Tech Talk Physicist Earns Share of Bruno Rossi Prize DIGITALK: WHERE IT’S at Computer Security Elizabeth A

Volume 50 – Number 14 Wednesday – January 25, 2006 TechTalk S ERVING T HE M I T C OMMUNITY New web site Researchers delves into find cloning energy issues EnergyClasses, a web-based tool yields normal that identifies MIT classes that revolve around or include energy research, policy or technology in their curricula, launches today (energyclasses.mit.edu). stem cells Under the leadership of the Energy Research Council’s (ERC) education sub- David Cameron committee, a group of faculty, students Whitehead Institute and staff created the energy classes database. EnergyClasses will be managed initially by the education program of the Laboratory for Energy and the Environ- Scientists generally agree that all cloned animals are ment (LFEE). biologically flawed. But they don’t agree about what that The ERC, created by MIT President means for stem cells derived from cloned embryos, the Susan Hockfield in June 2005 to come up basis for therapeutic cloning. with an MIT strategy for dealing with the Also known as somatic cell nuclear transfer, therapeu- global energy crisis, is made up of 16 fac- tic cloning is a promising approach to creating individu- ulty members from every school across ally customized cellular therapies for treating certain the Institute. disorders. Demonstrated in mice but not in humans, it Co-chaired by Chevron Professor Rob- begins with stem cells derived ert C. Armstrong, head of the Depart- from a cloned embryo. But if Scientists succeed ment of Chemical Engineering, and cloned embryos can’t produce in multiplying stem Cecil and Ida Green Professor Ernest J. normal organisms, how can cells. Read about Moniz, co-director of LFEE, the council they produce normal stem this breakthrough is working on a set of recommendations cells? at web.mit.edu/ for Hockfield about how MIT can have Analyzing the complete newsoffice an even bigger impact on addressing the gene-expression profiles of both world’s energy problems in the future. cloned and fertilization-derived stem cells in mice, scien- EnergyClasses will be part of a larger tists at MIT and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ERC web site that will feature a compre- Research now have concluded that the two are, in fact, hensive database of energy initiatives on indistinguishable. campus related to seeking out and manip- “This paper demonstrates clearly that it doesn’t matter ulating primary sources of energy; inno- if a stem cell has been derived from a cloned embryo or vative ways to harvest, store and trans- from a fertilized embryo,” says Whitehead member and port energy; new ways to make buildings, MIT biology Professor Rudolf Jaenisch, senior author on vehicles, utilities, etc., more efficient; and a paper that will appear online the week of Jan. 16 in the the science, technology, policy and poli- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “Both tics behind energy’s impact on people and can be equally good for therapy.” the planet. To create a clone, a scientist removes the nucleus In addition, the site will highlight indi- from a donor cell, then places it into an egg from which viduals, student groups and laboratories the nucleus has been removed. The researcher then involved in energy research, provide PHOTO / DONNA COVENEY tricks the egg into thinking it’s been fertilized. The egg links to global energy news and promote Mush ado develops into a blastocyst, an early-stage embryo con- upcoming energy-related MIT events. sisting of no more than 100 or so cells. The scientist can Inquiries and new class suggestions Landscape worker Tom O’Neil of the Department of Facilities then either remove the stem cells from this blastocyst, for EnergyClasses can be forwarded to clears slush from the steps of 77 Mass. Ave. during the wintry mix Amanda Graham at [email protected]. of snow, sleet and rain that hit Monday, Jan. 23. See STEM —Deborah Halber Page 4 E=mc2 passes tough MIT test

Elizabeth A. Thomson of Physics at MIT, associate director of MIT’s Research News Office Laboratory for Electronics (RLE) and a principal investigator in the MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms. Pritchard and colleagues from the National Institute In a fitting cap to the World Year of Physics 2005, MIT of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Institut Laue physicists and colleagues report the most precise direct Langevin (ILL), Florida State and the University of Oxford test yet of Einstein’s most famous equation, E=mc2. report their results in the Dec. 22 issue of Nature. They And, yes, Einstein still rules. write: “If this equation were found to be even slightly The team found that the formula predicting that energy incorrect, the impact would be enormous — given the and mass are equivalent is correct to an incredible accu- degree to which [it] is woven into the theoretical fabric of racy of better than one part in a million. That’s 55 times modern physics and everyday applications such as global more precise than the best previous test. positioning systems.” PHOTO / DONNA COVENEY Why undertake the exercise? “In spite of widespread In the famous equation, E stands for energy, m for MIT physics Professor David E. Pritchard, left, and James acceptance of this equation as gospel, we should remem- mass, and c for the speed of light. “In the test, we at MIT K. Thompson display the key part of the apparatus they ber that it is a theory. It can be trusted only to the extent used to check Einstein’s most famous equation. Their test that it is tested with experiments,” said team member See EINSTEIN was 55 times more accurate than previous tests. David E. Pritchard, the Cecil and Ida Green Professor Page 5 NEWS RESEARCH

