Welcome Families! MIT’s The Weather Today: Rainy, 60°F (16°C) Oldest and Largest Tonight: Rainy, 55°F (13°C) Tomorrow: Showers, 65°F (18°C) Newspaper Details, Page 2 Volume 125, Number 46 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Friday, October 14, 2005 RIAA Sues ABC Says MIT’s Nuclear Reactor Unsafe By Beckett W. Sterner NEWS EDITOR Six More How vulnerable are nuclear re- search reactors to terrorist attacks? An ABC News investigative report MITnet that aired last night claimed that many university reactors, including MIT’s, need to take stronger security measures to protect their uranium Users stocks. By Kelley Rivoire ABC’s report, which wades into EDITOR IN CHIEF the highly technical and classified Six MIT students are among the topic of nuclear reactor security, has 757 individuals the record industry encountered controversy over some sued for copyright infringement two of its claims. The report often elides weeks ago. The record companies al- important differences between the lege that the students shared songs reactors that would influence the risk over the Internet without authorized levels of certain attacks. permission. There are three major ways in The students are identified only which the uranium used by a reac- by the IP addresses used at the time tor could play a role in a terrorist the songs were shared. The record attack: theft for use in a weapon, a industry has requested court permis- bomb detonated outside the reactor, sion to issue subpoenas that would and a bomb exploded near the reac- require MIT to provide the names tor core. corresponding to the IP addresses. In ABC’s investigation they were The Record Industry Association of able to park a large truck about 30 America, which files the lawsuits on feet from MIT’s reactor. However, RICKY RAMIREZ—THE TECH behalf of the record companies, noti- that distance is not significantly less A student operator, whose name MIT refused to release citing security reasons, sits at the control board fies university administrators prior to than the distance to Albany Street, for MIT’s nuclear reactor. filing the suits, RIAA spokesperson and is still larger than the reactor’s poses relatively little threat, said Po- ally knows what would happen if “is it a real risk — is it a perception Amanda Hunter said in an e-mail. security perimeter, said Nuclear Re- lice Chief John DiFava. that hull would breach,” he said, not- issue, or is it just people who are hos- Including the new round of law- actor Laboratory Director David E. For example, he said, there is a ing divergent studies that suggest the tile to nuclear power?” suits, the record industry has sued 29 Moncton PhD ’75. 800–900 foot long liquid natural gas fuel may just burn or could result in The MIT reactor is used for med- Considering the broader context tanker that docks in Boston Harbor a 3-mile radius explosion. RIAA, Page 16 of terrorist attacks, MIT’s reactor regularly.“I don’t think anybody re- Regarding MIT’s reactor, he said, Reactor, Page 15 Initiative Average City Property Tax Mathematics Alumnus Aumann Rates to Remain Constant Wins Nobel Prize in Economics To Assist By Diana Jue lion prize with University of Mary- By Rosa Cao more because of updated appraisals of When Robert Aumann PhD ’55 land Professor Thomas C. Schelling STAFF REPORTER their properties. was told that he was one of the for “enhanced our understanding of FSILG Cambridge residential property This year, 46 percent of hom- winners of the 2005 Nobel Prize conflict and cooperation through tax rates, originally projected to rise eowners will see their tax payments in Economic Sciences, he was also game-theory analysis,” according to by 2.5 percent, will instead remain decrease, while about 50 percent will told to suppress his most basic urge the Nobel Foundation. Retention constant this fiscal year. This year, experience an increase of under $250, — and keep the secret for 15 min- Game theory is a branch of math- an election year for Cambridge city according to information provided by utes. When it finally became public ematics that analyzes “interaction By Marie Y. Thibault councillors, marks the first time in 10 the City of Cambridge. The average knowledge, “there were many hugs between entities,” including “orga- ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR years that taxes have not risen. payment is quoted at $7.38 per $1,000 and kisses,” he said. nizations, companies, and even spe- A new spending initiative from Contentious tax increases last fis- of property value, the lowest in Mas- Aumann, 75, who received his cies,” he said. Each party is out to MIT will commit $250,000 to build- cal year resulted in some homeown- doctoral degree in mathematics maximize its own well-being. “It’s ing community in fraternities, soror- ers’ taxes jumping by 11 percent or Taxes, Page 19 