Sunday, January 31, 2010

Events - February 1, 2010

MIT

Monday, February 01, 2010
"Technology X will save the world" and other myths of social entrepreneurship

Speaker: Manish Bharadwaj

Time: 3:00p–5:00p

Location: 1-277

The Fellows Series
Fellows of The Dalai Lama Center for Ethics & Transformative Values at MIT share their work.

Predicting the success of any new enterprise is difficult, but most social entrepreneurs face an added challenge: their lives bear little resemblance to the people they serve. This can significantly impede their understanding of what matters most to their customer, her priorities and concerns, resources, the constraints imposed by her environment, and the interplay between agents. Bridging this gap, and not technology per se, is arguably the chief determinant of success. While there is no substitute for gaining a deeper understanding of the community, in part by immersing oneself in it, this talk will draw lessons from past successes and failures to help us avoid common traps, and improve our chances of meaningfully serving our communities.
(Acknowledgment: The title myth is courtesy Kentaro Toyama, Microsoft Research India.)


Web site: http://thecenter.mit.edu/events/upcoming/

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values

For more information, contact:
The Dalai Lama Center for Ethics & Transformative Values
4-6030
info@thecenter.mit.edu


Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Susan Tierney: Why is Modernizing Our Energy Technologies So Darn Hard, But Worth the Effort?

Speaker: Susan Tierney, Managing Principal, Analysis Group

Time: 4:15p–5:30p

Location: 66-110

MITEI Seminar Series
A year-long series of seminars given by leaders in the energy field sponsored by the MIT Energy Initiative.

So much work is underway to advance energy technologies to make them more efficient, have a lower carbon footprint, more accessible to communities, and so forth. And yet, it is so hard to put new energy technologies into place in domestic (and many international) markets. Why is that? Tierney discusses the array of factors arising out of national energy policy, regulatory approaches and practices, energy and other politics, investment settings, and so forth, that create tenacious barriers to the introduction of advanced energy technologies into existing systems. She also will address what is happening to overcome those obstacles and why more is needed.

Sue Tierney, a Managing Principal at Analysis Group in Boston, is an expert on energy economics, regulation and policy. Her previous positions included Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy, Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs, Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities Chairman of the Board of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, and executive director of the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Council. She co-chaired the DOE Agency Review Team for the Obama Presidential Transition Team. Currently, she co-chairs the National Commission on Energy Policy, chairs the board of the Energy Foundation, chairs the Advisory Council of NREL; and is a director of World Resources Institute, Clean Air Task Force, Clean Air - Cool Planet, Evergreen Solar, and Ze-gen.


Web site: http://mit.edu/mitei/news/seminars/darn-hard.html

Open to: the general public

Cost: Free

Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Initiative

For more information, contact:
Jameson Twomey
4-2408
jtwomey@mit.edu


Thursday, February 04, 2010

LIDS Special Seminar Series: Future Challenges in Energy Systems and Networks

Speaker: Richard O'Neill (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

Time: 2:00p–3:00p

Location: 56-154

LIDS Special Seminar Series


Web site: http://www.eecs.mit.edu:8008/cgi-bin/calendar.cgi?page=2010/data/22.d
at

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): LIDS Events Calendar

For more information, contact:
Jennifer Donovan
617-253-2142


Thursday, February 04, 2010

Old-fashioned Futures and Re-fashionable Media

Speaker: Joel Burges and Wayne Marshall

Time: 5:00p–7:00p

Location: E14-633

CMS Colloquium Series

Joel Burges and Wayne Marshall, MIT's Mellon Fellows in the Humanities (2009-11), will contribute to the rethinking of media studies at MIT by taking up the shared metaphor of fashion?the fashionable, the old-fashioned, the re-fashioned. Burges will talk about the turn away from the digital in contemporary cinema, particularly the case of Fantastic Mr. Fox, in an attempt to think about the uneven development of media over time. Marshall will discuss how popular but privatized platforms like Facebook and YouTube, pop culture fashion?and the negotiable refashionability of both?present crucial challenges to the study of media today.


Web site: http://cms.mit.edu/events/colloquiaforums.php#020410

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Comparative Media Studies

For more information, contact:
Andrew Whitacre
617.324.0490
cms@mit.edu


Thursday, February 04, 2010

Petroleum 102: Reservoir Modeling

Speaker: Professor Ruben Juanes

Time: 5:30p–7:00p

Location: TBA

Professor Ruben Juanes, ARCO Assistant Professor in Energy Studies in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will present an introduction to petroleum reservoir simulation. This talk is part of the Petroleum 102 lecture series of the Oil & Gas Subcommunity of the MIT Energy Club.