TECH SQUARE SALE POINT OF NO IAP ROUNDUP The provost reassures tenants that recapitalizing the RETURN Independent property near Kendall Square will not affect them. New research helps Activities Period Page 3 explain the enigmatic offerings run the gamut ENERGIZED behavior of black from economics to holes. fishing to mine removal Three nuclear research projects have been awarded (left). $2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. Page 4 Page 5 Page 4 PAGE 2 January 25, 2006 PEOPLE MIT Tech Talk Physicist earns share of Bruno Rossi Prize DIGITALK: WHERE IT’S AT Computer security Elizabeth A. Thomson Goddard Space Flight Center and Rudy Wijnands of the Uni- News Office The recent Windows Meta versity of Amsterdam. File vulnerability is one more Their work, done both independently and in collaboration, example of why it’s critical to has been described as a breakthrough in interpreting the com- keep computers protected MIT physicist Deepto Chakrabarty and two other scientists plex signals emitted as X-ray light from millisecond pulsars. A against security and virus will share this year’s Bruno Rossi Prize for their pioneering millisecond pulsar is a type of fast-spinning neutron star in a threats. The easiest and most work on understanding the exotic environment around fast- binary system with an ordinary star. Gas pulled away from the effective way to do this is to set spinning neutron stars, where matter can whirl about at nearly surface of the companion star crashes onto the neutron star, up your computer for automatic updates and light speed and where space itself is warped. spinning it up to rotation rates of hundreds of revolutions per patches. Windows users can subscribe to MIT’s The prize, named for the late MIT Institute Professor second. Windows Automatic Update Service (WAUS) at Emeritus, is the top award given each year by the High These scientists have revealed that oscillations in the emit- web.mit.edu/ist/topics/windows/updates, and Energy Astrophysics Division of the American Astronomi- ted X-ray light can be used to measure the pulsar’s spin rate Linux users can register for Red Hat Network at cal Society (AAS). Announced earlier this month, the prize and other key parameters. Their observations were made with web.mit.edu/ist/topics/linux/rhn.html. On the will be officially awarded at an AAS meeting next January in NASA’s Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, which marks its 10th Macintosh, Software Update is set by default to Seattle. year in orbit this month. check for updates weekly. “Bruno Rossi was a giant at MIT, and as an MIT profes- “The Rossi Explorer is a powerful tool to probe the environs It’s also important to keep Microsoft Office sor, I am humbled to receive an award named in his honor,” of black holes and neutron stars,” Chakrabarty said. “It has 2004 up to date. The WAUS service includes Chakrabarty said. been thrilling to join my colleagues in so many discoveries.” these updates for Windows users. Macintosh Chakrabarty, an associate professor of physics at MIT and a Chakrabarty is an expert on millisecond pulsars. He credits users can select the “check for updates” com- researcher at MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space his MIT colleagues and collaborators, especially research sci- mand under the help menu in any open Office Research, shares the prize with Tod Strohmayer of the NASA entist Edward Morgan, with making his discoveries possible. 2004 program. Senior Senate aide to head Online MIT invitations Hosting an event? MIT’s online ordering system, ECAT, now features a customizable invita- MIT’s Washington office tion package. Using this simple system, MIT offices can Sarah H. Wright order invitations and matching envelopes and News Office have them delivered to their door. Two layouts accommodate both short and long text blocks. The MIT Publishing Services Bureau negotiated William Boone Bonvillian, an attorney with experience in discounted print prices for a single-panel 5-inch- the legislative and executive branches of national government, by-7-inch invitation card and matching A6 enve- expertise in science and technology policy, and knowledge of lope: they print in two colors (MIT red and black) the university community, has been appointed director of federal on your choice of white or natural white recycled relations for MIT. He will head MIT’s Washington, D.C., office. paper. MIT President Susan Hockfield described Bonvillian as Browse the MIT products or place your order “widely respected on both sides of Capitol Hill and in the feder- online with ECAT partner Ambit Press at web. al agencies. He has earned that respect through years of major mit.edu/ecat/businesspapers/. For more infor- contributions in the policy arena, including drafting many piec- mation or to request samples, contact the Pub- es of legislation and ferrying them through the process.” lishing Services Bureau at [email protected]. Bonvillian’s “understanding and skill in matters of national science policy and higher education are extraordinary, and I am delighted to welcome him to MIT,” she said. Statistically speaking Bonvillian will assume his MIT duties on Jan. 30. He suc- Do you use statistical software packages, ceeds John C. Crowley, vice president for government rela- such as Stata, SAS or SPSS? Lynda Zhang, a tions and founder, in 1991, of MIT’s Washington Office, which newly hired statistical consultant at the Harvard- works with Congress and the executive branch to raise under- MIT Data Center, is available to answer ques- standing of the contributions of higher education and research tions about these packages and provide hands- to the national welfare. on support. She can help employees learn how Bonvillian said he is looking forward to his new role. “I to use the programs, import and manage data- have long viewed MIT as a critical institution in the future of sets, and perform statistical analysis and graph- our society and economy and have respected its historic role ing. in national science policymaking. I am excited about support- Zhang is available for one-on-one help ing the ideas that flow from its great talent base,” he said. sessions at Dewey Library. To make an Bonvillian has served as legislative director and chief coun- appointment or to ask for tips, send e-mail to sel to Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) since 1989. In that [email protected]. For more senior role, he has directed the senator’s legislative staff and information on support for statistical software, drafted and managed action on the senator’s legislative policy visit libraries.mit.edu/guides/subjects/data/ initiatives, including initiatives in science and technology, eco- software/consultant.html. To learn about the nomic growth, and defense research and development. Harvard-MIT Data Center, visit libraries.mit. Bonvillian served in the executive branch as deputy assis- edu/get/hmdc. tant secretary for the U.S. Department of Transportation, from 1977 to 1980. There he worked on major legislation covering Access rights in TechTime transportation deregulation and funding. PHOTO / DONNA COVENEY Bonvillian received the B.A., with honors, from Columbia MIT’s TechTime calendar system is set up University in 1969, the M.AR. from Yale University in 1972 and Two for the road so that any MIT TechTime user may view any the J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 1974. other MIT TechTime user’s agenda. You control He and his wife live in Great Falls, Va.; they have two chil- In spite of raw temperatures, Jamal Isa gives Giselle what others can see in your agenda by setting an dren. Andrejack a ride on his bike on Wednesday, Jan. 11. Both access level when you create a meeting, event, For fuller story, visit http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/ are seniors in management. note or task. The pre-set access levels when oth- dc-bonvillian.html. ers view your agenda are: • Normal and personal: For meetings, another user sees only the time and no other details; for events, notes and tasks, nothing is shown. Moses named Engineering Systems Division acting director • Confidential: Nothing is shown for the Dean of Engineering Thomas Magnanti “I would like to take this opportunity to thank entry. announced that he has appointed Institute Pro- Dan Hastings for the spectacular job he has done • Public: All details are shown for the entry, fessor Joel Moses as acting director of MIT’s as ESD director and to congratulate him on his and other users can copy the entry into their own Engineering Systems Division, an academic and well-deserved appointment as Dean of Undergrad- agendas. research division formed to tackle the large- uate Education,” Magnanti said. “It has been an You can redefine access rights to your calen- scale engineering challenges of the 21st cen- enormous pleasure to work closely with Dan and dar for specified MIT TechTime users or for MIT tury. I look forward to continuing to work with him in TechTime users in general. You can also create Magnanti also said he will convene a faculty his new position.” Designate rights (also known as proxy rights) for advisory committee to search for a replacement Moses, a computer scientist, was MIT pro- a specified user, so that person is able to make for Professor Daniel Hastings, who has been vost from 1995 to 1998, Dean of Engineering changes to your calendar. ESD director since 2003. Hastings, a professor of from 1991 to 1995, and head of the Department For more information, visit itinfo.mit.edu/arti- aeronautics and astronautics and of engineering of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science cle.php?id=6741. systems, was appointed Dean of Undergraduate from 1981 to 1989. He was named Institute Pro- Digitalk is compiled by Information Services Education effective Jan. 1. Joel Moses fessor in 1999. and Technology.

News Office Staff Tech Talk is published by the News Office on Wednesdays during term time except for HOW TO REACH US Interim Director ...... Pamela Dumas Serfes most Monday holiday weeks. See Production Schedule at http://web.mit.edu/newsof- Senior Communications Officer/ News Office fice/techtalk-info.html. The News Office is in Room 11-400, Massachusetts Institute of Editor Science Writer ...... Denise Brehm Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139-4307. News Manager/Editor ...... Kathryn O’Neill Telephone: 617-253-2700 Kathryn O’Neill Senior Communications Officer ...... Patti Richards Postmaster: Send address changes to Mail Services, Building WW15, Massachusetts E-mail: [email protected] Assistant Director/ Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Science and Engineering News .... Elizabeth Thomson Photojournalist Subscribers may call 617-252-1550 or send e-mail to [email protected]. http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice Donna Coveney Assistant Director/Photojournalist ...... Donna Coveney Senior Writer ...... Sarah Wright TechTalk is distributed free to faculty and staff offices and residence halls. It is also avail- Web Developer/Editor ...... Lisa Damtoft able free in the News Office and the Information Center. Office of the Arts Production Reporter/Writer ...... Sash a Brown Anne Trafton Operations/Financial Administrator ...... Myles Crowley Domestic mail subscriptions are $25 per year, non-refundable. Checks should be made http://web.mit.edu/arts Administrative Assistant II ...... Mary Anne Hansen payable to MIT and mailed to Business Manager, Room 11-400, MIT, 77 Massachusetts Administrative Assistant II ...... Patti Foley Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Computer Support Assistant ...... Roger Donaghy Periodical postage paid at Boston, MA. Permission is granted to excerpt or reprint any Printed on recycled paper Communications Assistant ...... Heather Manning Editorial/Production Assistant ...... Anne Trafton material originated in Tech Talk. MIT Tech Talk NEWS January 25, 2006 PAGE 3 MIT to sell share in Technology Square Denise Brehm News Office

