News Briefs
This past weekend, several MIT groups hosted engineering and hackathon events on campus. While HackMIT and Hacking Arts were returning annual events, this year marked the first appearance of MIT’s Maker Faire. Although independent from one another, the gatherings were all centered around building and sharing technical projects.
Maseeh still forgoing DormCon membership
Representatives from Maseeh appeared at a recent Dormitory Council (DormCon) meeting for the first time since Maseeh seceded from the council in 2013, but Maseeh executives claim that they are not actively seeking to rejoin.
Better microscopy earns chemistry prize Chemistry Nobel Prize awarded to two Americans and one German
Three scientists, two American and one German, received this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry for circumventing a basic law of physics and enabling microscopes to peer at the tiniest structures within living cells.
Chemical spill reveals some flaws in MIT Alert
On Tuesday afternoon, a chemical spill in the Dreyfus Building (18) prompted the evacuation of the building and exposed problems in the campus-wide emergency communication process.
Murder charges against MIT alum dropped
Prosecutors dropped a murder charge against former Media Lab employee Geoffrey V. Wilson ’02 on Sept. 18. Wilson, who had been free on bail, was accused of shaking his baby to death in 2010.
Despite concerns, bitcoin startups get ample VC funding New startups announce investors
Even though concerns remain about the digital currency‚ staying power, bitcoin startups are attracting more dollars from well-known venture capitalists.
MIT Chapel undergoing major maintenance and renovations
The MIT Chapel has been temporarily closed for a substantial renovation process, which will include key restorations and upgrades to the more than half-century-old building.
Excess postdocs causes quiet crisis
The life of the humble biomedical postdoctoral researcher was never easy: toiling in obscurity in a low-paying scientific apprenticeship that can stretch more than a decade. The long hours were worth it for the expected reward — the chance to launch an independent laboratory and do science that could expand human understanding of biology and disease.
Investigation ensues after Harvard students receive death threats
This past Friday afternoon, hundreds of Harvard University students and affiliates received identical death threats via email from a “hotmail.de” address and a Google Mail address. The Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) reported no suspicious activity on campus immediately following the email distribution.
CORRECTIONS
In the October 3rd issue of The Tech, the article titled “MIT community reflects on recent deaths, ‘opens doors’” implied that the gathering was organized by Cru, when it was in fact organized by students in Cru. Students from several different Christian fellowships participated in the gathering.
Bexley demolition to begin next summer
The demolition of Bexley Hall is projected to take place in the summer of 2015 according to MIT, but the site will have a temporary use before a permanent structure is built there.
Phoebe Wang recalled fondly for humor, spirit
Editor’s Note: The remembrance below was provided to MIT News by Phoebe Wang’s family.
MIT community reflects on recent deaths, ‘opens doors’
This past Monday, students, professors, and administrators came together at noon to reflect on the recent deaths in the MIT community. Following the death of Phoebe Wang ’17, Chancellor Cynthia A. Barnhart PhD ’88 and student leaders called upon the community to take part in a 15-minute reflection on Monday, calling it an “All Doors Open” period.
Windows 10 on the horizon
SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft appears to believe that the next version of its operating system is such a big change that it’s calling the software Windows 10, skipping the more logical Windows 9.
‘How to Start a Startup’ comes to MIT
The MIT Undergraduate Association’s Innovation Committee began a series of informal evening classes last week, offering live streaming sessions of Stanford University’s “How to Start a Startup” course.
FNL speaks on Kendall design plan
The newest edition of the MIT Faculty Newsletter includes an editorial and article addressing the East Campus development process — both in response to the update on the plan from this summer broadcast by Provost Martin A. Schmidt PhD ’88. The article, written by Architecture Department Head J. Meejin Yoon, outlines the heavy involvement of the School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P), in developing a revised vision for the design project.