Stories of names

Who was Harvard named after? Origin of university names

Image: Czapp Árpád

Who were the men named Harvard, Rice, or Duke? Only true visionaries would donate half of their estate to sculpting the minds of the future. From the heartfelt tribute behind Stanford’s name to the post-revolutionary rebranding of Columbia, these stories are monuments to history and culture. Let’s take a stroll through academia’s memory lane and uncover the origins of these storied university names!

Image: Clay Banks

Ah, Harvard! The Ivy League giant was once a small college in the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlement called New Towne. But where did "Harvard" come from?

Enter John Harvard, a clergyman who, in 1638, decided to bequeath half his estate and his library (a whopping 400 books!) to the fledgling college. Grateful for this generous gift, they promptly named the institution after him.

Image: Richard Liu

A gem of New Haven, Connecticut, Yale is another Ivy League powerhouse known for its prestigious law and drama schools.

It owes its name to Elihu Yale, a wealthy merchant who, in 1718, donated a modest shipment of goods (including portraits, books, and textiles) to a struggling collegiate school. Those goods were auctioned off, raising a much-needed £562 –a small fortune at the time.

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This New Jersey Ivy Leaguer, famous for its stunning Gothic architecture and strong emphasis on undergraduate education, has a bit of a nomadic past. Originally called the College of New Jersey, the educational institution moved around and changed names over the decades.

Eventually, it settled in Princeton, and became popularly referred to as "Prince-town’s College." However, the name wasn’t formally adopted until 1896.

Image: Ariel Tang

In the urban jungle of New York City, Columbia University boasts a vibrant campus life and a reputation for academic excellence. But did you know it was once known by a less-than-patriotic name?

It was founded in 1754 as King's College, which became a bit awkward after the revolution. It was then renamed Columbia College, "Columbia" being a poetic name for the new, independent country that was America at the time.

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Dartmouth is renowned for its beautiful rural setting, nestled in the picturesque town of Hanover, New Hampshire. It was named after the Earl of Dartmouth, William Legge, a British nobleman who supported the college's founding –despite never actually setting foot in America!

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This Rhode Island Ivy, known for its open curriculum and emphasis on student choice, was founded with a mouthful of a name – the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

It was renamed in 1704 for Nicholas Brown, Jr., a prominent merchant whose family donated generously to the school.

Image: Emily Xie

Perched atop a hill overlooking Ithaca, New York, Cornell is celebrated for its diverse academic programs and its stunning natural surroundings.

Founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, this university was unique for its commitment to practical education, allowing students the freedom to choose their own course of study. It was a revolutionary notion at the time, which would guide a curricular reform across the country.

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Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and its close ties to the tech industry. But this California powerhouse has a touching origin story.

Leland Stanford, Jr., the founder's son, tragically died young from typhoid fever. His father Leland Sr., railroad magnate and former state governor, and his mother Jane, founded the university in his memory, ensuring his legacy lived on through the pursuit of knowledge.

Image: Charles Givens

This North Carolina research giant, known for its strong medical and law schools, underwent a bit of a name change in its history.

Originally called Trinity College, it was renamed Duke University in 1924 after James Buchanan Duke, a tobacco and electric power industrialist who founded the American Tobacco Company. He established The Duke Endowment, to which he donated throughout his life and left half his estate after his death.

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Nestled in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt is a renowned research university with a vibrant campus life. It owes its name to "The Commodore," Cornelius Vanderbilt, a shipping and railroad magnate, who provided the initial gift to establish the university.

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Texas businessman William Marsh Rice provided the initial funding for this Houston university, but did not live to see its opening. He was murdered by his valet as he slept, in a plot to forge the man’s will.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Rice University flourished through the years, becoming an institution known for its strong engineering and science programs.

Image: Greg Campbell

"USC" is a sprawling campus known for its film school and its Trojan spirit. It was founded by Robert Maclay Widney, a judge who envisioned a university that would serve the growing area. Back then it was only an expanding frontier town, which would evolve to become the city of Los Angeles.

BEYOND THE FIVE

10 Weird Senses Humans And Other Animals Have

Image: Bacila Vlad

Who said there are only five senses? While humans rely heavily on sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, there are many more sensory abilities in both humans and animals, some of which can seem bizarre or even otherworldly.