MIT announced last week that it intends to sell some share in the seven buildings of Technology Square while retaining ownership of the land itself. This transaction will not affect current tenants, including about half a dozen MIT offices and departments in the development, which is located a few blocks from Kendall Square in Cambridge. “MIT is looking to recapitalize the property at this time to take advantage of favor- able market conditions,” said Steve Marsh, managing director of MIT’s real estate investments office. “We are fully committed to keeping the space leased by MIT offices and departments in Technology Square fully inte- grated into our campus and to making a smooth transition to the new building own- ers,” said MIT Provost L. Rafael Reif. “MIT’s decision to sell its interest in the buildings is a prudent investment decision that will enhance our overall financial strength. Decisions to recapitalize in this way occur frequently in the real estate investment world and usually result in a seamless transition with no impacts on the tenants,” he said. “MIT intends to retain ownership of the land at Technology Square and therefore would be the landlord to anyone who owns an interest in the buildings.” MIT purchased Technology Square from Beacon Capital Partners for $278.8 million in January 2001. At that time, there PHOTO / DONNA COVENEY were four buildings on the property and MIT announced last week it plans to sell some share in Technology Square, which is a few blocks from Kendall Square in Cambridge. three more under construction. MIT con- verted the parcel from an office park to a Center for Biomedical Engineering, Facili- of bringing foot traffic to the area. Quiz- and lab space at Technology Square. life sciences and technology center with ties, Central Accounting Office and the no’s Subs, 7-Eleven Convenience Store, The increase in property values since laboratory, office and retail space, and a MIT Federal Credit Union. Before moving Kinko’s, Fitcorp and Bank of America all 2001 has meant increased real estate tax rev- parking garage. The parcel is bounded by into the Stata Center in 2004, the Labora- lease space in the development, and the enue for Cambridge. MIT paid the city $2.8 Main, Portland and Broadway streets, with tory for Computer Science and the Artifi- university is working to identify new retail million in taxes on the parcel in 2001, and Draper Laboratory on the fourth side. cial Intelligence Laboratory were tenants establishments to take space recently will pay nearly $6.2 million in 2006. Because In addition to large biotechnology of 200 Technology Square for many years vacated by Polcari’s restaurant. MIT will continue to own the land at Tech- firms, including Novartis, the 1.15-million- when MIT did not own the property. High-tech and life sciences firms, includ- nology Square even after the recapitaliza- square-foot development is home to MIT’s At the city’s request, MIT marketed ing Novartis, Dyax, TolerRx, Forrester and tion, the Institute will continue to pay the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, first-floor space to small retailers as a way Elsevier publishing company, lease office city real estate taxes for the entire parcel.

