Napolitano delivers Compton Lecture
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano presented the Karl Taylor Compton Lecture yesterday before a modest turnout in Kresge Auditorium. Napolitano is the first woman in the Compton Lecture Series, which has included Niels Bohr, two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling, and Senator Ted Kennedy.
Clinton spokesman resigns after remarks at MIT
State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley resigned on Sunday amid controversy over remarks he made last week at MIT about the treatment of Army Pfc. Bradley E. Manning. At a talk on Thursday, he called the U.S. military’s treatment of Manning, who is suspected of providing classified information to WikiLeaks, “ridiculous, counter-productive, and stupid.”
UA, Grimson talk student engagement
Replete with graying beard and Canadian accent, Saskatchewan native and newly appointed Chancellor W. Eric L. Grimson PhD ’80 met with the UA Senate for the first time Monday evening. Echoing concerns raised two weeks ago when the Senate met with MIT Corporation Chairman John S. Reed ’61, students grilled the new chancellor on student engagement, culture, and communication.
Lone ticket participates in UA debate
This year, the Undergraduate Association debate was anything but a debate. With only one ticket in the running for the UA President and Vice President, candidates Allan E. Miramonti ’13 and Alec C. Lai ’13 took the time this past Sunday to answer questions regarding their campaign platform.
Shorts (right)
How far will the financial shockwaves from Japan’s earthquake reach? Investors wrestled with that question on Monday as stock markets dipped across the globe and fears mounted about the impact of a partial shutdown of the world’s third-largest economy.
A gradual warm-up is coming next week
Sunny skies and seasonable temperatures are in store for today. These conditions are compliments of a strong high pressure area, which will move through New England and reach the ocean by evening. By tonight, clouds will move in as a developing low pressure center moves northward through the Mid-Atlantic states. This system seems plentiful with moisture, and umbrellas will be needed for Wednesday until the rain ends sometime at night. Minor river flooding in nearby areas may occur but is not likely since most of the winter snowpack has already melted. Temperatures will also be warmer as southerly winds sweep in moist air off the ocean. By St. Patrick’s Day, clear skies and an even warmer air mass will return. A large high pressure area forming near the Carolinas should push highs to near 60°F (16°C) by Friday as well. A steady breeze from the south will maintain the climb in temperatures by that time.
Shorts (left)
LAHORE, Pakistan — The Pakistani government on Monday further postponed the resolution of the question of whether a CIA operative being investigated for a double murder is entitled to diplomatic immunity.
Saudis, fearful of Iran, send troops to Bahrain protests
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia’s military rolled into Bahrain on Monday, threatening to escalate a local political conflict into a regional showdown with Iran.
Clinton meets with Libyan opposition leader Mahmoud Jibril
PARIS — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met late Monday with a leader of Libya’s increasingly beleaguered opposition, but did so privately and without a public statement.
Third explosion threatens Japanese nuclear core
TOKYO — Japan faced the likelihood of a catastrophic nuclear accident on Tuesday morning as an explosion at the most crippled of three reactors at the Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Station damaged its crucial steel containment structure, emergency workers were withdrawn from the plant, and much larger emissions of radioactive materials appeared imminent, according to official statements and industry executives informed about the developments.
Why America is going to make a big mistake in Libya
With the unfolding of a civil war in Libya — one that is pathetically unbalanced between the arms-bearing pro-Gaddafi forces and the civilian rebels — what action will the international community take? France has officially recognized the Transitional National Council (TNC) as the legitimate government of Libya, and the Arab League countries have called for the establishment of a no-fly zone over Libya. It is America’s turn now, and Obama’s excuses for inaction no longer suffice, so America is finally going to make a move — and we’re going to do it wrong.
Lunch with Dan
With the GOP recently dropping the budget knife on Planned Parenthood, I have lost hope. My faith in the GOP to bring about change grew as questionable as the skin tone of Boehner’s face. I was ready to turn my back on the Grand Ol’ Party Pooper.
