FutureBOSTON Project Invites Open Dialogue Regarding City
With world-class universities, innovative young companies, and a vibrant arts community, Boston is no slouch at attracting talent. But FutureBOSTON, an urban development project and competition organized by MIT, insists that the city can — and must — do better.
Group Hosts Gambling Lecture‘Bringing Down the House’ Author Is One of Three Speakers at Forum
Approximately 75 people attended the Technology & Culture Forum at MIT lecture, “Gambling: Face to Face or interface?” held Wednesday evening in 10-250. The lecture featured bestselling author Ben Mezrich, famous for his novels about the MIT Blackjack Team.
News Briefs
Sewage problems struck Burton-Conner late Monday evening, Oct. 15, resulting in a temporary water cutoff. According to the Information Services and Technology 3DOWN status page, a resultant drain leak damaged network infrastructure at Burton-Conner, leaving the dormitory without Internet access.
Future of New Dorm Uncertain
Construction for the new graduate residence NW35 has remained on budget since its $11.5 million overrun in February 2007 and is slated to finish in August 2008. Meanwhile, few plans for the old Ashdown House, W1, have been finalized.
Two Nobel Prize Winners MIT-Affiliated
Former MIT economics professor Eric S. Maskin and former graduate student Mario R. Capecchi were among the recipients of the Nobel Prizes in Economics and Medicine this year, respectively.
Police Log
<i>The following incidents were reported to the MIT Police between Sept. 6 and Oct. 11, 2007. This summary does not include incidents such as false alarms, general service calls, larcenies, or medical shuttles.</i>
Postol Speaks Against U.S. Characterization Of Missile Defense Site
Professor Theodore A. Postol ’67, a well-known critic of missile-defense systems, has accused the U.S. of mischaracterizing missile defense capabilities in ongoing discussions with Russia.
News Briefs
LaVerde’s Market returned to 24-hour service this week as new staff were hired for night shifts. The Student Center market is now open from 7 a.m. Sunday to midnight Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Noose Left on Columbia Professor’s Door
A day after a noose was found hanging on a black professor’s office door at Columbia University’s Teachers College, protesting students chanted “no diversity, no university” and confronted university officials at two emotional meetings on Wednesday.
Record Voter Turnout in Senate, Council Elections
An unprecedented 1,203 votes were cast in the Undergraduate Association Fall 2007 elections for Senate and 2011 Class Council — a sharp increase over the 1,083 votes cast in 2006 and 1,160 cast in 2005. The elections concluded Friday, Oct. 5.
Tufts Neighbors Cry Foul Over Rowdy Student Behavior
Somerville officials and a neighborhood group are calling on Tufts University to take more responsibility for students they say are behaving badly in the neighborhoods, screaming in the streets in the wee hours, jumping on cars, and urinating and vomiting in residents’ yards.
MIT Graduate Student Designs Facebook Add-On for Enemies
Now that Internet users have forged online relationships with the people they like, they can turn their attention to shaming the folks they hate.
Administrators Draft Guidelines For Responsible, Safe Hacking
In preparation for the release of a set of hacking guidelines, Chancellor Phillip L. Clay PhD ’75 sent an e-mail out to all MIT students last week that said students must take full responsibility for their actions even while celebrating and protecting traditions such as hacking. The e-mail also addressed integrity, warning students against academic dishonesty and illegal downloading.
Alum Gives $100 Million For Cancer Research
Tiny new drugs that target cancer-causing genes and early warning systems that flag cancer’s recurrence are among the gee-whiz goals of a planned research center at Massachusetts Institute of Technology that got a $100 million infusion Tuesday.