T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y
The Chronicle
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2012
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTH YEAR, ISSUE 26
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
DPD chases fugitive by the Nasher
Birds sing, researchers gain insight
by Yeshwanth Kandimalla and Jack Mercola
by Danielle Muoio
THE CHRONICLE
On the third floor of the Bryan Research Building, the caged birds do not sing for mating purposes alone. Richard Mooney, George Barth Geller professor of neurobiology at the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, and his team of researchers explored the human learning process by observing how male zebra finches learn courtship songs. Prior to the study, published in the September issue of Nature Neuroscience, the conventional scientific viewpoint was that people use the sensory regions of their brains when learning to perform actions and use the motor regions of their brains when actually performing those actions. The two-and-a-half-year study found, however, that the motor regions of the brain are necessary during the initial stages of learning as well. “When someone is learning to shoot a free throw they might watch someone really good doing it and try and emulate that,” Mooney said. “But it’s possible, based on these findings, that regions of the brain that have more of a motor function are involved in learning about what to do before
THE CHRONICLE
A police search for a suspect near the Nasher Museum of Art ended Wednesday night, with police, accompanied by search dogs, tracking the suspect off campus near Duke University Road. The Durham Police Department began the search for a suspect, believed to be unarmed, who had an outstanding warrant related to a minor theft charge. A Durham policewoman had detained the suspect earlier, but the suspect escaped, Sgt. Browne of DPD said. The search perimeter, which was located around the woods between the Nasher Museum and Oregon Street along Duke University Road, was dissolved at approximately 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. The suspect has not yet been found. The Duke University Police Department, with vehicles and officers present, was assisting in the search. “This is a Durham case,” Duke Police Chief John Dailey said. “It really has nothing to do with Duke other than them being here.” Julian Spector contributed reporting.
CHRONICLE GRAPHIC BY ELIZA STRONG
Duke researchers are observing zebra finches as they acquire courtship songs to better understand human learning processes.
SEE SONGBIRDS ON PAGE 5
Phisher impersonates Duke basketball helps Brodhead in email children fighting cancer by Kristie Kim THE CHRONICLE
An unknown perpetrator launched a phishing scam to gain access to Duke NetID accounts by impersonating the University president. Sent to approximately 125 members of the Duke community, the phishing attack came as a phony email from an external email account Saturday and Sunday, said Chief Information Security Officer Richard Biever. Phishing is a form of online fraud designed to convince recipients to reveal personal information, such as bank account information and Social Security numbers.
The phishing message requested recipients submit their Duke NetID credentials in a Google Document in order to obtain the latest University news and updates. The emails not only contained Duke letterhead but appeared to be sent by President Richard Brodhead. “I trust people as smart as Duke students saw through the ruse,” the real Brodhead wrote in an email Wednesday. Biever said the message was reported on Sunday and by Monday the fraudulent link was taken down by Google. Catching the SEE PHISHING ON PAGE 6
By Ashley Mooney THE CHRONICLE
Duke basketball never stops. Except sometimes it does for a worthy cause. During the summer senior Ryan Kelly, a public policy major and co-captain of the basketball team, interned at the Monday Life, a nonprofit that asks people to donate a dollar each Monday that goes toward enriching the lives of hospitalized children. While interning, he primarily worked on fundraising but also often visited Duke Children’s Hospital to see what SEE MONDAY LIFE ON PAGE 8
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Over the summer, Duke basketball player Ryan Kelly, a senior, worked with the Monday Life, a nonprofit that raises money for children with cancer.
ONTHERECORD
Duke athletes use iPads, Page 7
“I wish fighting cancer had just been a simple... physical battle. That would have made the obligations of survival simpler.” —Daniel Strunk in “Remembering lessons of cancer.” See column page 11
Duke brings in new scholars from subSaharan Africa, Page 3