RNAi Therapeutics May Hold Key to Reducing Cholesterol
People whose bodies make an unusually active form of a certain protein tend to have dangerously high levels of cholesterol. Those with an inactive form of the protein have low cholesterol and a low risk of heart attacks.
In Short
The Diversity Leadership Congress will take place at MIT next Tuesday from 1–3 p.m. and will include a keynote address by former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman and a panel discussion. Facilitators will lead group debriefings at remote viewing locations in the Student Center locations and E25-111. See: http://web.mit.edu/diversityleaders/
High School Seniors Compete at MIT In Siemens Contest Regional Final
Sixteen high school students descended upon campus last weekend as part of the annual Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology to compete for $9,000 dollars and an invitation to the national finals in New York where $100,000 is up for grabs.
Startups Struggle to Find Venture Capital
For six months, Flex Biomedical Inc.’s chief executive, Sal Braico, has been furiously trying to raise money to support his Brookline, Mass. life sciences start-up, meeting with as many venture capital firms and angel investors as possible.
Physics Funds More Maternity Leave for Female Grad Students
The Physics Department has agreed to fund a third month of paid maternity leave for female physics graduate students, an extension of the two months of childbirth accommodation provided for female graduate students Institute-wide.
Hutchings Elected New IFC President
David J. Hutchings ’10 and O. Russell Rodewald ’10 were elected president and vice president of the Interfraternity Council last Wednesday, Oct. 29. Hutchings said that his main goals for the upcoming year include fostering a spirit of interfraternity community and improving the image of MIT fraternities in the community.
Profs. Have Little Influence on Students’ Ideologies
An article of faith among conservative critics of American universities has been that liberal professors politically indoctrinate their students. This conviction not only fueled the culture wars but has also led state lawmakers to consider requiring colleges to submit reports to the government detailing their progress in ensuring “intellectual diversity,” prompted universities to establish faculty positions devoted to conservatism and spurred the creation of a network of volunteer watchdogs to monitor “political correctness” on campuses.
Election Day: Yes We Can Have Free Yogurt
After being called and e-mailed many times by the Obama campaign over the last few weeks, I decided to spend Election Day in New Hampshire campaigning for Barack.
End of Good Times for Emporium
Good Time Emporium, the Assembly Square family fun center which combined the best and worst of a Chuck E. Cheese’s, an indoor Go Kart track, and a sports bar, but whose reputation was marred by a 2004 stabbing, a 2007 shooting, and a spring 2008 brawl, is closed and will not reopen. Many of the attraction’s attractions will be auctioned off in Brockton on Saturday.
Some At MIT Faced Problems At Voting Locations
Some members of the MIT community encountered problems at voting sites Tuesday, mostly as a result of a Cambridge-wide glitch that left thousands off the official lists of eligible voters.
News Briefs
Two new channels were added this fall to the MIT Cable lineup: TVJapan (channel 16) and Big Ten Network (channel 20), according to Randall W. Winchester, Team Leader of MIT Cable Television.
DiFava, Pierce Discuss Hacking At EC
Last night, MIT Director of Facilities and Security John DiFava and Captain Albert F. Pierce Jr. met with about sixty students in East Campus’ Talbot Lounge for an hour-long question and answer session on hacking. DiFava suggested that his top priority is keeping hackers safe, but ultimately said that the MIT community needs to have a large discussion about how hacking should be addressed on campus.
Steam Pipe Explosion Damages Building 66
Building 66 sustained extensive water damage after a high-pressure steam pipe burst in the sub-basement Friday night, according to Steven K. Wetzel, manager of facilities for the Chemical Engineering department. No one was injured, Wetzel said, though repairs will probably cost upwards of seven figures.
Police Log
<i>The following incidents were reported to the MIT Police between Oct. 1 and Oct. 22, 2008. This summary does not include incidents such as false alarms, general service calls, or medical shuttles.</i>
Colleges Gave Record Amounts Of Aid, Raised Tuitions Slightly
Tuition costs rose slightly faster than the Consumer Price Index last year, and students received record amounts of financial aid, according to the annual reports on college pricing and student aid released Wednesday by the College Board.
Hungry Scientists’ Handbook Outlines Nerdy Delights
When does a recipe become a science project?
Hockfield Promises More Student Input
President Susan J. Hockfield met with the MIT Undergraduate Association in an senate meeting last night to discuss student issues and how to open channels of communication between students and the administration.
Harvard-MIT Math Tournament Will Hold Separate Contest for Local Kids
To reach out to students in the Cambridge area, organizers of the Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament will be holding a new contest this Saturday exclusively for local high school students.