News Briefs
Wednesday’s issue of <i>Tech Talk </i>appears to violate federal law. A front-page article discussing Dan Ariely’s book “Predictably Irrational” included a color image of a U.S. $1 bill. The image is 5.125 long, 85 percent as long as a real $1 bill. Printed images of U.S. currency must be “of a size less than three-fourths or more than one and one-half, in linear dimension, of each part of any matter so illustrated,” according to 18 USC § 504, as amended by the Department of the Treasury under amendment 411.1.
Student Center Cleaners Closed by State
If students looked a little wrinkly this week, it’s probably because their dry cleaners have been out of a job.
Police Log
<i>The following incidents were reported to the MIT Police between Feb. 27, 2008 and April 3, 2008. This summary does not include incidents such as false alarms, general service calls, or medical shuttles.</i>
UA Candidates Debate Student Involvement, Dining
On Sunday evening, the candidates for Undergraduate Association President and Vice President debated issues ranging from housing concerns to MIT students’ relationship with the administration.
Those Rejected From Colleges Find Comfort in Wall Postings
With each maddeningly thin envelope, each remorseless rebuff from another top-choice college, Kellen Mandehr died a little death. In search of catharsis, the senior at Newton South High School posted the offending documents on the school’s “Wall of Shame,” a hallway bulletin board blanketed with dozens of college rejection letters.
MIT Corporation Election for Recent Graduates Begins
Voting is now open for the classes of 2006, 2007, and 2008 to elect a recent graduate to the board of the MIT Corporation.
Philosophy More and More Popular Among University Students
When a fellow student at Rutgers University urged Didi Onejeme to try Philosophy 101 two years ago, Onejeme, who was a pre-med sophomore, dismissed it as “frou-frou.”
Blackjack Team Book Embellished; Mezrich Claims Alterations Needed
The movie “21,” which opened last weekend as the No. 1 box office draw in the nation, is a glossy action-adventure movie that adds sex, violence, and some theatrical high living to the plot of the book on which it is based. But readers of the book, the 2002 nonfiction bestseller “Bringing Down the House,” might wonder why any embellishment was necessary.
Undergrad Rooms in NW35 Dorm Will Not Have Stoves
The undergraduates living in NW35 this fall will not have access to the stoves that were to be installed in their rooms.
Top-Tier Universities Report Record Low Acceptance Numbers
The already crazed competition for admission to the nation’s most prestigious universities and colleges became even more intense this year, with many logging record low acceptance rates.
New Grad Dorm Will Not Have Analog Telephones
NW35, the new graduate residence that will be named Ashdown House when it opens this fall, will not have analog phone lines in the rooms. Residents who want room phones will need to purchase a voice over IP phone and Internet phone service.
GSC Officers Elected
The Graduate Student Council elected Oaz Nir, a third-year PhD student and the current editor of the <i>Graduate Student News</i>, as its new president for the 2007–2008 school year on Wednesday.
William L. Kraushaar
Professor William L. Kraushaar, a former MIT physics professor and a pioneer in the field of high-energy astronomy, died March 21 of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was 87.
Amid a Peruvian City’s Debris, Visions of Rebirth
In August 2007, earthquakes devastated the small coastal town of Tambo de Mora, located just south of Lima, Peru. This spring break, about three dozen students, myself included, traveled to the town as part of CityScope (4.001/11.004) to learn how we could help its residents.
Judge Orders Boston University Not to Reveal Students’ Names
Boston University students have won what one lawyer hailed as a “David and Goliath” victory after challenging one of the recording industry’s most aggressive tactics: lawsuits targeting people who illegally download music.
Spammers Compromise MIT Users’ Accounts Using Phishing E-Mails
Throughout March, spammers sent a wave of fraudulent e-mail messages claiming to be the “Mit Webmail team” and requesting recipients to “comfirm” their accounts by replying with their passwords. About a half-dozen people have sent their passwords to the attackers after each e-mail, said Jeffrey I. Schiller ’79, MIT Network Manager.