Swartz report spurs MIT to hold forums on open access, computer crime
In response to questions raised after the prosecution and death of Internet activist Aaron Swartz, MIT will arrange gatherings for the community to discuss ethics and information technology, Provost Chris Kaiser and Faculty Chair Steven Hall announced Wednesday. The dates of the gatherings will be announced “in the coming weeks,” according to their email to the MIT community.
Fossil fuels are the new tobacco: a divestment focus
In the 1980s, it was South Africa. In the 1990s, it was tobacco.
Design of GradRat unveiled yesterday
It takes more than smooth jazz, fancy desserts, and chocolate fountains to lure graduate students out of their labs and into the Walker Memorial on a Thursday evening. But the unveiling of the GradRat — the MIT graduate ring — managed to do so yesterday.
CMS and Writing join forces
Comparative Media Studies (CMS) and Writing (21W), formerly two separate majors, are now under the CMS/W program. The two majors will remain essentially the same from an academic point of view — their undergraduate and graduate programs will still remain separate — but the new program aims to encourage students in both majors to take classes in the other.
Somerville SafeRide shuttle pilot program implemented
MIT’s shuttle programs are undergoing several changes in the upcoming semester.
Japan nuclear plant leak worries worsen
TOKYO — A crisis over contaminated water at Japan’s stricken nuclear plant worsened Saturday when the plant’s operator said it detected high radiation levels near storage tanks, a finding that raised the possibility of additional leaks.
E52 renovations to finish in 2016
Renovations begin this week for E52, the original Sloan Building. The structure, built in 1938, is undergoing interior and exterior upgrades expected to be completed in early 2016.
China debates effect on law of Bo Xiliai’s trial
BEIJING — The melodramatic trial of Bo Xilai, the former elite Communist Party official, has been trumpeted by the state media here as a sure sign that Chinese citizens enjoy the benefits of a robust legal system.
Attack leads to peek inside Viagra spam enterprise
MOSCOW — For years, Igor A. Artimovich had been living in a three-room apartment he shared with his wife in St. Petersburg, sitting for long hours in front of his Lenovo laptop in his pajamas, drinking sugary coffee.
Collier officially Somerville officer
SOMERVILLE — Sean Collier, the MIT police officer allegedly killed by the suspected Boston Marathon bombers, posthumously received last Thursday an honor he had long sought: a Somerville police officer’s badge.
At JPMorgan, easy way in for China elite
The program was originally called “Sons and Daughters.” And although it was supposed to protect JPMorgan Chase’s business dealings in China, the program went so off track that it is now the focus of a federal bribery investigation in the United States, interviews and a confidential government document show.
Burton-Conner murals painted over, new policies being drafted
Last week, Burton 1 became the second floor of Burton-Conner to have a mural repainted this year, after Burton Third’s summer renovations left them without their signature bar and with several murals painted over. On Burton 1, a mural based off a strip from the Penny Arcade webcomic was altered to remove certain language. The mural originally read: “This floor will eviscerate you with pleasure. You will bleed to death.” After being brought to the attention of the housemasters, the word “eviscerate” and the phrase “bleed to death” were painted over without advance warning.
Former Bexley residents granted lounge space in Walker Memorial
According to an email from Campus Activities Complex (CAC) Director Phillip J. Walsh, members of the Bexley community will now have 24/7 access to the Pritchett Lounge on the second floor of Walker Memorial. Bexley Hall, the undergraduate dormitory located at 50 Massachusetts Avenue — right across the street from 77 Massachusetts Avenue — was closed for renovations after inspections in April uncovered serious structural issues. The dorm is scheduled to be closed for up to three years. All residents, including GRTs and housemasters, moved out after commencement in June.