M IT Seeks to Ilower Conusumption

IsPI I ---- IlII IP -- - --- c--------- , -- - Group examines role of I Y1IDlliB new context subjects By David lRothstein An Institute working group formed within the Undergraduate Education Office will spend the next one to two months studying the early results of MIT's experi- mental "context subjects" program, and will attempt to develop informal guidelines for the further implementation of the program. The appointment in September of former Provost Francis E. Low to convene a group to study Context program marked a the Tech File Photo new stage in the ongoing efforts Francis E. Low. of the Committee on the Under- Smith (history of technology) and !- graduate Program to broaden Steinberg (anthropology MIT's educational program. Low and at- , chaeology) join Low in the work- was appointed by Dean for Un- ing group, continuing their inves- dergraduate Education Margaret tigations. L, A. MacVicar '65, who has ex- Assistant Dean for Curriculum pressed strong support for the Support Margaret Richardson, Context program. Kaledin (histo- The group headed by Low, Professors Arthur ry), David H. Marks (head of civ- who teaches in the physics de- r s y T grew out of the efforts il engineering), Lawrence M.Sa partment, Sarath KrishnaswamyiThe Tech interschool Lidsky (nuclear engineering), of two now-dissolved Maurice S. Fox (head of biology), 2.70 students pitted their machines against each other for the first time last night. working groups, one from the and student Lacinda Hummel '91 The final round begins at 7 pm tonight. The contest will be broadcast live on MIT School of Humanities and Social (channel 36) starting at 6:30 prn. cable . p.... Science, headed by Professors RPIease turn to pagek 2) . .... P Arthur Steinberg and Merritt Roe Smith, and one from the School of Engineering, headed by Pro- Ilower its electricity conusumption fessor Elias P. Gyftopoulos, M IT seeks to whose goal was to develop mod- By Dawn Nolt zations to make all efforts to re- separate consulting firm for this Kilmarx, the parts are as follows: els for Context programs. MIT is presently working to duce electrical consumption be- purpose. The consultants have * Routine changes of light Eleven Context courses were lower its energy consumption, fore allowing a new electrical looked over the regions and de- bulbs guaranteed for an economy created, of which two were which is one of the highest in generator to be built, Kilmarx signed ways to lower energy con- life of two years will result in taught last spring and four were Greater Boston, according to explained. sumption. The consultants re- 2.89¢ per kilowatt used in refund George H. Kilmarx, engineering The rebate program with Cam- ceived bids and then hired the to MIT for the next two years. offered this fall. The classes are l taught jointly by faculty- from projects manager at the Physica bridge-Electric is a contract that lowest bidder to carry out specif- e Any changes guaranteed for-- different departments, and seek Plant. Among-other things, bulbs will refund some money back for ic tasks in their designs, such as five years will result in MIT's be- replacing light bulbs or installing reimbursed 2.89¢ per kW for to explore the relationship be- are being replaced, and new fix- every kilowatt used during a lim- ing de- multi-speed electrical controls on the next five years. One example tween scientific and engineering tures and devices installed to cut ited time after energy-saving vices have been installed on fans to better regulate airflow is when the incandescent lamps disciplines and the humanities down on electrical usage. a rebate campus. into buildings, Forti explained. present in stairwells are replaced and social sciences. In conjunction with Elec- The agreement with Cambridge Twenty-three buildings have al- by fluorescent lamps that use up It is possible that context program with Cambridge Electric states that a third party ready been finished and fur- less wattage, but still emit the courses will become part of tric, the work was started in the uphold MIT's claim that nished with energy saving de- same amount of light. MIT's core curriculum. That, spring and will end next August, must made on campus vices, mostly on the east side of * Cambridge Electric will re- too, will be discussed by the Kilmarx said. He noted that MIT any changes will eventually save electricity, ac- campus, Kilmarx said. Various imburse MIT 4¢ per kW on any working group, according to has been interested in building a cording to William J. Forti, con- methods have been used to cut changes guaranteed for ten years. Low. new electrical generator. The Su- down on electrical consumption. The rebate will continue for five Gyftopoulos (nuclear engineer- state of Massachusetts requires struction coordinator of the companies, institutes, or organi- perintendent's Office. The MIT Each change has a place in the years after the changes have been ing and mechanical engineering), four-part