MIT hacked again, URLs redirected
MIT was hacked on Tuesday around noon, with MIT URLs redirecting to a webpage claiming credit for the attack in remembrance of Aaron Swartz.
Anonymous hacks MIT
MIT’s network fell to a denial-of-service attack Sunday evening, allegedly by the Internet activist group Anonymous, cutting campus users off from Internet access to most websites for nearly three hours. The attack came in the wake of accusations that MIT’s role in the pending litigation against Internet activist Aaron Swartz contributed to his Friday suicide. On Monday afternoon, MIT spokeswoman Kimberly C. Allen confirmed that the outage was due to a denial-of-service attack (DoS).
Manic Sages prepare 2013 MIT Mystery Hunt puzzles
For many students, IAP brings coding challenges, externships, intense UROP-ing, and loafing around Boston. For puzzle-lovers and code-crackers, however, IAP means the return of the annual MIT Mystery Hunt, an epic weekend of puzzle-solving that draws hundreds of participants from around the world and begins this Friday at noon.
Timeline: USA v. Swartz and the aftermath
26-year old Aaron Swartz was an accomplished man — it's not difficult to see his influence on today's web. He co-authored the specification for RSS 1.0 at age 14 and was a prominent internet activist throughout his life. After news broke of his suicide early Saturday morning, Hacker News went ablaze with comments of support for his work.
Albany-Vassar railroad crossing opens
In December, a railroad crossing opened between Albany and Vassar Streets near the Heinz building and graduate student dormitories, formalizing an unofficial path in the same location. Located between the Heinz building (W59), the Plasma Science and Fusion Center (NW21), and graduate dormitory The Warehouse (NW30), the crossing takes features a gate, new landscaping, and paved walkways.
Aaron Swartz found dead Friday
Internet activist Aaron H. Swartz died by suicide in his Brooklyn apartment on Friday, Jan. 11, according to his uncle, Michael Wolf, in a comment to The Tech. Swartz was 26.
IN SHORT
Participate in a discussion on Aaron Swartz with reporters from The Tech on Monday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. EST. The Tech will livestream the panel on Youtube (http://bit.ly/SwartzPanel). You can send us questions during or prior to the discussion by tweeting @thetech (hashtag #SwartzPanel), commenting on the Youtube video, or emailing swartzpanel@tech.mit.edu.
Head of IS&T to step down Feb. 1, unrelated to Swartz events, says Smith
Marilyn T. Smith, head of MIT Information Services and Technology (IS&T), announced in an email to IS&T staff on Monday afternoon that she will step down on Feb. 1. “I want to let you know that after much reflection in recent weeks, I’ve decided to leave my position at MIT,” Smith wrote.
Course 18 senior Justin Brereton is Grand Integrator again
Around 70 people gathered last night in 10-250 to watch 15 students duke it out at MIT’s Integration Bee.
In debt game, an early move from Obama regarding negotiations
In a high-stakes negotiation, the most important moves often come not in the end game but at the very start, when one side or the other prevails in defining what is on the table. If you listened closely, you might have heard President Barack Obama try to do just that in his news conference on Monday, when he suggested that Washington will have tamed the government’s debt problems if the two parties can agree on another $1.5 trillion or so in spending cuts and tax increases.
Mali Islamists dig in for a long military struggle
BAMAKO, Mali — In the face of fierce, all-night bombardment by the French military, Mali’s Islamist insurgents have hunkered down to fight again.
Meeting in Cuba roils in Venezuelan opposition while Chavez absent
CARACAS, Venezuela — With the president absent and ailing, the country on edge and the government eager to portray a sturdy sense of continuity, there might be nothing unusual about the most powerful officials in Venezuela meeting over the weekend, except for the location they chose for the sit-down: Havana.
Shorts (left)
FRANKFURT, Germany — The economic stagnation in Europe has taken a significant toll on Germany, with government figures released Tuesday showing that the Continent’s flagship economy contracted in the fourth quarter of last year.
Snow turns to rain today
A weakly organized winter storm will move through the Northeastern United States today, bringing a mixture of snow and rain to the Boston area. Precipitation is likely to begin as snow in the early morning hours and intensify as the morning progresses.
More than 50 killed as explosions hit Syrian University
At least two devastating explosions, possibly caused by aircraft missiles or bombs, struck the campus of Aleppo University on Tuesday as students were taking exams, a major escalation of the violent struggle for control of Syria’s largest city in the ongoing conflict. The opposition and government blamed each other for the blasts, and opposition sympathizers said more than 50 people were killed.
Shorts (right)
Since the summer of 2011, the insurance giant American International Group has been battling Bank of America over claims that the bank packaged and sold it defective mortgages that dealt AIG billions of dollars in losses.
Renault to cut 7,500 jobs in France
PARIS — France’s ailing industrial sector took another blow Tuesday when Renault said it planned to cut 7,500 domestic jobs, or about 17 percent of its French labor force, by 2016 as it adjusted production capacity to the crushing downturn in the European car market.
CORRECTIONS
In last Wednesday’s issue, a front-page caption mischaracterized the Mayan calendar hack as a dragon. However, dragons are mystical beings in Eastern mythology. In ancient Mesoamerica, mythological reptiles are believed to be feathered serpents, not dragons.
Tough questions for MIT
The death of Aaron Swartz hit MIT hard. The Institute suddenly finds itself confronted with deep and important questions: What kind of role did MIT play in the prosecution of the 26-year-old prodigy? Is there something MIT could have — or should have — done that would have averted such a tragic outcome?
The Golden Globes
This year’s Golden Globes awards ceremony, hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, aired Sunday night from Beverly Hills.
First squash match
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — In the first match of the new year, the MIT coed squash team fell to Connecticut College, 8-1. The Engineers are now 3–10 for the season.
Men’s basketball beats Babson College
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — With the score tied at 64-64 and time winding down, James Burke ’13 nailed a three-pointer with three seconds left to lift the MIT men’s basketball team past Babson College, 69-64. Will Tashman ’13 led all scorers for MIT with 22 points, while Kelly Ross led four Babson players in double figures with 17 points.
From MIT to Brown
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Mark Lawrence, MIT’s head water polo coach, has announced that he will be stepping down as the Head Coach of the Engineers’ program. He will be moving on from MIT to become an assistant with the Brown University men’s water polo program.
