jean-Paul Marat: Prophet of Terror by Keith Baker, History

Collage of portraits, from left to right: Jennifer Burns, Dan Edelstein, Stephen H. Haber
November 17, 2025

Three H&S faculty become American Academy of Sciences and Letters members

October 23, 2025

Exploring the Louvre heist with French culture expert Cécile Alduy

Matthew Sommer wearing a light-blue collared shirt standing under one of arcades on Stanford's Main Quad
October 22, 2025

Matthew Sommer awarded American Historical Association prize

October 16, 2025

Stanford inaugurates new home of MLK Institute

Portrait of Ramón Saldívar
October 15, 2025

Ramón Saldívar receives MLA lifetime achievement award

Collage of Adam Johnson and the Wayfinder cover
October 14, 2025

The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson, English

Collage of Zipperstein and the book cover of the Philip Roth biography
October 14, 2025

Philip Roth: Stung by Life by Steven J. Zipperstein, History

Photo of Philip Roth book collection
October 10, 2025

Capturing the brilliant, complicated life of Philip Roth

Portrait of Adam Johnson in his office
October 9, 2025

Stanford Pulitzer winner’s new novel tells epic tale born from writing ‘every day for 10 years’

Student stands in front of the interactive screen in the Rumsey Map Center
October 6, 2025

New undergraduate study options combine data science with humanities and arts

On a stage, a woman sits in a chair and a man stands in front of a lecturn
September 29, 2025

New speaker forum to focus on building bridges across differences

The outside of the conference room with a quote from MLK, Jr. at the top
Photo by Misha Bruk for Stanford University
September 29, 2025

King Institute embraces new home on Main Quad

Image of Joel Cabrita
September 26, 2025

Joel Cabrita wins Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize

Portrait of Josiah Ober
September 11, 2025

Josiah Ober awarded 2025 Balzan Prize

September 10, 2025

Nicholas Jenkins wins Northern California Book Award

MLK Jr. surrounded by microphones. Atlanta, GA, 1966: Alabama candidate press conference
August 27, 2025

Three things to know about the recently released MLK records

Portrait of Blakey Vermeule
August 14, 2025

Blakey Vermeule named senior associate dean for the humanities and arts

A student lifts a rock in a tide pool to see what is beneath
July 11, 2025

Oceanic humanities project envisions new wave in education

Picture of the side gate of Stanford's Main Quad with no people
June 3, 2025

Seven faculty members awarded 2024-25 H&S dean's teaching awards

A portrait of Michael Friedman
May 29, 2025

Michael Friedman, who studied the connections between philosophy and science, has died

Portrait of Gordon Chang
May 23, 2025

Historian Gordon H. Chang reflects on his varied career with new book

Collage of Gordon H. Chang and the cover of his book
May 20, 2025

War, Race, and Culture by Gordon H. Chang, History

Photo of Ana Minian
May 16, 2025

Stanford historian's book on immigration wins PEN America nonfiction award

Nancy Packer speaks at the memorial for former Stanford President Richard W. Lyman in 2012.
April 30, 2025

Nancy Huddleston Packer, award-winning writer who served as director of Creative Writing Program, has died

Portrait of Josiah Ober
April 25, 2025

Josiah Ober’s mission to revitalize democracy and civic education

Judith Richardson answers a question from a student (facing away) who has their hand raised
April 23, 2025

New course showcases humanities, social science offerings for undergrads

April 22, 2025

Stanford initiative seeks to bring more languages online

April 16, 2025

Lerone A .Martin wins James W. C. Pennington Award

Black and white illustration of samurai on horseback
March 31, 2025

New book explores historical fiction’s role in the rise of Japanese nationalism before World War II

Photo of James Reichert and the cover of his book (black, red, and grey with Japanese woodblock art)
March 31, 2025

Literature for the Masses by James Reichert, East Asian Languages and Cultures

Collage of Emanuele Lugli and the cover of Lavinia's Wondrous Portraits
March 24, 2025

Lavinia’s Wondrous Portraits by Emanuele Lugli, Art and Art History

Portrait of Nicholas Jenkins
March 21, 2025

Nicholas Jenkins wins Warren-Brooks Award

Photo of Bill Mahrt singing and looking to the left as Gregorian Chant is written out behind him
March 6, 2025