Happy birthday, Political strategist Endicott House Endicott House is celebrating will give keynote 50 years as part of MIT with a new book detailing the history of the families who once lived at MLK breakfast on the estate in Dedham, Mass. The original house, Sarah H. Wright Rockweld (photo at far left), News Office was built around the time of the Civil War by the grand- father of Rose Weld Baldwin (far right). Baldwin attended Donna Brazile, the first African-American woman to a Jan. 17 celebration at the lead a major presidential campaign, will be the keynote house, with Priscilla and speaker at MIT’s 32nd annual celebration of the life and Bradford Endicott, siblings legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. whose father built Endicott The theme for the 2006 celebration is “Dr. King’s Unfin- House on the site where ished Agenda: A Call for Economic and Social Justice in Rockweld once stood. For full the 21st Century.” Brazile will deliver her remarks at a story, visit web.mit.edu/new- breakfast event honoring King on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 a.m. in Morss Hall. MIT President Susan Hockfield and soffice. PHOTO / LAURA WULF Dr. Thomas Byrne will host the celebration. Brazile served as senior strategist and campaign manager for Democrat Al Gore’s 2000 presidential bid. A native of New Orleans, she is currently chair of the Challenger anniversary recalls MIT’s contributions Democratic National Committee’s Voting Rights Institute, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and man- This week the world will mark the 20th anniversary of for the 1993 Columbia mission. aging director of her own political consulting firm, Brazile the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, a disaster Some highlights of the MIT-NASA collaboration: and Associates, in Washington, D.C. felt deeply at MIT, which has a long history of close con- • 1961, the MIT Instrumentation Lab wins the first Brazile’s 2004 book, “Cooking With Grease: Stirring nections to the space program. major contract of the Apollo program. the Pots in American Politics,” is a memoir of her career When the Challenger exploded, 73 seconds after liftoff • 1960-1968, Robert C. Seamans Jr., alumnus (S.M. as a political strategist, including such accomplishments on Jan. 28, 1986, all seven crew members were killed — 1942, Sc.D.) and professor emeritus, serves as NASA’s as organizing demonstrations to make Martin Luther including MIT alumnus Ronald E. McNair (Ph.D. 1976). deputy administrator. King Jr.’s birthday a national holiday as well as working Over the years, contributions to NASA’s mission by MIT • 1973, Professors Harry G. Gatos and the late August in senior roles in the presidential campaigns of Jesse Jack- scientists and engineers have ranged from developing the F. Witt lead MIT materials scientists in the first experi- son, Richard Gephardt, Michael Dukakis and Bill Clinton. guidance and navigation system that allowed Apollo astro- ments to grow crystals aboard NASA’s first space station, According to “Cooking With Grease,” Brazile discov- nauts to reach the lunar surface, to exploring the frontiers Skylab. ered her flair for political organizing as a youngster, when of X-ray astronomy with the Chandra Observatory. • 1988, Frederick H. Hauck (S.M. 1966) commands she campaigned for a candidate who promised her neigh- “MIT has always been key to NASA’s success. Our peo- Discovery, the first shuttle mission after Challenger. borhood a playground. She committed her professional ple, technology development and scientific investigations • 1997, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence (S.M. 1988) life to political and social activism the day after King was have been intertwined since the earliest days of the space participates her first shuttle-Mir docking sessions. assassinated in 1968. program,” said William Readdy, NASA associate adminis- • 1999, NASA astronaut Catherine G. “Cady” Coleman Prior to managing the Gore-Lieberman campaign in 2000, trator for space operations. (S.B. 1983) leads deployment of the Chandra X-ray Obser- Brazile was chief of staff and press secretary to U.S. Repre- NASA was founded in 1958. As of July 2004, MIT had vatory. sentative Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-District of Columbia). 32 alumni astronauts, among them Buzz Aldrin (Sc.D. • 2000, astronaut William M. Shepherd (OCE 1978) A frequent contributor and political commentator on 1963), Franklin Chang-Diaz (Sc.D. 1977) and Janice Voss commands the first crew to live and work aboard the Inter- CNN’s “Inside Politics” and “Crossfire,” Brazile is a colu- (Ph.D. 1987), the first alumna to fly in space. national Space Station. nist for Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill, and a con- Two former astronauts are on the MIT faculty: Jeffrey • 2004, alumnus Lt. Col. Mike Fincke (S.B. 1989) Hoffman, veteran of five shuttle missions, and Laurence begins a six-month stay on the International Space Station. See MLK Young (S.B. 1957, Ph.D. 1962), alternate payload specialist —Elizabeth A. Thomson Page 6 PAGE 4 January 25, 2006 RESEARCH MIT Tech Talk Nuclear energy projects get $2M STEM Continued from Page 1 Denise Brehm which uses nuclear power to produce tory that will seek to develop a corrosion- News Office electricity, has the lowest emissions per resistant material to use for making fuel or place it into a uterus where it has the gross domestic product. cladding and structural materials in lead- potential to develop into a fetus. In the next few years, MIT is expected cooled reactor systems. The project will Here’s where things get complicated. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to make a big push in the area of energy receive about $1 million in funding over The original donated nucleus may have awarded $2 million in grants to three MIT research, following the creation by Presi- three years. come from, say, a skin cell. For a viable projects as part of an initiative to encour- dent Susan Hockfield of the MIT Energy • MIT Professor Neil Todreas and fetus to develop, the egg needs to repro- age nuclear energy research and develop- Research Council. The council is charged Pavel Hejzlar, a principal research scien- gram the genome of the skin cell, shutting ment in the United States. with determining the areas of energy tist, are co-principal investigators on a proj- off genes specific for skin tissue and turn- The research will be done through research in which MIT can make the ect to develop nuclear reactor designs with ing on genes needed for embryonic devel- MIT’s Center for Advanced Nuclear greatest impact. a flexible conversion ratio for lead alloy opment, genes that are normally dormant Energy Systems, which was established The DOE selected the 24 NERI and liquid salt coolants. This is a $500,000 in tissue-specific cells. In other words, the in 2000 to work on the development of research projects totaling $12 million from grant over two years. egg needs to erase all tissue-specific mem- technologies for nuclear energy plants a pool of 144 proposals. MIT and Purdue • MIT Professor Paul Barton will ories from the skin cell and revert it into a and fuel facilities. Professor Mujid S. University each earned three awards; the develop a model for the simulation and genomic blank slate. Kazimi of the Department of Nuclear University of Wisconsin, North Carolina optimization of a system to produce But this entire process is almost never Science and Engineering directs the cen- State University and University of Michi- hydrogen from water using the heat and/ perfect, and nearly all cells in a cloned ter. gan each received two grants. or electricity generated by a nuclear plant. blastocyst retain some memory of their The grants were awarded under the “These awards support the depart- The grant is for $500,000 over three years original source. As a result, the developing DOE’s Nuclear Energy Research Initiative ment’s advanced nuclear technology and is part of a larger project to design a fetus inevitably has some degree of genet- (NERI) to develop advanced nuclear tech- development efforts and foster the educa- plant that could produce hydrogen with- ic abnormality. Most clones, in fact, die in nologies to make the United States less tion and training of the next generation of out creating greenhouse gas emissions. utero or at birth. The few clones that make reliant on imported fossil fuels. scientists and engineers needed to move In addition, Todreas is co-principal it into adulthood are often plagued by About 85 percent of the world’s energy this vital industry forward,” said U.S. Sec- investigator with Ehud Greenspan and bizarre health complications. This is one currently comes from fossil fuels, which retary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman, an Donald Olander of the University of reason why scientists generally believe also account for most of the carbon diox- MIT alumnus (Sc.D. 1965). California at Berkeley on a project to that attempting to clone a human being is ide in the atmosphere. The three MIT projects funded under assess the feasibility of improving pres- morally reprehensible. The United States is responsible for the NERI grants are: surized water reactors by using hydride But are the cloned embryo’s stem cells the world’s largest percentage of carbon • MIT Professor Ronald Ballinger is instead of oxide fuels. MIT’s award is a beleaguered by the same defects? dioxide emissions relative to its gross the principal investigator on a collaborative $190,000 subcontract from Berkeley for Studies have demonstrated that a small domestic product. By contrast, France, project with Los Alamos National Labora- two years. number of stem cells in the blastocyst appear to be spared this faulty reprogram- ming. When stem cells from a cloned blastocyst are removed and placed into a dish, most die. A few, however, survive and Black hole’s give rise to an embryonic stem cell line, and these appear to be thoroughly repro- grammed. ‘point of no Researchers have tried to test the integ- rity of these surviving stem cells by trans- planting them into fertilized blastocysts and then observing the overall health of return’ found the resulting animal. Although these animals generated entirely from cloned stem Scientists have found new evidence that cells appear to be fine, many scientists black holes are performing the disappear- don’t accept this result as definitive. ing