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Carl Sagan Speaks to Audience About Mars New Transit Guide Very Helpful _ I_______ Continuous MIT News Service Cambridge Since 1881 Massachusetts Volume 97, Number 49 Friday. October 28, 1977 ~__ _ _ II Carl Sagan speaks to I audience about Mars 4ft -T- T- By Gordon Haff was on. i Carl Sagan. noted astronomer One of the most important and exo-biologist. spoke on "The aspects of interplanetary explora- i Exploration of Mars" last Mon- tion. according to Sagan, is the day night in Kresge Auditorium. usefulness of looking "at other i i Sagan, who is director of planetary environments as Planetary Studies at Cornell. is cautionary tales." He noted the ! INSIDE well-known as a popularizer of similarity between Venus Rain, a serious problem which science in general. and space runaway greenhouse effect and strikes all members of the MIT science and planetary exploration the effect caused by the dumping Community at one time or in particular. Sagan is not afraid of excessive amounts of carbon another, is the topic of a com- of the unknown. To the contrary dioxide into earth's atmosphere. mentary by USC from he says of himself: "I am in awe of Sagan went on to talk about the Cambridge. the unknown."' His latest book Viking mission and the possibility The Dragons of Eden, a bestseller. of life on Mars in light of our pre- The MIT community now has deals with the evolution of human sent knowledge of Martian condi- two easy ways to help the Red intelligence, a topic almost entire- tions. He commenced by stating Cross - they can now give ly outside of his own field. that "Many biologists, I not either their blood or their In the early part of his talk, among them, feel that life is not money. Sagan spoke of the early history possible without abundant sur- I of Martian exploration, looking face water. I feel bonded water is at it through a telescope from sufficient if life has once ------ 4 earth. He mentioned the debate evolved." Sagan even conjectured LSC's marshmallow roast over the possibility of intelligent that "lt is certainly possible for celebrating the monumental life on Mars which began with the large organisms to exist on failure of Montvt- Piython Meets discovery of the "canals" by Per- .Mars." I Beyond the Fringe was great cival Lowell of MIT. Sagan added Sagan feels the Viking mission fun for those who were there. that "the question is which side of has two major weaknesses. The Noted astronomer Carl Sagan scoke to a ac-.ea -Cuse ai '-e LSC .p6 the telescope the intelligent life ! Please turn to page 2) ecture Monday In Kresge audltcr-;m, Saturday was a success all around for MIT sports teams as the varsity sailing team 'a demrl car claimed the Oberg Trophy and By Margot Tsakonas the women's rugby team took Decades is an occasionalfeature strong victory over thert- - a in The" Tech' that presents the University of Connecticut. I history of MIT through the e;ves of historians. photographers and alumni. The first tIwo installments -------- p12 last ternt dealt with the Institute's earlv days in Boston. UWilfiam Barton Rogers founded EXCERPIS the Massachusetts Institute of .. linguistic oddities have Technologv in 1865; the first clas- .1 often been cited in support of ses were held in the Mercantile z the idea that a language Library until the Boylston Street reflects the peculiar preoc- building was finished shortly cupations of the particular thereafter. .cu group of humans who use it. Three years later Rogers sufj If an anthropologist needed fired a stroke and was succeeded evidence that the Stanford by John D. Runkle who was fol- U- community is an entity lowed 13 years later by General The MIT cam pusas seen from the air in 1929 sociologically distinct in some Francis A. Walker. The next year. The MIT campus as seen from the air In 1929 measure from the surrounding Rogers died while speaking at In October 1911. President of the Corporation, had been as chief architect and two environs, he could find it in Commencement. Maclaurin announced his inten- working on preliminary details. members of the Class of 188. our unique use of the word During the next 30 years, Presi- tions of building a new MIT in while Professor Constant Desire Charles A. Stone and Edwin S 'nerd." Not listed in any dic- dents James Mason Crafts. Henry Cambridge. Planning such an Despradelle made elaborate AWebster. were chosen as engi- tionary, the word is un- S. Pritchett and Richard operation was enormously dif- architectural drawings in the neers. Indeed, if the architectural questionably pure slang. For lMaclaurin devoted much of their ficult and expensive. Over 2,000 Greek Classic style. possibilities were magnificent. the the rest of the