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Club

For more information, contact:
Francisco Flores
fflores@mit.edu


Thursday, February 04, 2010

Energy Discussions: Demand Response - Managing Peak Electricity Demand

Speaker: Dan Livengood

Time: 6:00p–7:00p

Location: 26-204

A well-known challenge facing system operators on the electric grid is being able to generate enough megawatts to meet peak electricity demand. As the peak electricity demand grows, the traditional way to continue to meet the peak is to build more power plants. Instead of building more generation, an alternative strategy is to slow or prevent the growth of the peak electricity demand via demand side management. One of the many demand-side strategies for managing peak electricity demand is demand response, which targets electricity reductions during the peak hours via responses from all types of consumers. Some programs focus on securing large reductions of electricity usage from commercial and industrial consumers when called upon by the system operator. Other strategies include implementing time-varying pricing for all consumers, including residential consumers. We will discuss the pros and cons of these and other demand response strategies and the tradeoffs facing the different stakeholders when implementing these strategies as a means of producing ?negawatts? instead of megawatts during the peak hours of electricity demand.

Please prepare for the discussion by reading the articles provided on the event website. Refreshments will be served.


Web site: http://www.mitenergyclub.org/events-and-programs/discussion-series

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Club

For more information, contact:
Rebecca Walsh Dell
rwdell(at)mit.edu


Friday, February 05, 2010
UEA Spring Lecture - Paul Krugman

Speaker: Paul Krugman

Time: 4:15p–5:15p

Location: 32-123

Paul Krugman PhD '77, Nobel Laureate, and columnist for the New York Times, will speak on the current economic crisis and related topics in his talk titled "What have we learned, if anything?". Professor Krugman is an esteemed writer and economist, famous for his self-avowed liberal perspective. A reception will follow.

Open to: MIT-only

Cost: 0

Tickets: N/A

Sponsor(s): Undergraduate Economics Association

For more information, contact:
Gary King
617-253-0951
uea-officers@mit.edu


Friday, February 05, 2010

Building an Ethical Economy: Theology & the Marketplace

Time: 5:00p–9:00p

Location: W32-141

February 5 5pm-9pm
February 6 9am-4pm

* Theology & Economics: Two Different Worlds?
* Is Capitalism a Belief System
* What is Wealth?
* What Do We Owe the Future?

Video keynote addresses by Archbishop Rowan Williams, ethicist Kathryn Tanner, and economist Sir Partha Dasgupta. On-site reflection groups to deepen learning and prepare for action. Local experts to respond to keynote addresses, answer questions, and participate in conversation. Advice and insight on organizing for justice from leaders of Boston Faith and Justice Network and Mass. Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice.

Advanced registration required.
To register: Christina English for registration details: cenglish@mit.edu
Info also at http://web.mit.edu/tac


Web site: http://web.mit.edu/tac/upcoming/index.html#theo

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): The Technology and Culture Forum at MIT, Boston Faith and Justice Network, Episcopal Divinity School, the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, Life Together: The Young Adult Internship Programs of the Diocese of MA, and Mass. Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice

For more information, contact:
Christina English
617-253-4101
cenglish@mit.edu


Harvard

Climate Change & the Media Series

February 4, 2010 - 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Contact Name:
Christine Russell
Cristine_Russell@hks.harvard.edu
Harvard Kennedy School Nye B/C, Taubman Building, 5th Floor 79 JFK Street Cambridge, MA


"The Public Divide Over Climate Change: Scientists, Skeptics and the Media."