acts for which they are known. Tobias Brambrink, a postdoctoral A team from MIT and Harvard has researcher in the Jaenisch lab, tried a dif- found that a certain type of X-ray explo- ferent approach, comparing gene expression common on neutron stars is never sion in cloned and fertilization-derived seen around their black hole cousins, as stem cells. With a series of microarray if the gas that fuels these explosions has chips, Brambrink measured which genes vanished into a void. were active and which were silent in both This is strong evidence, the team said, kinds of cells. To ensure the accuracy for the existence of a theoretical border of his results, he compared five lines of around a black hole called an event hori- cloned stem cells with five fertilization- zon, a point from beyond which nothing, derived stem cell lines. not even light, can escape. “The results are very clear,” says Ron Remillard of the Kavli Institute Brambrink. “If a gene is active in fertil- for Astrophysics and Space Research at ized stem cells, it’s also active in cloned MIT in Cambridge, Mass., led the analy- stem cells, and at the same level of sis and discussed his team’s result earlier activity. The same goes for genes that this month at a press conference at the IMAGE / NASA/DANA BERRY are silent. There is really no significant 207th meeting of the American Astro- molecular difference between both kinds nomical Society in Washington, D.C. His MIT and Harvard researchers have found evidence for the existence of an event horizon of stem cells.” colleagues are Dacheng Lin of MIT and — a point beyond which light and X-rays from neutron stars like this one cannot escape. “In my opinion, these results solidify Randall Cooper and Ramesh Narayan of the argument that while a cloned animal the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astro- is abnormal, a cloned stem cell is perfectly physics in Cambridge. event horizon. normal,” says Jaenisch. The scientists studied a complete sam- Stars of about 10 to 25 solar masses will This study was funded by the National ple of transient X-ray sources detected with collapse into compact spheres about 10 Hole dents Institutes of Health. NASA’s Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer dur- miles across, called neutron stars. These ing the last nine years. They detected 135 objects have a hard surface and no event X-ray bursts from the 13 sources believed horizon. space-time Committee solicits to be neutron stars, but none from the 18 Black holes and their neutron star suspected black holes. cousins are sometimes located in binary MIT scientists and colleagues have Gas released by a nearby star can accu- systems, orbiting a relatively normal star found a black hole that has chiseled a animal care concerns mulate on the hard surface of a neutron companion. Gas from these stars, lured remarkably stable indentation in the fabric The chairman of the Committee on star, and it will eventually erupt in a ther- by strong gravity, can flow toward the of space and time, like a dimple in one’s Animal Care and Alice Gast, the vice pres- monuclear explosion. compact object periodically. This process, favorite spot on the sofa. ident for research and associate provost, The more massive compact objects in called accretion, releases large amounts of The finding may help scientists mea- are once again soliciting any informa- this study suspected of being black holes energy, predominantly in the form of X- sure a black hole’s mass and how it spins, tion that would aid MIT’s effort to main- appeared to have no surface. Gas falling rays. two long-sought measurements, by virtue tain the humane care of animals used in toward the black hole seems to disap- Gas can accumulate on a neutron star of the extent of this indentation. Using research. pear. surface, and when conditions are ripe, the NASA’s Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, the MIT’s Committee on Animal Care “Event horizons are invisible by defini- gas will ignite in a thermonuclear explo- team saw identical patterns in the X-ray was established to ensure that all MIT tion, so it seems impossible to prove their sion that is visible as a one-minute event light emitted near the black hole nine researchers working with animals comply existence,” said Remillard. “Yet by looking called a Type I X-ray burst. years apart, as captured in archived data with federal, state, local and institutional at dense objects that pull in gas, we can The suspected black holes — that from 1996 and in a new, unprecedented regulations on animal care. To that end, infer whether that gas crashes and accu- is, the more massive types of compact 550-hour observation from 2005. the committee inspects animals, animal mulates onto a hard surface or just qui- objects in this study — behave as if they Black hole regions are notoriously cha- facilities and laboratories, and reviews all etly vanishes. For the group of suspected have no surface and are located behind otic, generating light at a range of frequen- research and teaching exercises which black holes we studied, there is a complete event horizons. cies. Similarities seen nine years apart imply involve animals before experiments are absence of surface explosions called X-ray The idea of using the absence of X-ray something very fundamental is producing a performed. bursts.” bursts to confirm the presence of event pair of observed frequencies, namely the If you have information about inad- A black hole forms when a very mas- horizons in black holes was proposed in warping of space and time predicted by Ein- equate animal care or treatment or any sive star runs out of fuel. Without energy 2002 by Harvard’s Narayan and Jeremy stein but rarely seen in such detail. information that would help the Commit- to support its mass, the star implodes. Heyl of the University of British Columbia Jeroen Homan of the Kavli Institute for tee on Animal Care fulfill its responsibili- If the star is more than 25 times more in Vancouver. Astrophysics and Space Research at MIT ties, please call x3-9436 or call Professor massive than our sun, the core will col- The Rossi Explorer, launched on Dec. and his colleagues from the University of Gast at x3-1403. lapse to a point of infinite density with no 30, 1995, is operated by NASA Goddard Michigan, Amsterdam University and MIT All concerns about animal care will be surface. Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. presented this result on Monday, Jan. 9, at handled confidentially and will be inves- Within a boundary of about 50 miles For more information, including the annual meeting of the American Astro- tigated by the committee. The panel will from the black hole center, gravity is so images, visit http://universe.nasa.gov/ nomical Society in Washington, D.C. report its findings to anyone who has such strong that not even light can escape its press/event_horizon/event_horizon. For the full story, visit web.mit.edu/ concerns, as well as to the vice president pull. This boundary is the theoretical html. newsoffice/2006/blackhole2.html. for research and associate provost. MIT Tech Talk RESEARCH January 25, 2006 PAGE 5 Tarot, fishing, landmines round out IAP Independent Activities Period (IAP) offered MIT students the chance to take part in some out-of-the-ordinary offerings — from planning a trip to Mars to trying their hand at fly fishing. To read more about these and other activities, visit http://web. mit.edu/newsoffice/topic/iap.html. Teaching tarot Financial Aid Director Daniel Barkowitz uses IAP as a time to share his interests — both professional and personal. In “Finan- cial Aid 101,” Barkowitz walks students, staff and faculty through the mysterious and sometimes daunting world of financial aid for school. He shifts gears to teach his other annual IAP offering, “History and Mystery of the Tarot.” “IAP really gives everyone the chance to get out of the daily rut,” Barkowitz said. (Published Jan. 11) Dating analysis In a lecture sponsored by the Depart- ment of Economics, economist Ray Fis- man, who has studied speed dating, ana- lyzed men’s and women’s dating preferenc- es. Fisman found that men are less likely to date women they believe are smarter or more ambitious than they are. They also place higher value on physical attractive- ness than women do. On the other hand, women’s interest in dating a man grows with his intelligence, even if they believe it exceeds their own. (Jan. 11) Trip to Mars Planning for a colony on Mars is well underway, according to MIT graduate Graduate students Shaya Famini, left, and Joseph Laracy catch a fly-fishing lesson on Wednesday, Jan. 11. The IAP session was held in student Joseph Palaia, who presented the Walker Memorial Hall with the murals by Edwin H. Blashfield as a backdrop. Mars Homestead Foundation’s vision for settling the red planet by 2025. The foun- PHOTOS / DONNA COVENEY dation sponsored several IAP brainstorm- ing sessions for students who want to get involved in the project. (Jan. 12) Taste of Middle Ages Participants in “Old Food: Ancient and Medieval Cooking,” a one-session IAP course led by Anne E.C. McCants, associate professor of history and MacVicar Faculty Fellow, “ate exceptionally well,” she said. The jolly crew of 25 enjoyed a medieval meal that included sourdough bread, fresh butter churned right in Next House, roast pork in a strong wine and spice marinade, a green “poree” with spin- ach and chard, a white “poree” with leek whites and milk; and lasagna with hand- made noodles but no sauce, as tomatoes are a New World food. (Jan. 13) Kid-friendly engineering Contrary to popular belief, engineering concepts can be taught to children as young as 5, graduate student Kristen Bethke said at an Independent Activities Period seminar called “Teaching Engineer- ing to Kids.” In the seminar, MIT students used Lego building blocks with comput- Associate Professor Anne McCants bastes MIT Financial Aid Director Daniel Barkowitz Andrew Heafitz, instructor at the Edgerton erized engines to learn how students as the roast pork for her IAP session ‘Old teaches two courses during the Independent Center, shows graduate student Olivia young as 5 can explore math, science and Food: Ancient and Medieval Cooking,’ held Activities Period — one on financial aid and Leitermann, in protective gear, how to find simple engineering concepts. (Jan. 17) in the kitchen of Next House. one on tarot. a mine during ‘MIT Design for Demining.’

