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Wednesday December 4, 2019 vol. CXLIII no. 115
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ON CAMPUS
U . A F FA I R S
Mudd Library to close for renovations through 2021 By Paige Allen staff writer
COURTESY OF SAM FORSON
The 17% increase in energy production from wind turbines, previously credited to technological innovation, was in fact largely due to a reversal of wind speed pattern.
Increase in wind speed worldwide means boost for alternative energy, U. study finds By Rachel Sturley contributor
To the surprise of climate scientists, our world is getting significantly windier. Average daily wind speeds have picked up in the last decade after over 30 years of gradual decline, according to research led by a team at the University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The study, published in “Nature Climate Change” on Nov. 18, could implicate a dramatic surge in the efficiency of wind power in the coming years. The findings demonstrate a recent reversal to decreasing wind speeds over land — a phenomenon termed “global
terrestrial stilling.” The trend began in 1978. Since 2010, however, wind speeds have accelerated by approximately seven percent. This speed increase is three times faster than the rate of the previous slowing. As a result of this shift, wind turbines can produce 17 percent more energy now than they did a decade ago; the research team predicts a 37 percent increase in energy production by 2024. Zhenzhong Zeng, the first author on the paper, was a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Eric Wood, the Susan Dod Brown Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering, when he conducted this research. Zeng is now an associate professor of environmental
studies at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China. Zeng explained that wind speed on a daily basis is dictated by pressure patterns in the atmosphere, but scientists are not sure of the cause of these larger trends. The scientific community suggested two main hypotheses to explain the stilling: increased surface roughness, caused by greening and urbanization, and global warming reducing temperature gradients and affecting pressure differentials. “If the hypotheses were right, the stilling would continue …. The wind speed reversed See WIND page 5
STUDENT LIFE
The Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, a division of Princeton University Library’s Department of Special Collections, will close for renovations in March 2020. Digitization services will cease in February 2020 in preparation for the renovation, which is predicted to last through January 2021. Mudd Library, located at 65 Olden Street, houses the University Archives, which document the University’s history and contain senior theses and doctoral dissertations. The library is also home to a special collection of Public Policy Papers relating to individuals and organizations who played a significant role in 20th-century American foreign policy, politics, jurisprudence, and international affairs. According to Sara Logue, Assistant University Archivist for Special Collections Public Services, some of the changes for library patrons after the renovation will include a refreshed lobby with a new front desk, a redesigned first floor to make better use of staff offices, a digital studio for in-house patron digitization requests, updated furniture, and the addition of a second classroom. The renovation will also focus on accessibility throughout the building and update the current restrooms to have four accessible, individual gender-neutral restrooms. In addition to these changes, much of the renovation will focus on areas unseen by the public but important to preserving the library’s collec-
tions. Specifically, there will be updates to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, fire suppression and alarm systems, and building security systems. According to the library’s renovation website, the building will be closed for the entirety of the renovation period. From mid-March through mid-May 2020, Mudd Library public services will be severely restricted as all collections are moved from the library to an off-site storage facility. “Most researchers, including the bulk of the campus community, should assume that there is no access to the collections during this time,” wrote Logue in a statement to The Daily Princetonian. Researchers who anticipate needing access to these collections during this period should contact the library as soon as possible. Logue explained that the relocation of all collections, while potentially disruptive, is necessary. “By closing the physical building and relocating the collections, we can ensure that the materials are well taken care of and are not disturbed by the construction process,” Logue stated. “If we kept the building open and tried to maintain service, the collections would be at risk, and the project would take much longer.” In June 2020, the collections will become accessible through a service point in Firestone Library’s Special Collections Reading Room on the C Floor of Firestone. Researchers will likely be required to See LIBRARY page 2
ON CAMPUS
Parking of electric scooters indoors raises accessibility concerns general safety hazards when they impede exits and entryways. Naomi Hess ’22, who makes her way around campus using her electric wheelchair, said that the presence of electric scooters inside buildings has affected her ability to navigate. Hess is a staff writer at The Daily Princetonian.
By Uchechi Ihenacho contributor
In recent weeks, signs reading “NO SCOOTERS OR BICYCLES INSIDE THE BUILDING” have been plastered on the doors of campus buildings, such as Fine Hall, Robertson Hall, Jadwin Gymnasium, and the Julis Romo Rabinowitz Building and Louis A. Simpson International Building. Electric scooters — indus-
In Opinion
trial, larger versions of the traditional two-wheelers — have risen in popularity as a fast and convenient way to zip around campus. While scooters represent a slight increase in convenience for some, however, they can cause major obstacles for others. Parked scooters can make it difficult for students with physical disabilities to access necessary passages and create
Contributing columnist Richard Ma points out the use of stereotypical tropes in the latest Triangle show and Guest Columnist David Esterlit encourages students to invest more time and attention in USG.
PAGE 6
See SCOOTER page 3
COURTESY OF THE SIMONS FOUNDATION
Naor is the second University professor in history to receive the honor. In 1995, it was awarded to professor emeritus, Andrew J. Wiles, who is best known for proving Fermat’s Last Theorem. The bi-annual award has seen a total of 16 recipients since its estab-
U. math professor Assaf Naor awarded 2019 Ostrowski Prize By Nobline Yoo contributor
Mathematics professor Assaf Naor has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the Ostrowski Prize for his work in classical analysis and geometry, winning around $100,600. Naor is the fourth University professor in history to receive the honor. In 1995, it was awarded to Professor Emeritus Andrew J. Wiles, who is best
Today on Campus 7:30 p.m.: Join us in the University Chapel for the Harp Extravaganza - the annual performance of Elaine Christy’s Princeton University harp students. Admission is free. Princeton University Chapel
known for proving Fermat’s Last Theorem. The biannual award has seen a total of 24 recipients since its establishment in 1989. According to the Ostrowski Foundation, the prize awards “outstanding achievements in pure mathematics and in the foundations of numerical mathematics.” The award was founded when Alexander Ostrowski, a longtime professor at the University of Basel, bequeathed his See MATH page 2
WEATHER
COURTESY OF ZACK SHEVIN / THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
A row of electric scooters parked indoors, on the A-level floor of Frist Campus Center.
“In the past month, there have been two incidents where I’m on the A-level of Frist outside late meal, and I’ve wanted to get on the elevator to get to another level of Frist, but there were so many scooters parked by the staircase that it was blocking the pathway to the elevator. I had to wait until someone noticed me struggling, and he moved the scooters,” said Hess. She said electric scooters have blocked her ability to reach the handicap automatic door buttons. “There are even more troublesome experiences,” Hess added. “When I was trying to take the elevator in Wu [Hall] … scooters were literally right in front of the elevator. There were probably three or four, and I couldn’t get to the button — I couldn’t get to the elevator door. Someone came and moved a couple of the scooters
HIGH
44˚
LOW
32˚
Mostly Cloudy chance of rain:
20 percent