Discoveries, ideas and people to watch
1.6 billion people worldwide still use kerosene as their
exclusive source of light. Stanford Graduate School of Business
alumni are working to replace these lanterns with high-quality and affordable
light and power solutions.
Tagged: International Initiative, International Issues, Public Service, Business
Two Caribbean islands, alike in nearly every way, provide insight into what factors lead to a country’s economic success or failure.
In a band 1,000 kilometers above Earth, a growing collection of
mechanical debris is accumulating. Old rocket boosters, retired
satellites, and even pieces of an intentionally exploded Chinese
satellite threaten to destroy millions of dollars worth of orbiting
surveillance, weather, and telecom satellites that we increasingly rely
on in our daily lives.
Tagged: space, Environment & Sustainability, Business
A Stanford MBA student developed the idea of harnessing the power of YouTube to host amateur and other unheralded musicians in a virtual orchestra. The result was a concert at Carnegie Hall featuring musicians from around the world.
Tagged: Arts News, Arts & Creativity, Business
"It’s Miller Time." "Live Richly." What do these vastly different
marketing campaigns—one selling beer, the other financial services—have
in common? They both focus on experiencing, rather than possessing,
products. And according to a study by Stanford Graduate School of
Business researchers, both are vastly more effective campaigns as a
result.
Charitable giving may be a $300 billion industry in the United States,
but for nearly all nonprofits encouraging donations is the number one
challenge. Recent research from the Stanford Business School shows that
nonprofits can benefit financially by prompting potential donors to
make an emotional connection to the organization and to its mission.
Tagged: On Campus, Public Service, Business
In the wake of Barack Obama’s “yes we can” victory, a timely study has
emerged from the Stanford Graduate School of Business about what
motivates people to take action. The prime mover, say researchers, is
acquiring a position of power.
Tagged: power, Human Health, Business
In developing nations, where at least 20 million low-birth-weight
babies are born every year, incubators are important lifesaving
devices. The problem? They typically cost a cool $20,000, plus you need
to plug them in. Two years ago, a team of Stanford students figured out how
to take electricity out of the equation while whittling that price tag
down to a mere $25
Tagged: International Initiative, poverty, premature birth, Human Health, International Issues, Business, Engineering
Your grandmother’s habit of hoarding pennies in a jar notwithstanding,
until now there’s been no hard evidence that economic events like the
Great Depression actually change investment behavior. However, a new study demonstrates that
personal experience does matter – and that the economic times we live
through have a significant impact on how we invest our money.
People hate asking for help. Stanford researchers have found that because potential helpers do not take this into account, they
consistently overestimate the likelihood that others will solicit them
for assistance. Conversely, research also shows that people grossly underestimate how likely others are to agree to requests for assistance.
Tagged: altruism, psychology, Business