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M ATHNG EOEM
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MY JAWE
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WENTY YEARS AGO, EVGENIA CHERKASOVA AND
Elena Kornilov were doctoral students in their mid20s, living in the same housing complex at Penn State
University. As they pursued their degrees — Cherkasova in philosophy, Kornilov in physics — both started
families, and to take a break from studying they found
themselves meeting for wine or tea, or watching their
young children on the playground. As their friendship
deepened, their conversations often veered into the
Big Questions on their minds: How could they live a
“good life” with purpose, happiness and success?
What did those words mean?