From detecting magnetic fields to perceiving infrared light, here are 10 extraordinary senses that will challenge your understanding of animal perception.

Image: Inge Poelman

Despite having a weird name, this is by far one of the most standard senses among living organisms. Humans and animals alike rely on proprioception to perceive the position and movement of their bodies in space. This sense operates through specialized receptors (mechanosensory neurons) located in muscles and joints, providing crucial feedback to our brains for keeping balance, coordination, and doing precise movements.

Image: Jametlene Reskp

Some animals, like birds, turtles, and even some insects, possess the remarkable ability to sense Earth's magnetic field. This sense, known as magnetoreception, allows them to navigate during migration or find their way home with astonishing accuracy. In fact, some scientists argue that humans might have a latent or even subconscious ability to perceive Earth’s magnetic field through a number of receptors located in the optical retina.

Image: TJ Fitzsimmons

Bats and dolphins are well known for their use of echolocation, emitting high-frequency sounds and interpreting the echoes to navigate and locate prey. A form of active sonar similar to the one used by ships and submarines, this extraordinary sense enables them to "see" their surroundings even in complete darkness. Interestingly, some insects that are hunted by echolocating bats have developed active countermeasures against them, using ultrasonic clicks for echolocation jamming or by imitating the call of toxic species.

Image: Amos

Sharks, rays, and certain fish have electroreceptive organs called ampullae of Lorenzini, allowing them to detect the electric fields produced by other animals. In most species, this sense is paired with the ability to generate weak electric fields of their own. This unique sense aids in both navigating and hunting in murky or dark waters, where traditional senses might fall short. Monotremes like platypus and echidnas have curiously evolved a similar sense of electroreception to aid them in finding food.

Image: Wolfgang Hasselmann

Thermoception or thermoreception is the sense that aids in detecting changes in the surrounding temperature, and it is the reason anything feels hot or cold. In large animals, like humans, thermoception occurs mainly in the skin. But some species, like pit vipers, possess specialized organs capable of detecting infrared radiation, allowing them to sense heat from prey or predators. Recently, scientists have discovered that dogs possess thermoreceptors within their noses, allowing them to detect weak thermal changes in front of them.

Image: Alexander Grey

Certain insects, such as ants and locusts, possess hygroreceptors that allow them to detect humidity levels in their environment. This sense helps them find suitable habitats, avoid desiccation, and regulate behaviors like nest-building and foraging. And while you might think humans can also tell whether something is wet or not, the truth is we don’t have any hygroreceptors, and can only infer wetness through contextual clues - as wet objects tend to be colder or feel slippery.

Image: Mikhail Vasilyev

Many animals, including insects, mammals, and even some reptiles, communicate using pheromones – chemical signals similar to hormones that trigger social or reproductive behaviors. This sense plays a vital role in mate selection, territory marking, and coordination within social groups. Social insects make extensive use of this ability to coordinate complex colonies and establish hierarchies.

Image: Franco Antonio Giovanella

The vestibular system, found in the inner ear of humans and most vertebrates, contributes to balance, spatial orientation, and sense of motion. This sense is made of two main components or specialized organs: semicircular canals that indicate rotation, and otoliths, which help perceive linear acceleration. This intricate sense helps us stay upright, perceive gravity, and coordinate movements, essential skills for activities like walking or running.

Image: Aron Visuals

While the subjective experience of time might not be associated with a specific sensory system, scientists seem to agree that there are a series of complementary mechanisms that allow humans to perceive the passing of time. In fact, some animals exhibit remarkable abilities to perceive temporal changes, a crucial ability for survival. It has even been suggested that smaller animals with a fast metabolic rate tend to experience time more slowly than larger species with slower metabolic rates.

Image: Marcus Löfvenberg

Certain animals, like the African elephant, possess incredibly sensitive pressure receptors called Pacinian corpuscles in their feet, which allow them to detect minute seismic vibrations and communicate over long distances. This acute sense of touch, paired with their exceptional hearing, plays a crucial role in social bonding, navigation, and detecting potential threats in their environment.