from MIT, will share the $1.3 mil- an underlying theory, rather than a ities, and independent living groups specific application,” and can be ap- — an effort with unclear benefits, plied not only to parlor games, but said Interfraternity Council Presi- also to economics, elections, war, dent Christopher P. Child ’06. and international relations, he said. The new plan, called the Re- Aumann’s contributions to game cruitment and Retention Initiative, theory primarily involve the use is intended to help FSILG members of mathematical analysis to de- become more financially self-suf- velop concepts and hypotheses. In ficient. It will allocate money for his work on the theory of repeated workshops and retreats designed to games, Aumann showed that in the educate FSILG members, develop long-term, peaceful cooperation chapters, and strengthen alumni and is sustained between parties, even community relations. when they have drastically differing Stephen D. Immerman, senior interests. associate dean for student life, said John F. Nash, a former C.L.E. he did not know exactly how the Moore instructor and winner of the $250,000 RRI figure was deter- 1994 Nobel Prize in Economics, in- mined, but that most likely it was troduced him to game theory while calculated by taking the fixed cost he was a graduate student at MIT, per person, $5,000, and multiplying Aumann said. it by the number of beds open, then Bengt Holmstrom, head of the subtracting savings from the FSILG Economics Department, said that cooperative and various grants. Aumann “has been the main force “We want to focus on how we RICKY RAMIREZ—THE TECH behind the game theory revolution Edward Cussler, winner of the 2005 Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry, talks about how he and his lab can enhance a chapter’s ability to be that has so profoundly changed aca- partner, Brian Gettelfinger, answered the question: “Can people swim faster in syrup or water?” competitive instead of just pay for demic research in economics.” The Ig Nobel Prize lectures were given last Saturday in 10-250. Information, including videos, can empty beds,” said Stephen D. Im- be found at http://www.improbable.com. merman, senior associate dean of Aumann, Page 21 student life, this summer. Unlike its predecessor, the Finan- cial Transition Plan, RRI funds will NEWS OPINION World & Nation . 2 not be distributed directly to houses. Instead, chapters can apply for hard- A National Academies panel including Ruth Miller criticizes the UA Opinion . 4 ship grants funded within the RRI al- President Emeritus Charles M. Vest urges following another year of low Comics. 6 lotment if they have made efforts to improve their financial situation but the U.S. to become more competitive in turnout in Senate elections. Arts . 8 continue to struggle, said David N. the sciences. Police Log . 19 Rogers, director of FSILGs . Page 16 Page 5 Sports . 24 RRI, Page 17 Page 2 THE TECH October 14, 2005 WORLD & NATION Pentagon Says Iraqi Forces Are Chechnyan Insurgents Attack Improving, But Still Can’t Fight By David S. Cloud and Eric Schmitt THE NEW YORK TIMES WASHINGTON Police in Coordinated Strike Iraqi security forces are growing steadily more capable, a Pentagon report made public on Thursday said. But senior American officers say By C.J. Chivers the authorities to block the routes in ducted large operations in the nearby the Iraqis remain at least a year away from being able to take over pri- THE NEW YORK TIMES and out of the city, and ordered the republics of Ingushetia and North Os- mary responsibility from American troops for fighting the insurgency. NALCHIK, RUSSIA destruction of any insurgents who setia, where 331 people were killed in The report, a quarterly assessment required by Congress of the ca- Islamic insurgents attacked at resist. A local radio station called on the school siege in Beslan. pabilities of the Iraqi armed forces and police, concludes “there has least nine police and security build- residents to stay in their homes. The fresh attacks sent ripples been steady progress” since June at getting Iraqi units to undertake ings on Thursday in this southern “The president has ordered us to through the region. The president of counterinsurgency operations “with minimal direct support” from Russian city in coordinated daylight keep every militant within Nalchik the Kremlin-installed government in American forces. raids, witnesses and the authori- and to eliminate any armed person Chechnya announced that his local But a senior American officer in Iraq, while acknowledging that ties said, further spreading Russia’s resisting detention,” said First Depu- forces had been put on alert, as did cooperation in combat is improving, said that other shortcomings pre- battles beyond its roots in the break- ty Interior Minister Alexander Chek- leaders in Ingushetia.