March/April 2009

COVER STORY
Prophet & Loss
As head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Brooksley Born warned a decade ago that lack of oversight in the derivatives market could lead to economic disaster. Why didn’t anyone listen? BY rick schmitt

Play It Again Hal
Excavating whistles, beeps, hums and other sounds from his laptop, a Stanford professor is developing a new orchestral landscape, and a playground for a new kind of keyboardist. BY ERIN BIBA

Late Expectations
Only the young think romance is only for the young. Sally Moser Small writes this year’s winning entry in the Stanford fiction contest. FICTION by sally moser small

ONLY ONLINE

  • A Who's Who of alums in the Obama administration
  • Army officer Roman Skaskiw revisits the essay he wrote while serving in Iraq
  • Runners-up (“The Informant” and “Bat Girl”) in our annual fiction contest
  • An excerpt from Minal Hajratwala's book, Leaving India
  • An extended Q&A with law professor Hank Greely, '74, on brain-drug ethics.
  • Letters that did not appear in print

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