New pathway found to make luminescence

Stanford-led research on the molecule that creates the glow of fireflies and plankton has identified how mechanical force produces this type of light without heat.

A beach scene with waves that have a glowing luminescent blue edge
Istock/RugliG

Featured News

Portrait of Hans Andersen
August 4, 2026

Hans Andersen, pioneer in the study of liquids and other materials, has died at 84

The longtime Stanford chemist used groundbreaking computer-based methods to expand our understanding of complex systems.

Portrait of Chang-rae Lee
August 3, 2026

English professor Chang-rae Lee authors his most personal work yet

With A Tender Age, the prizewinning novelist tells the story of a Korean American immigrant at summer camp in 1976.

June 17, 2026

Mountain lions have major ecological impact in small preserve

A Stanford study found that mountain lion visits to Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve triggered cascading effects on deer, smaller predators, and vegetation.

Person looking up at the galaxy

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Recent News

Three dark male silhouettes with tech symbols overlaid on them
August 14, 2026

New book takes on the dominance of Silicon Valley billionaires

an illustration showing a head in profile made of colorful letters
August 13, 2026

Potential language-specific brain network identified

A horizontal canvas covered by orangish brown streaks and the date Mar. 16, 1991 prominently stamped in the middle
August 11, 2026

New book reflects artists’ perspectives on 1992 Los Angeles riots

Portrait of Sharon Long
August 5, 2026

Sharon Long wins International Prize for Biology

A photo of a young school boy sitting on a bench with his head in his hands.
July 31, 2026

How children talk can indicate risk for future mental health problems

Portrait of Herbert Clark
July 30, 2026

Herbert Clark receives Rumelhart Prize

July 16, 2026

Why we can’t quit the ‘Odyssey’

Portrait of Rose Salseda in the Stanford arcade
July 7, 2026

Rose Salseda named 2026 Mellon Emerging Faculty Leader

A stream with clouded water on the left and clear on the right
June 30, 2026

Pollution linked to fish hybrids in Mexican river

Portrait of Isaac Sorkin
June 25, 2026

Isaac Sorkin awarded Sherwin Rosen Prize

Portrait of Renato Rosaldo
June 25, 2026

Renato Rosaldo, cultural anthropologist with a poet’s heart, dies at 85

Portrait of Takeshi Amemiya
June 24, 2026

Econometrician Takeshi Amemiya has died

Infrared, visible, and ultraviolet image of the area around the Jellyfish Nebula
June 18, 2026

Researchers uncover evidence for sibling supernovas

June 15, 2026

Students recognized for promoting civic engagement and dialogue

June 11, 2026

2 H&S instructors earn teaching excellence award

Portrait of Edmonia Lewis
June 10, 2026

Book looks at resurgence of late-19th-century female sculptor

Stanford Campus
June 5, 2026

H&S community earns 3 Dinkelspiel, 5 Gores awards

Portrait of Emmanuel Candès
June 4, 2026

Emmanuel Candès wins Shaw Prize in math

Stanford Campus
June 3, 2026

H&S announces 2025-26 Dean's Teaching Award winners

June 2, 2026

Ornithology class brings students face to face with ‘neodinosaurs’

June 2, 2026

Research reveals mechanisms for plant cell resilience to stress

Portrait of Zhi-Xun Shen
June 2, 2026

Zhi-Xun Shen elected to Royal Society

Three people pose for a photo at an event
May 28, 2026

3 earn Phi Beta Kappa teaching honor

May 27, 2026

Stanford researchers receive special Keck Foundation funding

Portrait of Londa Schiebinger
May 27, 2026

Londa Schiebinger receives Harvard Centennial Medal

Cover of Rare-Earth-Doped Fiber Lasers and Amplifiers
May 27, 2026

Rare-Earth-Doped Fiber Lasers and Amplifiers by Michel Digonnet, Applied Physics

Portrait of Dagfinn Føllesdal
May 26, 2026

Dagfinn Føllesdal, philosopher known as a ‘builder of bridges,’ dies at 93

Portrait of Laura Dassama in the Stanford arcade.
May 22, 2026

Laura Dassama wins ACS Early Career Award

photo of a lush green tropical forest
May 21, 2026

Global plant diversity evolved mostly from staying in place, not dispersing

Alvin Roth
May 20, 2026

What happens when markets collide with morality?

Portrait of Judith Fan in the Stanford arcade
May 14, 2026

Judith Fan awarded Gleitman Prize

May 12, 2026

Rising gas prices, explained

Fingers on the track pad of a laptop in a dark room
May 6, 2026

Is that political post real—or a money-making scam?

May 5, 2026

Stanford science reveals genetically distinct ‘ghost elephants’

May 5, 2026

Adam Bonica named a 2026 Andrew Carnegie Fellow

A student holds a phone underneath a desk to sneak a look at it.
May 4, 2026

National study of school cellphone bans shows benefits are not immediate

Portrait of Jessica Riskin in the Stanford arcade
May 1, 2026

Jessica Riskin elected to American Philosophical Society

Portrait of Rachel Jean-Baptiste
May 1, 2026

Bringing global histories of gender, race, and citizenship to the AI age

An image of an oak tree at Jasper Ridge
May 1, 2026

A tiny succession battle under an oak tree reveals ecological patterns

A black-and-white photo of three young black children sitting on a bench
April 30, 2026

New book illuminates Martin Luther King, Jr.’s childhood

A portrait of Grant Rotskoff in the Stanford arcade
April 29, 2026

Grant Rotskoff named Camille Dreyfus Teacher–Scholar

A portrait of Otis Chodosh
April 27, 2026

Stanford mathematician Otis Chodosh wins New Horizons Prize

Aracelis Girmay stands a lectern on a stage
April 23, 2026

Aracelis Girmay wins PEN America poetry prize

Wooden stadium seating leads up to painting covered by a wood-slat ceiling
April 22, 2026

Inside the new home of the Department of African and African American Studies

Portrait of Jorge Ruffinelli
April 20, 2026

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

an illustration of a black hole
April 20, 2026

Jonathan Luk tackles the mathematics of black holes

April 15, 2026

Four H&S scholars named 2026 Guggenheim Fellows

April 15, 2026

In this history class, the final project is a pop song

Portrait of Laura Dassama in the Stanford arcade.
April 14, 2026

Laura Dassama honored with Protein Science Young Investigator Award

Adrien Bilal in the Stanford arcade
April 8, 2026

Adrien Bilal receives 2026 Best Young Economist Prize

Sharika Thiranagama with cover of The Monster in Your Path
April 6, 2026

The Monster in Your Path: The Private Life of Caste in India by Sharika Thiranagama, Anthropology

Collage of current SSF cohort
March 27, 2026

Stanford Science Fellows 2026 cohort announced

Matthew Morrison in the Stanford arcade
March 25, 2026

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

Hazel Markus in the Stanford arcade
March 24, 2026

Hazel Rose Markus wins 2026 Sage-CASBS Award

Jessica Riskin in the Stanford arcade
March 23, 2026

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

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

Biologist and environmentalist Paul Ehrlich has died