William P. Mahrt, beloved scholar of early music, has died

Portrait of Chang-rae Lee
March 4, 2025

Chang-rae Lee elected to American Academy of Arts and Letters

A group of five people sing and laugh together
February 18, 2025

Stanford historian’s documentary coming to PBS in March

January 23, 2025

Commemorating MLK’s 1967 speech at Stanford

Image of Margaret Cohen
January 17, 2025

Margaret Cohen receives National Endowment for the Humanities grant

Portrait of Graciela De Pierris
December 18, 2024

Graciela Teresa de Pierris, historian of modern philosophy, dies at 74

Portrait of Nicholas Jenkins
December 5, 2024

New book explores poet W.H. Auden’s life between two world wars

An old book showing poetry
December 4, 2024

New Center for Poetics ‘supports and encourages the vitality of the field’

Portrait of Debra Satz
November 25, 2024

Debra Satz awarded Romanell-Phi Beta Kappa Professorship

Portrait of Adrian Daub
November 19, 2024

Why cancel culture doesn’t exist

Two people sit with their backs together, in disagreement
November 7, 2024

Teaching skills for challenging times

Elizabeth Bernhardt-Kamil
November 6, 2024

Elizabeth Buchter Bernhardt-Kamil, longtime director of the Language Center, pioneering scholar, and beloved mentor, has died

Portrait of Jonathan Gienapp
November 4, 2024

Historian Jonathan Gienapp challenges originalist interpretations of the Constitution

Photo of Dafna Zur
October 11, 2024

Dafna Zur receives Korean Order of Culture Merit

Photo of Caroline Winterer
October 11, 2024

A ‘deep time revolution’ paved the way to American modernity, Stanford historian asserts

Photo of Caroline Winterer and cover of How the New World Became Old
October 8, 2024

How the New World Became Old: The Deep Time Revolution in America by Caroline Winterer, History

Photo of Emanuele Lugli
October 4, 2024

Stanford art historian uncovers portrait linked to famed female Renaissance painter

Photo of Memorial Court
October 2, 2024

H&S welcomes 19 new faculty members

Collage of The Cancel Culture Panic cover and a photo of Adrian Daub
September 19, 2024

The Cancel Culture Panic by Adrian Daub, Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages

Cover of Against Constitutional Originalism and photo of Jonathan Gienapp
September 19, 2024

Against Constitutional Originalism by Jonathan Gienapp, History

Image of Molly Antopol
September 17, 2024

For writer Molly Antopol, silences create room for fiction

Image of Rachel Jean-Baptiste
August 27, 2024

Rachel Jean-Baptiste receives National Endowment for the Humanities grant

Image of Wendy Salkin
August 27, 2024

Philosopher Wendy Salkin tackles the ethics of speaking for others

Image of Aracelis Girmay
August 5, 2024

For poet Aracelis Girmay, poetry is a way of thinking through complexity

Image of the cover of the book Laws of the Spirit next to an image of its author, Arial Mayse
August 2, 2024

Laws of the Spirit: Ritual, Mysticism, and the Commandments in Early Hasidism by Ariel Evan Mayse, Religious Studies

Image of Giovanna Ceserani next to an image of the cover of her book A World Made by Travel
August 2, 2024

A World Made by Travel: The Digital Grand Tour by Giovanna Ceserani, Classics

Image of Eve Clark
August 2, 2024

Eve Clark named 2024 British Academy fellow

Three packets of European cigarettes sitting upright on a table
July 23, 2024

Philip Morris made cigarettes at Auschwitz in the 1990s

Image of Nicholas Jenkins alongside the cover of his book The Island
July 17, 2024

The Island: War and Belonging in Auden’s England by Nicholas Jenkins, English

Image of Kathryn Olivarius
July 12, 2024

Kathryn Olivarius receives 2024 Dan David Prize

A headshot of Wendy Salkin next to the cover of her book Speaking for Others
July 9, 2024

Speaking for Others: The Ethics of Informal Political Representation by Wendy Salkin, Philosophy

Image of Alice Rayner standing in front of a large tree.
June 19, 2024

Alice Rayner, beloved theater professor, dies at 76

A woman stands in front of a long table with six chess boards and six seated players
June 11, 2024

Iranian Studies program hosts chess champion and women's rights activist

The cover of the book The Chinese Computer alongside a photo of its author, Thomas Mullaney
June 4, 2024

The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age by Thomas Mullaney, History