Cleaning up landmines ment, educational graphics and teaching of lectures sponsored by the Department which shows that the store improves over- IAP sessions titled “MIT Design for materials developed by past students in of Nuclear Science and Engineering is all consumer welfare. Hausman, whose Demining” challenged students to clean Andrew Heafitz’ spring course on demin- exploring the work of Kepler, Sir John specialty is econometrics, argues that Wal- up the cruelest litter of war. The ses- ing, SP.776. (Jan. 17) Carew Eccles, Robert Boyle and James Mart’s low food prices benefit consum- sions introduced humanitarian demining Clerk Maxwell. (Jan. 19) ers, especially the poorest families. His — the process of detecting, removing Faith of scientists research contradicts other findings by the and disposing of landmines — and dem- Faith and science were not mutually Wal-Mart is good for you U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which says onstrated inventions or improvements in exclusive for many great scientists, includ- Economics Professor Jerry Hausman that consumers are no better off when a hand tools, protective gear, safety equip- ing astronomer Johannes Kepler. A series spoke about his research on Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart enters their community. (Jan. 20) Einstein on E=mc2 EINSTEIN “It followed from the special theory Continued from Page 1 they passed through a very pure crystal hair!” of relativity that mass and energy are of silicon. Despite the results of the current test 2 both but different manifestations of measured m, or rather the change in m The mass loss was obtained at MIT of E=mc , Pritchard said, “This doesn’t the same thing — a somewhat unfamil- associated with the energy released by a by measuring the difference between the mean it has been proven to be completely iar conception for the average mind. nucleus when it captures a neutron,” said mass of the nucleus before the emission correct. Future physicists will undoubt- Furthermore, the equation E is equal former MIT graduate student Simon Rain- of a gamma ray and after. The mass dif- edly subject it to even more precise tests to mc2, in which energy is put equal ville. ference was measured by comparing the because more accurate checks imply that to mass, multiplied by the square of The NIST/ILL scientists, led by cyclotron orbit frequencies of two single our theory of the world is in fact more and the velocity of light, showed that very Hans Börner of ILL and the late Rich- molecules trapped in a strong magnetic more complete.” small amounts of mass may be con- ard Deslattes of NIST, measured E. (The field for several weeks. Pritchard’s MIT colleagues are Rain- verted into a very large amount of speed of light is a defined and therefore Pritchard notes that the mass of the ville (now at Université Laval, Quebec) energy and vice versa. The mass and exactly known quantity, so it was simply nucleus is about 4,000 times larger than and James K. Thompson (now an RLE energy were in fact equivalent, accord- plugged into the equation.) the much smaller mass difference. As a postdoctoral associate in the MIT-Harvard ing to the formula mentioned above. Specifically, the ILL/NIST team deter- result, “determining the mass difference Center for Ultracold Atoms). Rainville This was demonstrated by Cockcroft mined the energy of the particles of light, requires the individual masses to be mea- and Thompson are co-lead authors of the and Walton in 1932, experimentally.” or gamma rays, emitted by the nucleus sured with the incredible accuracy of one Nature paper. To hear an audio clip of Einstein when it captures a neutron. They did so part in 100 billion — equivalent to mea- This work was funded by the National explaining this, go to http://www.aip. using a special spectrometer to detect the suring the distance from Boston to Los Science Foundation and by a Precision org/history/einstein/voice1.htm. small deflection of the gamma rays after Angeles to within the width of a human Measurement Grant from NIST. PAGE 6 January 25, 2006 NEWS MIT Tech Talk Biological engineering OBITUARIES FRANK T. CARY a longtime member of the Committee for Frank T. Cary, former IBM chair and Review of Space Planning. He retired from life member emeritus of the MIT Corpo- MIT in 1992. may become Course 20 ration, died Jan. 1 at his home in Darien, Born and raised in Marblehead, he Conn. He was 85. joined the Air Force in 1943 and served as Kathryn M. O’Neill equivalent faculty (with a total number of Cary spent his entire career at IBM, a pilot during World War II and the Korean where he started as a marketing represen- News Office more than 40 members) and more than War. He graduated from St. Anselm Col- 125 doctoral students. The new S.B. has an tative and eventually served as president, lege and the Wentworth Institute of Tech- initial cohort of about 30 students, Lauffen- chair, chief executive officer and director. nology, majoring in architectural construc- Biological engineering faculty put for- burger said. He retired from IBM in 1991. tion. ward an ambitious proposal for a new The division is requesting Course 20, Cary joined the MIT Corporation in He is survived by his wife, Ruth Thomp- Course 20 at the faculty meeting held Dec. Lauffenburger said, because of its history 1974, was elected a life member in 1984 son; two daughters, Linda Olmstead of 21 in the Stata Center’s Room 141. as the number for the former Department and became a life member emeritus in Westford and Kristin Doucet of Bedford; Founded in 1998 as a new academic of Applied Biological Sciences. 1983. He also served on the boards of and four grandchildren. several corporations, including ABC, J.P. unit, the Biological Engineering Division Magnanti spoke in support of the PAULINE M. MARCHANT received approval in February 2005 to motion, calling biological engineering “a Morgan, Texaco and Merck, and of sev- accept undergraduate majors. The course very vibrant unit by almost any measure.” eral nonprofits, including the American Pauline M. Marchant, a research nurse number its faculty propose to use has been He added, “For example, the Ph.D. pro- Museum of Natural History, the Museum at the MIT General Clinical Research Cen- unassigned for nearly two decades. gram is, I believe, one of the most com- of Modern Art and Rockefeller Univer- ter for 26 years, died Jan. 4. She was 64. Changing or renaming a course occurs petitive to get into at MIT.” sity. Marchant, who had planned to retire only after careful deliberation by the fac- The faculty will be asked to vote on the For full obituary information, visit web. this February, was a protocol nurse for ulty and generally in response to develop- proposal at its next regular meeting on mit.edu/newsoffice. many clinical studies and cared for patients with a wide variety of ailments. ments in science and engineering prac- Feb. 15. KENNETH L. THOMPSON tices. The faculty also heard two reviews of Marchant is survived by a son, Peter Only one course has remained con- M.Eng. programs, one in civil and envi- Kenneth L. Thompson, a retired prod- Marchant of Stoneham; a daughter, Paula stant throughout the Institute’s history ronmental engineering, and the other in uct manager in the Department of Physi- Stavre of Stoneham; a brother, James — Course 2 (mechanical engineering) was logistics. At MIT, M.Eng. programs offer a cal Plant, died Oct. 27 at the age of 82. Byrne of Revere; a sister, Barbara Bernis named in 1868, while many others have one-year master’s degree and are targeted Thompson worked at MIT for 42 years of Somerville; and four grandchildren. been renamed as education and practices at students who plan to work in industry, redesigning and supervising the recon- Donations may be made to the Middle- have changed. One example is Course 3, rather than academia. A number of M.Eng. struction of classrooms and laboratories, sex East VNA/Sawtelle Hospice House, established as mining engineering and professional programs were begun in said his wife, Ruth Thompson. He was also 320 Haverhill St., Reading, MA 01867. metallurgy in 1868. In 1940, mining engi- the late 1990s, and reviews were begun neering was discontinued, and metallurgy in 2001 to monitor their continued viabil- took over Course 3. Today’s Course 3, ity. Three programs have been eliminated materials science and engineering, was since that time, said Magnanti -- aeronau- named in 1975. tical engineering, ocean engineering and The history of Course 20 reflects simi- nuclear engineering -- and one has been lar developments. Established in 1946 as added, in manufacturing. food technology, it was renamed in 1961 Patrick Jaillet, the Edmund K. Turner to nutrition, food science and technology, Professor and head of the Department of refined in 1963 to nutrition and food sci- Civil and Environmental Engineering, pre- ence, and known from 1985 to 1989 as sented the review of the M.Eng. in civil applied biological sciences. and environmental engineering, a nine- The Committee on Curriculum and month program. He noted that companies the Faculty Policy Committee have both hiring students from the program “like the approved the division’s request for a way we are educating these students.” He course number, which was endorsed by concluded that, “Yes, indeed, this program Dean of Engineering Thomas Magnanti. is a central mission of the department.” Professor Douglas Lauffenburger, the Professor Yossi Sheffi of civil and envi- Whitaker Professor of Bioengineering ronmental engineering and engineering and director of the Biological Engineering systems, who is director of the Center for Division, presented the proposal to the Transportation and Logistics, present- faculty. ed the review of the M.Eng. in logistics He said the division had to meet the fol- (MLOG), also a nine-month program. The lowing six criteria to attain a course num- program is popular, selective and profit- ber: able for the Institute, Sheffi commented. PHOTO / DONNA COVENEY • The entity wishing to assume a “We see a lot of universities around course number should hire, promote and the world following in our footsteps and A moving experience tenure its own faculty. we help them establish their own pro- • The entity should have a clear place grams,” he said. All of the 2005 graduates Freshman Kiersten Pollard, center, makes her moves during a Middle Eastern in the MIT organizational scheme. received job offers within two weeks of dance class led by MIT staffer Loni Butera, left, on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at the • The entity should be assured of rea- graduation and saw salary increases aver- T-Club Lounge. sonable permanence and the dean of the aging 60 percent, not including bonuses, school should attest to its permanence. he said. • The entity should be authorized by “It is clear to us that we could run a the Corporation to grant degrees, prefer- program three to four times this size,” ably both graduate and undergraduate. Sheffi said. MLK • The entity should be authorized Professor Daniel Hastings of aeronau- Continued from Page 3 Congress of Black Women. She is the to admit graduate students, serve as the tics and astronautics and engineering sys- recipient of numerous awards and hon- focus of registration for them, teach all of tems, commented, “We see the MLOG tributing writer for Ms. magazine. She has ors, including the Congressional Black the core required courses, offer the exams program as one of our core programs.” At also produced and hosted “A View From Caucus Foundation’s Award for Political needed to qualify for degrees and qualify the time of the meeting, Hastings was the the Hill,” on Radio One in Washington, Achievement. She was also named one of the students. director of the Engineering Systems Divi- D.C., and Baltimore, Md. Washingtonian magazine’s 100 most pow- • The entity should not contain or sion. He became the dean for undergradu- In addition to working on political cam- erful women in Washington, D.C. Brazile be contained within another entity with a ate education on Jan. 1. paigns, Brazile has served as a senior lec- earned the B.A. degree from Louisiana course number. In other business, the faculty approved turer and adjunct professor at the Universi- State University. Lauffenburger noted that Dean Mag- a change to the rules for electing mem- ty of Maryland and as a fellow at Harvard’s The MIT breakfast honoring King is nanti had asserted in his endorsement bers to standing committees. The change Institute of Politics. She is presently the open to students and other members of memo to the Committee on Curricula and is designed to provide the faculty with Senator Wynona Lipman Chair in Women’s the MIT community. Space is limited and the Faculty Policy Committee that bio- more information about candidates nomi- Political Leadership at Rutgers University. reservations are necessary. To request an logical engineering had met each of the nated off the slate, said Professor Bruce Brazile is the founder and execu- invitation, please visit web.mit.edu/mlk- criteria. The division now has 20 full-time Tidor, associate chair of the faculty. tive director of the National Political ing/www/event_index.html. CLASSIFIED ADS

