Tropical Storm Erika threatens U.S.
Tropical Storm Erika is currently impacting the Antillean islands, and it could become the first tropical cyclone to strike the continental United States this year. Erika became the fifth named storm of the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season on Tuesday, just a few days after Hurricane Danny became the first storm of the year to attain hurricane strength. After passing near Puerto Rico later today, Erika is expected to track to the north of Hispañola and Cuba in the coming days. By the weekend, the storm could be strengthening as it encounters warm waters in the vicinity of the Bahamas. While it is very hard to predict the motion — and especially the intensity — of a tropical cyclone several days in advance, there is a distinct possibility that Erika could impact the southeastern U.S. coast by the beginning of next week.
Suspect charged with murder after shooting
On Monday, Roosselin Altidor of Medford was arraigned on a charge of murder for the Aug. 12 shooting of 31-year-old Rasaun Nichols near MIT’s campus.
MITx grants to fund digital learning projects
Eight projects have received MITx grants from the Office of Digital Learning to produce content and tools that will be hosted on MITx for the benefit of MIT students and others around the world. The purpose of the grant program is to encourage professors to use the technology in new ways, according to the MIT News Office.
Strandbeests walk MA beach, Media Lab demo is upcoming
Theo Jansen’s wind-powered strandbeests (Dutch for “beach animals”) roamed the beach in Ipswitch last Saturday, Aug. 22. It was their first stop on a tour that will take them through Boston, to MIT, and that will culminate in an exhibition of the artist’s work at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM).
Educators discover new ways that students cheat on MOOCs
While the proliferation of massive open online courses (MOOCs) has expanded learning opportunities for individuals around the world, the digital classroom is also subject to many of the same issues as the traditional one, such as cheating.
Metro storage set to make way for dorm
The Metropolitan Moving & Storage Warehouse, located on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Vassar Street, will be closing after around 120 years of business. The Institute did not renew the moving company’s lease because it plans to renovate the building as part of the MIT 2030 capital projects.
Never Shout Never is back with Black Cat
I used to listen to Never Shout Never all the time in high school. I first discovered the band when I saw them live at a local music festival back home; they were just an opening act for some band that I can’t remember the name of. Ukulele and light acoustic guitar made up the base of their instrumentals, and that’s what really caught my attention — I was just learning guitar at the time, and their music was simple enough for me to play. I was excited when I learned that they were releasing a new album, Black Cat, this August.
New Politics hits the mark with Vikings
I saw New Politics when they performed in Boston last fall, and of course I had already heard their viral hits “Harlem” and “Yeah Yeah Yeah,” but I wasn’t too familiar with any of their other work. However, the show really blew me away and inspired me to check out their other songs (many of which were just as catchy and still find their way onto my playlists). Near the end of the show, they promised that a new album would be released during summer 2015. New Politics released their first single for the album, “Everywhere I Go (Kings and Queens),” back in 2014, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of Vikings since.
Don’t judge a taco by its tortilla
I’ve been walking past Naco Taco every day since it opened this past spring near Central Square. Its constantly-populated patio and brightly-colored-taco-truck exterior always caught my attention, and last week I decided I needed to give the joint a try.
