Professor Interviews
Gene M. Brown, Course 7 professor
Favorite TV show?
I don’t really watch TV shows. I watch baseball and football games. I like sports.
Favorite movie?
I don’t go to movies. It’s been so long, I really can’t think of any.
Junot Díaz, Course 21W professor
Favorite TV show?
Currently? Borgen, a Danish series about the first female prime minister and this anime called Gargantia that’s currently streaming in the U.S. Of all time? The Wire. No question.
Favorite movie?
Central do Brasil.
What do you think of MIT’s tastes? From our survey data, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Game of Thrones are the most popular series, followed by Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Pokemon.
Our students are so incredibly diverse — it’s hard to generalize. I’m incredibly nerdy so all the nerdy stuff you mention above I’m into too. Well, except for Pokemon.
Robert Langer, Course 10/20 professor
Favorite TV show?
Law & Order
Favorite movie?
Casablanca
Favorite book?
The Last Lone Inventor (by Evan Schwartz)
What do you think of MIT’s tastes?
They’re similar to others’.
Walter Lewin, Course 8 professor
Favorite TV show?
The NBC News at 6:30
Favorite movie?
Les Enfants du Paradis
Favorite book?
For the Love of Physics (by Walter Lewin)
What do you think of MIT’s tastes? From our survey data, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Game of Thrones are the most popular series, followed by Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Pokemon.
I would never want to see any of these movies.
Enter ten professor’s offices (choose at random). That’s the average MIT taste! Come see my office or see the office of the provost!
Matthew Vander Heiden, Course 7 professor
Favorite TV show?
It depends on my mood. When I have time to watch TV, which is a bigger issue, sometimes I watch a half-hour comedy, sometimes I watch whatever’s on. There’s no rhyme or reason to it.
I guess I like watching football. I like watching Spongebob with my kids — Spongebob’s legit. It’s really good, it reminds me of the Looney Tunes cartoons when I was growing up, it has something there for everybody.
I can tell you what I don’t like. I can’t stand reality TV. But on the other hand I don’t like really artsy stuff either.
I’m actually really appreciative of pop culture. But there’s certain aspects of it I don’t like. I can’t remember the last time I went to the Kendall Square theatre, for instance. I’ve been there, but probably 12 years ago. That’s where you go to see a “film,” if you want to see something with subtitles and a beret. The movies I do watch are almost always mainstream movies.
Favorite movie?
That also depends on the genre. Favorite comedy, for a while I really liked Old School. More recently, I liked the first Hangover, and the other ones weren’t as good. I don’t get to watch a lot of movies, but it’s very random, because I have kids, so I watch Disney and Pixar movies with my kids a lot. I like Finding Nemo and Wall-E a lot. My favorite one is The Incredibles though.
Favorite book?
I read all kinds of different things, so I’m not really prone to favorites. I know I’m not being very helpful.
What do you think MIT students like?
I bet it’s the whole gamut. It’s probably as diverse as it could be.