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The Boston Phoenix called the work um of Science as humans, computers and composed “Belle Labs” as a virtuosic dia- “truly electrifying.” robots join forces to present a musical logue between two humans (Todd Reyn- Southworth’s “Zap” and Ziporyn’s to step down hybrid of Western and traditional Balinese olds on violin and Ziporyn on clarinet) and “Belle Labs” both use the Heliphon robot, music. “Music and the Invasion of Tech- a robot, pushing the musicians and the a Musical Instrument Digital Interface Lynn Heinemann nology,” featuring premieres by Profes- machine to their limits. (MIDI)-controlled double-helix-shaped Office of the Arts sor Evan Ziporyn and alumna Christine Southworth, who graduated from MIT xylophone that plays by striking metal Southworth, will take place at the Boston in 2002 in mathematics with a minor in keys with solenoids. Museum of Science’s Cahners Theater on music, is co-founder of Ensemble Robot, Southworth, who’s currently pursu- Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. which premiered “Zap!” — a work for Van ing a master’s degree in computer music MIT Provost L. Rafael Reif has Best-known for compositions that de Graaff generator, robots and musicians and multimedia composition at Brown announced that Associate Provost for the bridge Balinese and Western musical idi- — at the Museum of Science in February University, will premiere “Heavy Metal,” Arts Alan Brody will step down at the end a new piece for Balinese gamelan, robots of the academic year after 10 years in the and electric strings. The work will feature position. Brody will return to full-time MIT’s Gamelan Galak Tika, Ensemble teaching in the music and theater arts sec- Robot, Reynolds on violin, Eddie Whalen tion and to his own playwriting. on guitar, Erik Nugent on lyricon and In making the announcement, Reif Blake Newman on bass. “Heavy Metal” called Brody an “unswerving and passion- will also introduce Ensemble Robot’s two ate advocate of the arts at MIT,” who had newest members, the Bot(i)Cello and the worked with faculty, students, staff and BlowBot. alumni to “guide, support and enhance The Bot(i)Cello uses windshield wiper MIT’s dynamic arts community.” motors to reel in guitar strings, plucked President Susan Hockfield said, “The by computer fans rotating at varying arts at MIT are simply extraordinary — speeds. The strings are attached to bows reflecting the creativity and insight that made of tempered spring-steel, which are hallmarks of the Institute. As associate hold them at a constant tension. When provost for the the motor reels in a string, the pitch of arts, Alan Brody the string goes up, and vice versa. “The has fostered a instrument looks like a three-legged spi- climate where der, or perhaps a strange metal tree,” the talents and says Southworth, who designed and built imagination of the robot with Boston artists Giles Hall our faculty and and Andy Cavatorta. students can find The BlowBot, developed by Cavatorta, their fullest artis- is a dancing tetrahedron made of air cylin- tic expression.” ders that expand from 2 to 4 feet in length, Brody, a pro- according to Southworth. As each of its fessor of theater six cylinders expands and contracts, one at MIT since of 12 flutes is played. “It’s very beautiful, Alan Brody 1988, was pro- quite organic-looking and very active,” moted to the says Southworth. position of associate provost for the arts in The concert will be followed by a discus- 1996, succeeding Ellen T. Harris, the first sion of the impact of technology on music person to hold the post at MIT. with Ziporyn, Southworth and Reynolds, as Reif said, “Under his leadership, art- well as a dessert reception with a cash bar. ist-in-residence programs expanded and Tickets are $10. Limited additional seating flourished in a number of areas, including is available in a separate theater with simul- the List Visual Arts Center and the Office cast projection of the event for free. of the Arts. In addition, he fostered a sense The program is the third in a Museum of community and identity among students of Science Series titled “When Science and faculty engaged in the arts, through Meets Art,” which examines how both art such activities as the creation of the Fresh- and science investigate and involve theo- man Arts Seminar and Advising Program ries and transforming information into and the MIT Arts Scholars Program. With something else. his guidance and perseverance, the MIT The Museum’s next “When Science Museum acquired inspiring new leader- Meets Art” event on Wednesday, Feb. 1 ship; the Museum Loan Network expand- also features MIT talent. Titled “Seamless: ed as a major national resource; and the Computational Couture” and produced by vision of a Laboratory for Performing Arts Nick Knouf and Christine Liu of the Media began to take shape.” Lab, the program will be a runway fash- A noted playwright, Brody has won ion show, showcasing innovative, wearable numerous awards, most recently includ- works of interactive and technology-based ing the Bloomington Playwrights Project design. Emceed by Assistant Professor (BPP) Reva Shiner Full Length Play Con- Chris Csikszentmihalyi of the Media Lab, test for “The Housewives of Mannheim.” the show will take place in the Galaxy Café The drama, set in 1944 working-class at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and a dessert Brooklyn, deals with homosexuality, anti- reception is included. Semitism and gender roles and will be The Museum of Science is located at staged Feb. 9-25 at the BPP’s theater in PHOTO / BILL SOUTHWORTH Science Park, in Boston. For more infor- Bloomington, Ind. The Heliphon robot, which appeared in ‘Zap!’ at Boston’s Museum of Science last February, mation, call (617) 723-2500 or visit www. Brody also led MIT’s Student Art Asso- will get another chance to jam there on Wednesday, Jan. 25. mos.org/brainyacts. ciation and facilitated the cross-registration programs between MIT and the Mas- sachusetts College of Art and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Brody took a leadership position with Annual origami competition gets under way Teachers as Scholars and served as the MIT representative on the board of trust- ees of the Museum of Fine Arts. Will you join the fold? In 2004, Brody helped initiate the STAR Conference (“Science, Theatre, Audience, Folding’s fine, but not spindling or mutilating. Tap- Reader: Theoretical Physics in Drama ing and trimming are also taboo. and Narrative”), an ongoing discourse on Submissions for the fourth annual Student Origami theater and science. He also produced a Competition are due in the Office of the Arts (Room series of videoconferences to introduce E15-205) by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21. the arts as a component of the MIT educa- The competition, open to MIT students and spon- tion in the Singapore-MIT Alliance. sored by the Office of the Arts/Student & Artist-in- “As associate provost, Alan Brody has Residence Programs, the MIT Japan Program and done a terrific job of strengthening and the office of Associate Professor Erik Demaine, is integrating MIT’s various arts programs,” designed to promote interest in origami within the said Philip S. Khoury, Kenan Sahin Dean MIT community and to showcase student work. of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Models must be made entirely by folding — no glue Social Sciences. “In so doing, he has or tape can be used — although they may be modular. helped to ensure that the Institute will Both original designs and credited executions of exist- remain a truly creative force in the per- ing designs are welcome and will be judged in separate forming and visual arts for years to come.” categories by a jury of origami experts. Past submis- Reif is meeting with members of the sions have included everything from bugs and flowers MIT community interested in the arts as to stars and helixes. Winning entries will be exhibited part of the process of identifying Brody’s in the Wiesner Student Art Gallery. successor. He invites confidential com- For more information, or to see images of past sub- PHOTO / ELSA CHEN ments and/or advice to be e-mailed to missions, visit http://web.mit.edu/arts/special_pro- Origami skimmer dragonfly folded by graduate student Brian Chan, [email protected]. grams/studentp/origami.html. Or, e-mail Irene Bris- who won Best Technical Folding and Best Original Design for his For fuller story, visit http://web.mit. son, [email protected]. leaves and insects collection in the 2005 origami contest. edu/newsoffice/2006/brody.html. PAGE 8 January 25, 2006 CALENDAR MIT Tech Talk

