Survey: Students, though stressed, are glad to be at MIT
Results from the Student Quality of Life Survey are now available online. In early March 2013, Chancellor Eric Grimson PhD ’80 invited all students enrolled at MIT to participate. Over 54 percent of the graduate and undergraduate population responded to at least part of the survey before it closed on April 3, 2013.
Student arrested in Boston bombings seeks release
BOSTON — Robel Phillipos, the former University of Massachusetts student who is accused of lying to the authorities investigating the Boston Marathon bombings, will seek to be released from federal custody on Monday, his lawyers said in court papers filed over the weekend.
Course 18 moving
Handing in math problem sets may now require more exercise. In late June or early July, the entire Department of Mathematics will be moving to E17 and E18 as their current space in Building 2 undergoes a significant renovation. Undergraduate math majors have already experienced the effects of the construction, with their undergraduate lounge moved to the Compton Room, opposite 26-100, this past January. For the duration of the construction, the lounge will remain in the Compton Room. As for the rest of the department, all faculty, staff, and graduate student offices will be moved to the new “swing space” in E17 and E18, which will be shared with the Department of Economics, whose space in E52 is also being renovated.
Grant funds threatened by sequester
With over 70 percent of MIT’s yearly research funding coming from the federal government, the federal budget sequester will have a significant impact on research at the Institute.
Clouds and rain ahead
After a long stretch of clear, calm weather for our area, chances for rain will increase in the coming days. A broad high pressure parked offshore in the northern Atlantic will finally lose its grip and allow more unsettled weather to traverse New England. The high sustained a light easterly to southeasterly breeze during the past week, pushing in cool air off the Atlantic and limiting daytime maximum temperatures. This pattern will continue today, before a weak low pressure center to our south brings warmer and moister air. This low will be sluggish, producing occasional showers through this week and keeping skies cloudy. However it will provide a southerly flow that should allow temperatures to rise into the upper 60s°F (19–20°C).
Shorts (left)
High school students will take the ACT college admissions exam by computer starting in the spring of 2015 — but at least for a while, the paper and pencil version will be available, too.
Slowdown in rise of health care costs may persist
WASHINGTON — One of the economic mysteries of the last few years has been the bigger-than-expected slowdown in health spending, a trend that promises to bolster wages and help close the wide federal deficit over the long term — but only if it persists.
Shorts (right)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Though it held on to power in the election Sunday, the governing National Front coalition suffered an important loss: For the first time in 44 years, it failed to win more than 50 percent of the popular vote. Analysts said it left Prime Minister Najib Razak’s position far from secure.
Israel and Turkey negotiate compensation in flotilla raid
JERUSALEM — Talks here Monday between Israeli and Turkish officials over compensation for a deadly Israeli commando raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla almost three years ago demonstrated that while relations between the two countries are improving, they will not be as warm as they once were.
Iran warns Syrian rebels after report of shrine desecration
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Shiite leaders warned of regional sectarian conflict after reports that Syrian rebels raided a Shiite shrine in a suburb of Damascus last week, destroying the site and making off with the remains of the revered Shiite figure buried there.
CORRECTIONS
A photo in Friday’s issue of Berklee’s production of Hair was incorrectly credited. The photo was taken by Josh Glass.
Miami Heat expected to advance to Round 3
Miami comes into this series after a long rest following Round 1. They swept the Milwaukee Bucks convincingly and earned a week-long rest before Round 2. Unfortunately for the Heat, they are matched up against the Chicago Bulls after they upset the 4th seeded Brooklyn Nets. The Bulls are a bad matchup for Miami, as they play incredibly tough defense. Luol Deng will make life difficult for league MVP LeBron James, and Jimmy Butler will likely be matched up with Dwyane Wade for the majority of the series. Chris Bosh may be the key to the series. If he can dominate in his matchup against a hobbled Joakim Noah, the Heat will make quick work of the Bulls, but if Noah can play consistently well, Chicago could make things interesting, even without Derrick Rose. As a side note, the Bulls ended Miami’s 27 game winning streak earlier this season.
SPORTS SHORT
Two members of MIT Baseball have been honored for their achievements on the diamond and in the classroom this season. Ricardo J. Perez ’13 and Hayden K. Cornwell ’15 were selected to the Capital One Academic All-District baseball team, the College Sports Information Directors of America has announced.
Events May 7 - May 13
Events may 07 – may 13 Tuesday (12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.) Artists Beyond the Desk presents Cate Gallivan on piano — Killian Hall (5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.) A Conversation with award-winning Portuguese author, Dulce Maria Cardoso — 14E-305 Wednesday (6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.) Soap Box: The Political Life of Cheese, free cheese — MIT Museum (7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.) Slavery And The American Imagination — Simmons Hall Multipurpose Room Thursday (5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) Discussion of book 10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10 — 4-231 (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) MIT DanceTroupe presents: #DTMF — Little Kresge Theater Friday (7:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m.) LSC shows Pitch Perfect — 26-100 Saturday (6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.) Sidney Pacific End of Term BBQ and Outdoor Movie — Sidney Pacific Courtyard MP room (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) MIT Concert Choir, director William Cutter — Kresge Auditorium Sunday (4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) MITHAS presents Rupak Kulkarni Bansuri — Wong Auditorum (4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) Chamber Music Society music for two pianos and other works — Kresge Auditorium Monday (4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.) When the Levee Breaks: Black Migration and Economic Development in the American South? — E62-233 (5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) Innovation Series Event: It takes more than just Big Data — Evolving Solutions for Pharma and Healthcare — 32-123 Send your campus events to events@tech.mit.edu.
Is there an absolute right or wrong?
Ask A-theist is a column by Aaron Scheinberg G, an atheist, and Stephanie Lam G, a Christian, which uses contrasting worldviews to explore questions and misconceptions about philosophy and religion. This week, Stephanie chose the question. Send us the burning questions you have always wanted answered by an atheist or Christian (or both), and we’ll tackle them!
Don’t be afraid to ask
The Internet is littered with quotes about how it’s the great questions and not the great answers that are important and shape history, science, and the universe as a whole. It’s not as if I had never thought about it; really, I had. I had just assumed this was talking about my research questions, the big important questions I could spend a lot of time crafting. I assumed those were the questions I was being judged on.
