Duke in the News: Aug. 7, 2007

FROM FRESH IDEAS AND BETTER STEEL, SAFER BRIDGES New York Times, Aug. 7 -- Duke history and engineering professor Henry Petroski says that much of the progress in bridge building now is occurring in China and other rapidly growing countries. ... Full story

ABILITY OF TREES TO OFFSET CO2 QUESTIONED (U.K.) Scenta, Aug. 6 -- Tree planting is often seen as a means of offsetting human carbon emissions, but research at Duke Forest has cast doubt on its effectiveness. ... Full story --Also, PhysOrg.com: Experiment Suggests Limitations to Carbon Dioxide 'Tree Banking' ... Full story

COMMENTARY: TO DEFEAT BIN LADEN, FIRST YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HIM (Toronto) Globe and Mail, Aug. 7 -- In order to understand the power of Osama bin Laden's ideas to attract adherents, Duke religion professor Bruce Lawrence has studied the words of the man himself. (Link to preview and full text for subscribers; e-mailed upon request to dukenews@duke.edu.) ... Full story --Also, Slate: Why Do They Hate Us? ... Full story

HEARD ON THE STREET: INVESTORS STALK THEIR NEXT VICTIMS Wall Street Journal, Aug. 7 -- John Graham, a professor at Duke's Fuqua School of Business, says recent conversations with chief financial officers lead him to believe that large companies aren't facing credit constraints now, but are keeping a lid on spending in case conditions get worse. (Link to preview and full text for subscribers; e-mailed upon request to dukenews@duke.edu.) ... Preview/full story for subscribers

WHEN WORRY HIJACKS THE BRAIN Time, Aug. 13 -- Few things imprison a mind quite like obsessive-compulsive disorder, but better treatments are breaking its hold. Dr. John March, chief of child psychiatry at Duke, discusses new insights into the causes of OCD. ... Full story

NEED A SMOKE? IT'S IN YOUR MIND Orlando Sentinel, Cox News Service, Aug. 7 -- Duke researchers believe that understanding how the brain responds to cigarette cravings can help devise therapies. ... Full story

THELONIOUS MONK FOCUS OF 6-WEEK, 18-EVENT TRIBUTE AT DUKE UNIVERSITY International Herald Tribune, AP, Aug. 6 -- Thelonious Monk, whose North Carolina roots were evident in his music and his accent long after he moved to New York, will be the focus of an 18-event tribute at Duke. ... Full story --Also, (Raleigh) News & Observer: Festival to Honor Monk ... Full story