EDITORIAL UA in a tough spot
The Undergraduate Association has had a rough year. Issues of dining, orientation, and enrollment all hit within a short span of time and tested the ability of UA leaders to balance their dual roles as students and elected representatives. More recently, the UA has been racked by numerous resignations, including two senators who resigned during a six-hour senate meeting two weeks ago. As a whole, the UA is younger and less experienced now than it has been in recent memory.
What happened at the Fukushima reactor?
As a nuclear engineer, it is depressing to read the recent reports on the Fukushima nuclear incident — not because of the incident itself (at this point I strongly believe that we will remember Fukushima as evidence of how safe nuclear power is when done right) — but because the media coverage of the event has been rife with errors so glaring that I have to wonder if anyone in the world of journalism has ever taken a physics class. My favorite: in one article, boric acid was described as a “nutrient absorber” instead of a “neutron absorber.” How many editors signed off on that line without asking, “Why would a nuclear reactor need to absorb nutrients?”
Sports Shorts
The annual Figure Skating Exhibition presented by the MIT Figure Skating club on Saturday night featured members of the MIT club and other skaters from the Boston area in 21 programs. The skaters were varied in both their levels of expertise and their styles.
No. 1 seeds prepare for Indianapolis Final Four
Since the NCAA began sponsoring women’s basketball in 1982, only once have all four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four.
Track goes to Nationals
The MIT Men’s and Women’s Track & Field squads traveled to Capital University for the NCAA Division III Indoor Championship over the weekend and had a number of impressive results. On the strength of 14 All-America performances, the women’s team brought home a third place finish, while the men placed five athletes on the All-America podium en route to a 28th place standing. This was the third consecutive third-place result at Nationals for coach Halston W. Taylor’s women’s program, as the Engineers were also among the top three at this year’s Cross Country Championship and the Outdoor meet in 2010.
Events: Mar. 15 - Mar. 21
Events mar. 15 – mar. 21 Tuesday (8:00 p.m.) MIT Folk Dance Club throws its St. Patrick’s Day Party — W20-491 Wednesday (8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) MIT150 Symposium: Conquering Cancer through the Convergence of Science and Engineering — Kresge Auditorium (11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.) Annual Transportation Fair. Free stuff provided! — Stata Student Street (3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Institute Faculty Meeting — 10-250 Thursday (10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) 150 D-Lab Projects highlighted for MIT’s 150th Anniversary — Lobby 10 (4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Howard Hughes Medical Institute Lecture presented by Dr. Thomas Tuschl — Whitehead Auditorium (5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) MIT Recreation’s Indoor Golf Range Meet and Greet — W32 (DuPont lobby) (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) Saxophonist Arni Cheatham and bass trombonist/tuba player Bill Lowe perform for the Killian Jazz Series — 14-111 (Killian Hall) Friday (12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.) 2011 MIT Polymer Poster Contest — Lobby 13 (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) MIT Shakespeare Ensemble presents Romeo and Juliet — W20, La Sala de Puerto Rico Saturday (1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project (QWOCMAP) Film Fest — 32-155 Send your campus events to events@tech.mit.edu.
Cheat Sheet aka that random stuff that never shows up on the test
The Tech: What kind of jellybean do you avoid at all costs?
CLUB CONNECTION Breaking into dance
The acrobats of the ground, the mix-masters of moves, the poets of percussion; they are the ones that challenge the laws of physics. Moving in ways you’d hardly believe, their bodies twist into contorted shapes and then pause, fixing the impossible pose for a moment, just to prove that it can be done. But who are “they”? The breakers of Imobilare.
Afterhours with Carol Livermore
Carol Livermore is one of three professors who teach 2.001, Mechanics and Materials I. Her research investigates power microelectromechanical systems, which are devices that manipulate large amounts of power but in a small package. Her lab also explores the self-assembly of microscale and nanoscale systems. This week I had the opportunity to sit down with her to discuss why she became a mechanical engineering professor after getting a PhD in physics, how to get a job in MechE, and even her favorite MechE joke.
Institute Double Take
Drawing a lot of attention because of its architecture, Simmons Hall is one of the most expensive dorms on campus. Unlike other MIT buildings, Simmons always reminded me of a Lego model house. I wanted to create a photograph to capture this aspect of it — the miniature look of a Lego model.
