Smoking litter caused Random roof deck fire
“Improper disposal of smoking material” was the cause of the Random Hall fire this summer, wrote Jared and Laurie Berezin, Random Hall heads of house, in an email to the dorm’s social list. The heads of house suggested implementing a no-smoking policy on the roof, a policy already in place throughout the dorm.
An Engine for innovation
A panel of entrepreneurs and business leaders joined MIT administrators Wednesday night in kickstarting a new initiative created to invest in research with strong long-term potential but less promising short-term profitability.
Faculty committee recommends a computational thinking GIR
A committee of faculty across departments recommended a 12-unit “computational thinking” requirement for all undergraduates, which would cover programming basics.
Pumpkin drop, Family Weekend, early voting
Applications for the TBP Service and Engineering Fellowships are due on Sunday, Oct. 30 at 11:59 p.m. The fellowship aims to sponsor MIT community members seeking to pursue a service engineering project this coming IAP.
Weekend will be warmer, windy, and wet
The best chance for rain will come tonight, as the first of two low pressure systems passes over New England from the west.
40 percent of MIT's power will come from solar
MIT has partnered with Boston Medical Center (BMC) and the Post Office Square Redevelopment Corporation (POS) to construct a 60-megawatt solar farm on 650 acres of land in North Carolina, demonstrating a new alliance-based model for economically reducing carbon emissions.
75% of undergrads drank underage, The Tech's survey on alcohol and drug use finds
A majority of MIT students have never smoked tobacco or marijuana, but drink alcohol on a monthly or weekly basis. Most feel confident in their ability to care for someone who they believe has had too much to drink; in the 12 months prior to taking The Tech’s alcohol and drug survey, 45 percent of respondents had encountered at least one person they thought was in physical danger as a result of alcohol poisoning. Respondents from Senior House, fraternities, and off-campus living groups were more likely than other students to have tried marijuana in the year before the survey was administered.
Behind the data: how we analyzed the alcohol and drug survey
In 2014, The Tech sent a survey to undergraduates about their use of alcohol and restricted substances. The story behind this survey is in three acts: administering the survey, analyzing the data, and publishing the results. This article aims to shed some light on the analysis, to ensure adequate transparency and reproducibility. Finally, we want to guarantee to all survey participants that their anonymity has been respected.
Summer weather can’t last forever: windy and rainy days ahead
This week has had quite the juxtaposition of autumn leaves with temperatures up to 80°F (27°C). Hope you all got your Instagram pictures taken because these temperatures won’t be sticking around much longer! In fact, seven years ago this week, Boston had already had its first snowfall of the season. Up to four inches fell in the Boston area on October 19, 2009 resulting in unhappy Patriots fans due to a nearly snowed-out game and bemused Florida-raised college students.
Some student concerns as Senior House turnaround commences
Senior House’s turnaround that Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart PhD ’88 announced over the summer is well underway with committees tackling substantive issues, but the turnaround has not been a completely smooth process.
MIT Campaign for a Better World reaches $2.9 billion
The MIT Campaign for a Better World has raised $2.9 billion of its $5 billion goal since the campaign officially launched May 6.
Energy researchers seek new directions after Alcator C-mod decommissioned
After 23 years of service, Alcator C-mod, MIT’s nuclear fusion reactor, was decommissioned on Sept. 30, 2016.
Alumni Affairs series features Forbes Senior Editor Herper ’99
James Matthew Herper ’99, Senior Editor at Forbes Magazine, was the first featured speaker to be featured by the UA Alumni Affairs Committee’s Unconventional Career Paths Alumni Speaker Series on Oct. 19.
Adam Littlefield, PKT resident assistant, dies
Adam Littlefield, a student at the New England School of Law and graduate resident assisstant of MIT’s Phi Kappa Theta fraternity, died Sunday morning.
Holmström wins Nobel prize for work on contract theory
Economics professor Bengt Holmström was awarded the 2016 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel alongside Harvard economist Oliver Hart for their work on contract theory.
Family weekend, PE registration, bicycle auction
The used bike auction organized by the MIT Police will be held at noon today, in the 290 Albany Street lot. Take your MIT ID and pay with cash or check.
Sprinkler causes flood in New House entrance
The latest water damage to New House was not caused by another burst pipe, as some residents feared, but by a sprinkler triggered when an air conditioning unit in the house manager’s office overheated early Tuesday morning.
Trump invokes MIT's Gruber in presidential debate
Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump roused the ire of economics professor Jonathan H. Gruber ’87 by using the latter as a tool to attack the Affordable Care Act.