English- efforts to moving MIT from blueprints from other universities But construction did not begin engineering problems were In- speaking world, it has uni- Boston while avoiding a merger were collected, and faculty in 1912 as hoped, as problems timidating. All the land was mud, formly negative connotations. with Harvard. In 1912, George members outlined their specific were encountered in selling the pumped from the Charles, and Examples of its current usage Eastman, president of Eastman needs which entailed one million Boston campus. Also, Despra- earth from the subwa? construc- are given frequently on the Kodak, offered $2.5 million for the square feet. John Freeman, Class delle died suddenly, so in 1913 W. tion such that over 22.0K piles i television show Happy Days new site in Cambridge. of 1876, an engineer and member Welles Bosworth '89 was chosen had to be driven for the founda- ('It means anything besides tion. 11 Fonzie," according to one Bosworth's studies Included a would-be lexicographer.) At never-installed 50-ft. statue of the I Stanford, however, it has a New transit guide very helpful goddess Minerva In the Great much more exact significance. Court. as well as the familiar .. .Every member of the com- By David B. Koretz travel without an automobile to taining an automobile in Boston Great Dome wh ich w as patterned munity has his own ideas The newest and best guide to cities and towns in eastern Mas- - over S2,000. after the Pantheon, only 42 feet about what is "nerdish" and the Metropolitan Bay Transpor- sachusetts. "That S2,000 could be con- narrower. The dome was original- the relative number of students tation Authority's (MBTA) The Association. although in- verted into 8,000 MBTA fares (22 1Nplanned as the celihng of a large who deserve this label. The labyrinth of transit options is en- dependent from the IMBTA. trips per day), more than enough circular auditoritm. hut the only points on which there is titled Car-Free in Boston. promotes the T's services to satisfy even the most active of auditorium had to be eimilnated anything close to agreement is Published by the Association throughout the book. The in- travelers!" due to the expense. To save his that the phenomenon of for Public Transportation, Inc., in troduction states, "Compare the Further bias is shown in the dome. Bos orth placed the "nerdism" does exist and that Cambridge, the 96-page guide is basic M BTA fare of 25c with the "Dountown Boston" chapter: library under it. it is one of the most unpleasant accompanied by the MBTA's annual cost of owning and main- "While driving in Boston can be Much of Bosworth'c inspira- aspects of studying at Stan- latest (1977-1978) route map. difficult, traveling dow ntown by tion came from the U niersitx .:1 Thomas Jefferson ford . Within the book itself are sec- I I car is guaranteed to be Virginia, which - The Stanford Daily tions on the various "car-free" frustrating. The best way to travel designed. Bosworth chose options such as bicycles, mopeds. downtown is to take transit limestone as the material for the __ II I . taxis and carpooling for local and then walk. The core area is facade and w,as o pieased w ith traveling; air, rail and bus for densely developed and there isn't his accornmplishment that he built NURD - Undesirable person. long-distance journeys; and the anv destination far from a transit a srmiler replica of MIT a.s his F'requently connotes con- basic NMBTA services for stop. 'cme neZair Parms. But even arn to emitnt. Generai insult noun. traditionalists. DCicsnitc these %rneatced-:bert 3s. Ii-, death. .nnt966. he u$rgec that not ni'ecessaritt unfriendly. Other helpful sections list l1he book is Ln excellent 2'uide tor n'.e '-tatue of \liner%a he in,;aie}-. Atso spelled nerd., Gnurd. points of interest attainable bv .:.n'one. particuiar,; ,tudienis, t ,:renpetion of(the new !:ui:dlnn - toToGaamit transit. as weli as cultural and sint,ho to get around the area ;n 9t16 ;nspired a great ceiehra- entertainment centers, and how to without a car. Please tur,} :o page' I 1977 I _gL , PAGE 2 THE TECH FRIDAY. OCTOBER 28. - ----- "--- ---- -- -I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-- Psychiatric Counseling a For College Age Adults a College Mental Health Center a Located in Prudential Center i For information call 262-331.5 Y -- -- - -- a i i a I ~~~0~an3 Sarue ia s'Q- -a-l i I b- i I i I r i 4D -3 and EYEOLASS HEARING I 'o Where prices are down to earth... to World i g if,', I' '' Wrld We Have vO i of Mars has progressed with i Carl Sagan. author of The Cosmic Connection. discussed how the exploration You Want The Eyeglass Frame i the aid of last year's Viking mission.
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