MIT EVENT HIGHLIGHTS JANUARY 25-29

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY January 25 January 26 January 27 January 28 January 29

Science/ Performance Architecture/ Humanities “Is it the Truffle Making HKN Student Varsity Rifle “Finding Technology Planning Economy, 10 a.m. $8. Project Expo Beanpot Form: The Art the Media or McCormick Informal event 8 a.m. MIT of Richard What? Electing Country where students Pistol and Filipowski” a Mexican President in Kitchen. in Course VI will show off Rifle Range in du Pont The work of renonwned 2006” projects they have been Athletic Center. 258- sculptor and MIT fac- Music Exhibit Reading Special Talk by Alejandro Recyclemania working on. 2–4 p.m. 5265. ulty member Richard Interest Poire, visiting profes- Planning Room 10-105. Filipowski. MIT Museum. sor at Harvard, and MIT Session Chess Match Noon-5 p.m. $5, adults; Associate Professor Dorm residents, MIT Staff and Chess $2, students, seniors and Chappell Lawson. Noon. recycling coordinators, Concert Tournament children 5-18: free with Room E51-095. 252- house managers and Baritone Philip Three-level an MIT ID. 253-4444. Business/ Film Sports Featured 1483. any willing volunteers Lima with chess tournament plus a Money Event meet to discuss this William Merrill on the match pitting MIT alumni F.A.S.T. “Impact of year’s MIT Recyclemania piano and mezzo-sopra- against current students. Program: “Safe Mechanical Competition. 6–8 p.m. no Krista River. $10. 5:30 Noon-5 p.m. Stata and Sound: Forces on Room NW86-159. 258- p.m. Killian Hall. 445- Center Lounge. Protecting Morphology, 5648. 2762. Soldiers and First Development and Varsity Responders” Function of the Primate Yoga class MIT Anime Women’s Presentation by Eve Cerebral Cortex” The eight-fold Club Weekly Swimming Downing of The Talk by Professor Claus yoga practice Showing and Diving Institute for Soldier C. Hilgetag of the for body, mind The MIT Anime MIT competes against Nanotechnology. $5, International University and spirit. Thursdays Club shows current Amherst College and adults; $2, students, Bremen. 4 p.m. Room through Feb. 2. 6:30– and classic Japanese Connecticut College. seniors and children 5- 46-3189. 432-1738. 8:30 p.m. Room 34-302. animated films and pro- 1 p.m. Zesiger Sports 18; free with an MIT ID. grams. Fridays through and Fitness Center Pool. 2-4 p.m. MIT Museum. Workshop: IFilm Movie Dec. 18, 2006. 7 p.m. 258-5265. 452-2111. Sculpting with Seminar Room 6-120. Light Talk by gradu- International Study anima- ate student LIVEmusic Folk Dancing tion, video and sculpture Nikolas Meitanis on @theEAR: 8–11p.m. Every in a three-dimensional a movie related to Arielle Silver Sunday night. space with Boston art- Japanese classes at MIT. Must be over Student Center. 253- ist Andy Zimmermann. 8–10 p.m. Room 4-237. 21. ID required. 9 p.m. FOLK. Open to ages 18+. 5:30 The Thirsty Ear Pub. Artists on film p.m. Room N52-200. 258-9754. Professor Judith Wechsler of Tufts University, for- 253-4405. merly of MIT, presents film portraits of Jasper Johns, Harry Callahan and Flora Natapoff on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Above is a screen shot from Wechsler’s film on Jasper Johns. The films start at 5 p.m. in E15, Bartos Theater.

Go Online! For complete events listings, see the MIT Events Calendar at: http://events.mit.edu. Go Online! Ofﬁce of the Arts website at: http://web.mit.edu/arts/ofﬁce.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

“URINETOWN” AN EVENING OF “THE ANATOMY OF Jan. 25 SILENT FILM Jan. 26 RECONCILIATION” Jan. 31 Musical Theatre Guild pro- Martin Marks and Dawn Webcast from New York duction. Jan. 25-29 and Feb. Sala de Perlner provide live musical Room 14-111 includes keynote speech by Room 3-270 Puerto Rico accompaniment to classic 2-4. 8 p.m. except 2 p.m. on 8-10:30 p.m. Sister Helen Prejean, author 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 29. 8 p.m. silent films. of “Dead Man Walking.” Jan. 31-Feb. 1.

MIT EVENT HIGHLIGHTS JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 5

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY January 30 January 31 February 1 February 2 February 3 February 4 February 5 Undergraduate “An Epistem- Kosher “Amorous “Christian “COLLISION “Deep Study Abroad ological Chocolate Intent: Looking Marclay: box #2: Cars Frontiers: Information Culture in the Taste Test for Love at Mixed Reviews and Stars” Ocean Session Mathematics Sample unique MIT” (American Sign Andy Engineering at 2:30–4:30 p.m. Room 56- of Ancient China” flavors of American, Curated exhibition Language)” Zimmermann’s multime- MIT” 114. 253-0676. Talk by Karine Chemla, Israeli and European exploring the cynical, the American Sign Language dia installation, “Cars and Exhibit. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. professor at the kosher varieties. Noon. sweet, the humorous, the (ASL) interpreter Stars,” projects digital Hart Nautical Gallery. “Introduction University of Paris. 20 Chimneys. 253-2982. melancholy, the fuzzy, the Jonathan Kovacks signs animation and video 253-5942. to Allopathy” Noon. Room E56-100. bitter and any other inter- a long collaged text by onto a three-dimensional Talk by Dr. Louis 253-6989. Israeli Dancing pretation on the theme artist Christian Marclay sculpture, with accom- “Scopes, Kuchnir, MIT Beginner’s of love at MIT. 24 hours. from reviews of musical panying digital sound Station premedical advisor. 3-4 Ethnomedicine Night Wiesner Student Art performances. On view composition. $5, adults; Wagons p.m. Room 26-204. 253- and 8–11 p.m. Gallery. 253-7019. 24 hours. Media Test $2 students; free with and Solder: 4733. Bioprospecting Lobby 13. 253-FOLK. Wall, Whitaker Building MIT ID. Noon-5 p.m. MIT Unexpected Images Conference “Lean 56. 253-4400. Museum. 253-4444. From the Rad Lab and “The Joy Panel discussion “Google, Engineering: RLE Collections” of Clinical with Kathy Moran of or Google Doing the Right “Arnold Ballroom Collection of photograph- Medicine” the Healing Forest Scholar: Thing Right” Newman: Social Dance ic negatives from the MIT Talk by Dr. Louis Conservancy, Steven That Is the Talk by Professor Earll 20th Century (participatory) Radiation Laboratory Kuchnir, MIT premedical King of Shaman Question!” M. Murman. 2–3:30 p.m. Photographs” Evening of and the MIT Research Advisor. 4–5 p.m. Room Pharmaceuticals and Learn about databases Room 33-206. 253-2279. Forty photographs on social dancing includ- Laboratory of Electronics. 26-204. Christopher Herndon of and other tools to search exhibit. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ing ballroom and Latin $5, adults; $2 students; the Amazon Conservation for scholarly information. IDEAS Room 10-150. 253-4444. dances, along with free with MIT ID. Noon-5 Trivia Night Team. 5–7 p.m. Room 3-4 p.m. Room 14N-132. Competition favorites such as salsa, p.m. MIT Museum. 253- Must be over 10-250. 253-9320. Project “Aircraft Fire hustle and merengue. $6, 4444. 21. ID required. Consulting and Explosion? students; $10, general. 8 8-11:30 p.m. Varsity Men’s 6-8 p.m. Room 4-402. How Safe Are p.m. Morss Hall in Walker International Thirsty Ear Pub. 258- Basketball vs. You in the Memorial. Folk Dancing 9754. Springfield Friendly Skies?” 8-11 p.m. College Multimedia presentation Grads on Ice Kresge 6 p.m. Rockwell Cage. by Albert Moussa. 2–3:30 Skate party for Rehearsal Room. 253- 258-5265. p.m. Room 33-206. Jewish grad FOLK. 253-2279. students from all over Boston. 9-11:30 Karate p.m. Johnson Ice Rink. Practice 253-2982. 6:30–8 p.m. Room W31-225.