In a statement released to The Tech, the hackers said that the crank hack was "in recognition of MIT's Energy Initiative and the $100 Laptop Project." Some of the cranks installed around campus were accompanied by an explanatory poster describing the hack as "destined to forever change the way MIT views energy conservation and policy" and as having "already [increased] the campus's energy efficiency by 0.0005%."

Michael McGraw-Herdeg­­—The Tech

In a statement released to The Tech, the hackers said that the crank hack was "in recognition of MIT's Energy Initiative and the $100 Laptop Project." Some of the cranks installed around campus were accompanied by an explanatory poster describing the hack as "destined to forever change the way MIT views energy conservation and policy" and as having "already [increased] the campus's energy efficiency by 0.0005%." Michael McGraw-Herdeg­­—The Tech