rebate contract with I I I -- II~ I---p---L '_, '"ar~Pb···~llr into roughly (Please turn to page 2) I-· I campus was divided five regions, and each assigned a Cambridge Electric. According to Speakers debate need for covert activities By Andrew L. Fish contest), and supporting insur- "guiding maxims" which he said Two experts on government co- gency forces in countries like Af- should govern US covert activity. vert activity clashed yesterday on ghanistan. He explained that He said covert action should be the role and control of covert ac- many of the positive aspects of used "when the goals of foreign tivity in the United States. Roy covert activity are not widely re- policy [are clear] and the admin- to defend Godson, an associate professor ported, as no one objects to such istration is willing of government at Georgetown policies and brings them into the those goals in public." Godson University, and Morton H. Hal- public domain. In addition, God- said the Reagan administration's perin, head of the Center for Na- son said the field on national se- Nicaraguan policy ran afoul of tional Security Studies and Wash- curity scholarship is very new. this rule, as no official would say ington director of the American But Godson did suggest five Civil Liberties Union, spoke at a forum entitled "Dirty Deeds?: Gary lMlarx warns of dangers Covert Action in the 1990's" sponsored by the Technology and of surveillance technology Culture Seminar at MIT. By Niraj S. Desai tion of dossiers. Marx believed Godson argued that "covert Americans should be con- that some aspects of such a soci- action is not dirty deeds" but cerned that the control tech- ety are already present. rather "an instrument of foreign niques andmfrentality of a inaxi- Recent technnoiogicai innova- policy that every post-war admin- nmum-security prison are finding tions - associated with comput- I istration has valued." Godson ar- their way into the general society, ers, video cameras, urine analy- gued that covert action "should warned Professor of Sociology sis, and electronic markers - be regarded as a normal instru- Gary T. Marx. Improved technol- have made it possible for anyone ment of statecraft ... one of ogies coupled with an inadequate to be a target of surveillance. The many tools" that a government public policy response pose a new technology can be laser-like can use in implementing foreign danger to America's democratic in finding specific information policy. He argued that "inffuenc- values, Marx said. about individuals, yet highly dif- ing events abroad is the stuff of hMarx's comments came last fuse in the broadness of its foreign policy," and it would be I night at a Social Implications of range, Marx said. inappropriate to eliminate one Technology seminar sponsored Marx noted that some simple means to achieving this end. by the Institute of Electrical and monitoring devices can be bought Godson noted that American Electronics Engineers. at places like Radio Shack - actions have achieved a va- covert In a "maximum-security soci- available to everyone without any riety of successes, such as aiding find themselves un- kind of accountability. "Why leaders in post-war Japan and ety," citizens Michael Franklin der constant surveillance, con- would someone buy these Germany, aiding leaders in anti- Mike Duffy '92 sends the ball hoopward during the strained in their movement and things?" Marx wondered. He colonial struggles, supporting season opener against Wentworth Institute. The Engi- activities, and subject to the told the crowd of approximately democratic parties in foreign neers lost 70-72. work of informers and the collec- (Please turn to page 6) I -- --- C - -CF· --- I-- -- - - ----- - - elections (like the 1948 Italian ' ~ ........I~' ',''~ "~'.--'"'2 ~':=- .- " . .. .... " _ee= PAGE 2 The Tech TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1988 sa -~~larP-- ~- I --- - 11- Translations into your native language Your are needed for industrial literature. You Group studies new will be well paid to prepare these ff~A--- i;. - - context subjects foreign translations on an occasional basis. fauportnuea jroao pagegu logical components of work in committees have been convened Assignments are made according to make up the rest of the group. science and engineering; to study this role. language your area of technical knowledge. We are currently seeking translators for: Implementing program ® To encourage students to be Most recently, changes in the more reflective about the social Humanities, Arts and Social Sci- ability · Arabic · Ch · Danish * Dutch The immediate problem facing implications of individual · Farsi · Frenh · Gemnnn ·Greek action, ence (HASS) structure were in- is · itaion ® Japanese · Korean Low's group is the development and to promote discussion of troduced in an effort to provide a of an effective mode of imple- · Norwegia · Polsh · Portuguese other personal issues.

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