Headshots of seven people
May 31, 2024

Seven faculty members awarded 2023-24 H&S dean's teaching awards

Three 1980s computer screens display Chinese characters
May 30, 2024

80,000-plus characters, one keyboard: China’s fight to join the digital age

Image of John Giammalva
May 28, 2024

Longtime student champion John Giammalva has died at 65

Image of Wendy Salkin
May 22, 2024

Wendy Salkin honored with Phi Beta Kappa teaching excellence award

Image of Muwekma garden plants and a person watering the seedlings with a watering can
May 14, 2024

New gift will help Stanford reimagine Native American Studies through a 21st-century Indigenous lens

Image of author Ana Raquel Minian and the cover of their book In the Shadows of Liberty
April 16, 2024

In the Shadow of Liberty: The Invisible History of Immigrant Detention in the United States by Ana Raquel Minian, History

April 15, 2024

Two Stanford scholars awarded Guggenheim Fellowship

Image of Joel Cabrita
April 15, 2024

Joel Cabrita receives National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences book award

Image of Rachel Jean-Baptiste
April 15, 2024

Rachel Jean-Baptiste awarded 2024 David H. Pinkney Prize

April 11, 2024

Learning the history of evolution and primatology

Marina Johnson and Ava Jeffs stand under the arcades along Stanford's Main Quad
April 1, 2024

Students will explore Taylor Swift’s lyrics as literature in new course

Marjorie Perloff standing in a black suit
March 29, 2024

Poetry scholar and critic Marjorie Perloff has died

Kenneth Fields wearing glasses and wide-brimmed hat
March 11, 2024

Kenneth Fields, longtime English professor and acclaimed poet, dies at 84

Image of the book Measuring in the Renaissance next to an image of its author, Emanuele Lugli
February 20, 2024

Measuring in the Renaissance by Emanuele Lugli, Art and Art History

Photo of Stephen Hinton alongside the cover of his book.
February 8, 2024

Kurt Weills Musiktheater: Vom Songspiel zur American Opera by Stephen Hinton, Music

Headshot of Jennifer Burns alongside the cover of her book, Milton Friedman
January 11, 2024

Milton Friedman: The Last Conservative by Jennifer Burns, History

Ato Quayson, wearing a royal-blue blazer and a yellow-gold scarf, leans against a pillar
January 10, 2024

New Department of African and African American Studies marks historic moment at Stanford

Image of Lerone A. Martin laughing in Stanford arcade
January 4, 2024

Stanford’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute celebrates the MLK holiday

A photo of a group of books
December 13, 2023

2023: A year of books written by H&S faculty

The cover of the book Multiracial Identities in Colonial French Africa with a black-and-white photo of French African people next to a photo of Rachel Jean-Baptiste wearing glasses and smiling
November 22, 2023

Multiracial Identities in Colonial French Africa: Race, Childhood, and Citizenship by Rachel Jean-Baptiste, History and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Photo of Jean-Pierre Dupuy and the cover of the book The War That Must Not Occur, which shows the book's title in white type on a black background
November 15, 2023

The War That Must Not Occur by Jean-Pierre Dupuy, Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages

November 15, 2023

Peter Stansky wins 2023 Peter Davison Award

November 13, 2023

How waste from the mining industry has perpetuated apartheid-like policies in South Africa

Cover of the book Residual Governance: How South Africa Foretells Planetary Futures showing a Black man bent at the waist using a pickax to mine a rocky area.
November 10, 2023

Residual Governance: How South Africa Foretells Planetary Futures by Gabrielle Hecht, History

Photo of Josiah Ober smiling and wearing a white collared shirt
November 9, 2023

Josiah Ober receives 2023 Barry Prize

Photo of the span of sandstone arches that constitute the arcade in front of Building 1 facing Stanford's Main Quad
November 8, 2023

H&S welcomes 21 new faculty members

Photo of Clayborne Carson with a gray mustache and short beard, wearing glasses and a dark-red sweater
November 3, 2023

Clayborne Carson honored with 2023 Freedom Award

Photo of Shelley Fisher Fishkin wearing a black sweater and a black-and-white patterned scarf
October 26, 2023

Shelley Fisher Fishkin receives 2023 American Studies Association lifetime achievement award

October 24, 2023

Kathryn Olivarius awarded AHA Prize in American History

Louise Glück
October 19, 2023

Remembering Louise Glück

October 3, 2023

The future of democracy rests on the civic bargain