Postdocs get an independent voice in new self-government Postdoctoral Association to replace Advisory Council
Postdoctoral researchers at MIT have decided to take matters into their own hands. Postdocs will be represented by the new, autonomous Postdoctoral Association (PDA) instead of the Postdoctoral Advisory Council (PAC), which was organized by the office of the vice president for research. The move gives MIT postdocs an organization more similar to the Undergraduate Association or the Graduate Student Council.
Steve Jobs leaves legacy of innovation and leadership
Steven P. Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple who helped usher in the era of personal computers and then led a cultural transformation in the way music, movies, and mobile communications were experienced in the digital age, died Wednesday. He was 56.
CORRECTIONS
Last Friday’s article on the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony ambiguously referenced “Epsilon Sigma Pi,” which is actually the Educational Studies Program (ESP). ESP is not a Greek organization. Additionally, though a group of ESP-affiliated students were at the Prize Ceremony, it was not an official Ig Nobel delegation.
Economy Hardware still empty
Economy Hardware — formerly the value hardware store of choice for many MIT students — still seems to be “spring cleaning.” Though it began renovations last December, a store representative said that Economy Hardware plans to reopen its location in Central Square by the end of this month. The store originally hoped to be open this spring.
Sam Allen looks forward to 2 years as faculty chair
On July 1, Samuel M. Allen PhD ’75 succeeded Tom A. Kochan as the chair of the faculty.
D’Amelio trial set for Tuesday
Former MIT police officer Joseph D’Amelio is going to trial next Tuesday in Suffolk Superior Court for trafficking prescription painkillers.
Police Log
Sep 8 Bldg. 13 (105 Rear Massachusetts Ave.) 5:12 p.m., Report scooter stolen. Reporting party believes he left the keys in the ignition. Report taken.
Can evolution explanations be found in slime?
Most of the aliens that come out of Hollywood don’t really look alien at all. They may have pizza-size eyes or roachlike antennae, but their oddities are draped on a familiar humanoid frame.
New off-campus places!
Exam season is starting up again! But if you decide to take a study break and get out of the bubble, you’ll notice there are a few things right off campus that have changed since last semester.
Nobel Prize comes a bit too late
When a representative of the Nobel Foundation could not reach Dr. Ralph M. Steinman by telephone Monday to deliver the thrilling news that he had been awarded a Nobel Prize in Medicine for his breakthrough work in immunology, he sent him an email about the honor.
Ambitious goals at State of the Institute
In her Monday morning State of the Institute address, President Susan J. Hockfield spoke about MIT’s preparation for the future in four main areas: attracting and retaining high-quality students, faculty, and staff; digital learning technology; encouraging the growth of this region’s “innovation cluster”; and making strides in the area of advanced manufacturing.
Thousands come together in Occupy Boston protests
Last Friday at 6 p.m., several hundred people were already milling about Dewey Square by South Station in Boston. A man with buttons lining his hat took the megaphone to start the chant, “Whose city? Our city!”; Dan, it was explained to me, was an old face at protests in the city.
Police Log
May 01 Bldg. 35 (127 Massachusetts Ave.) 12:00 a.m., Five skateboards stolen. Report taken.
CORRECTIONS
Tuesday’s article profiling Professor Anantha P. Chandrakasan misspelled the last name of Chandrakasan’s co-author in “Low-Power CMOS Digital Design.” He is Samuel Sheng, not Cheng.
Northeastern alum arrested for terrorist plot
ASHLAND — An Ashland man who holds a physics degree from Northeastern University was charged Wednesday with an Al Qaeda-inspired plot to send a remote-controlled aircraft carrying explosives into the Pentagon and the US Capitol “to kill as many people as possible,” according to a complaint filed in federal court.
‘Sigh-cology’ and wasabi at Ig Nobels
It’s not everyday you get to see a Nobel laureate and a Harvard professor sing “The Elements” while one of them plays the accordion. Yet that’s exactly what happened last night when Richard J. Roberts, winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Medicine, and Harvard medical professor Thomas Michel performed during the opening ceremonies of the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony. Held annually in the Sanders Theatre at Harvard University, the Ig Nobels celebrate unconventional achievements in all fields of science and include performances from professors, Nobel Laureates, and professional opera singers. Chemistry was the theme of this year’s ceremony, and in that spirit each winner received a model table inscribed with the elemental symbols on the surface — a literal table of the elements.
For MIT150, Idea Bank reopens
The Idea Bank, an online forum for community members to give MIT comments and suggestions, is open again — this time to discuss the MIT150 festivities and collect ideas for future MIT150-inspired events. The Idea Bank is intended to foster ideas in a setting where students, faculty, staff, and alumni all have input.