Speakers:
Andrew Revkin: The New York Times "Dot Earth" blogger and journalist; senior fellow, Pace University Academy for Applied Environmental Studies
Matthew Nisbet: Assistant Professor, American University School of Communication; "Framing Science" blogger; climate change public opinion expert
Thomas Patterson (discussant): Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press, Shorenstein Center, HKS
Moderator: Cristine Russell, senior fellow, Belfer Center Environment and Natural Resources Program
First in a new spring seminar series on "Climate Change & the Media," sponsored by the Belfer Center's Environment and Natural Resources Program and the Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy.
Climate change coverage has greatly increased in the international mainstream press and in the opinion-driven blogosphere in recent years, including the recent focus on "Climategate" science emails, the US congressional debate and the United Nations Copenhagen conference. Surveys show that the American public is among the most divided in terms of agreement with scientific findings that climate change is a serious manmade threat that requires urgent action in the United States and abroad. The public divide appears to be increasing in this country, the United Kingdom and elsewhere.This seminar will focus on the role of the media in communicating about climate change science, policy and politics to the general public and the influence on public opinion. The seminar will look at ways to improve the public dialogue over climate change.
All are welcome and invited to attend. Lunch will be served. Admittance will be on a first-come, first serve basis.

Bioenergy, Biodiversity, Food and Global Change Mitigation – Can We Have It All?

WHEN
Thu., Feb. 4, 2010, 5 p.m.
WHERE
Biolabs Lecture Hall, 16 Divinity Ave.
TYPE OF EVENT
Environmental Sciences, Presentation/Lecture, Science, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Harvard University Center for the Environment
SPEAKER(S)
Stephen Long, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
COST
Free and open to the public
NOTE
Reception to follow. Part of the Biodiversity, Ecology, and Global Change Series.
LINK
www.environment.harvard.edu


Thanks to Fred Hapgood's Boston Lectures on Science and Engineering list
http://fhapgood.fastmail.fm/site02.html

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Events - January 25, 2010

MIT

Monday, January 25, 2010
Seminar Series: Self-Assembling Biological Systems
Speaker: Scott Stagg, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Florida State University

Time: 11:00a–12:00p

Location: NE30-1154

The Structure of a Novel COPII Tubule

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Biology


Monday, January 25, 2010
Transformative Values and Designing Cities
Speaker: Aseem Inam

Time: 3:00p–5:00p

Location: 1-277

The Fellows Series
Fellows of The Dalai Lama Center for Ethics & Transformative Values at MIT share their work.

Based on professional practice and scholarly research, this workshop will present ideas about how cities are designed and built, and the values that underlie the city-building process. Using illustrative examples and case studies, the workshop will offer alternative sets of values that can transform cities in fundamental ways.


Web site: http://thecenter.mit.edu/events/upcoming/

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values

For more information, contact:
The Dalai Lama Center for Ethics & Transformative Values
4-6030
info@thecenter.mit.edu



Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Seminar Series: Self-Assembling Biological Systems
Speaker: Wes Sundquist, Professor of Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah

Time: 11:00a–12:00p

Location: NE30-1154

Hexagonal Assemblies of the HIV-1 Capsid and its Restriction Factor, TRIM5alpha

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Biology





Tue Jan 26,
02-03:30pm
E52-175
Fighting Poverty with Scientific Evidence: Findings from the work of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)
Rachel Glennerster, Executive Director, J-PAL

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event

Policy makers need scientific evidence about what approaches are most effective if they are to make decisions such as how to spend limited education budgets to increase learning, or whether to tackle corruption with top down or bottom up monitoring. The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) within the economics department at MIT rigorously tests different policy options in close cooperation with local partners through the use of randomized evaluations.

This session will cover a brief overview of why randomized impact evaluations are being increasingly used by governments, agencies, and nonprofit groups to evaluate important policy questions. It will also briefly summarize some of the most recent results from J-PAL research.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-232, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu

Wed Jan 27,
10-11:00am
N52-496
The ABCs of Environmental Compliance
Dan Kallin

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event

Audience: Entrepreneurs, startups and Industrial or manufacturing engineers H&S people interested in Environmental Compliance

CAA, CWA, SDWA, EPCRA, RCRA, CERCLA, SARA, TSCA, MEPA, WPA, and now CFATS!

These are just some of the rules administered by the EPA, DEP, MWRA, ConComs and the DHS

Will you need a permit? Do you need to report? To whom and how often?

This seminar will provide an overview of the major environmental Laws which can have direct impacts to entrepreneurs and manufacturing operations. Many of these rules have information reporting requirements which require data and support from designers, builders and the manufacturing floor.
Contact: Melissa Kavlakli, N52-496, x2-3233, mjpotter@mit.edu
Sponsor: Environment, Health and Safety Office

Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Adaptive Technology Open House
Time: 1:00p–3:00p

Location: 7-143

The IS&T Adaptive Technology Information Center (ATIC) invites you to its annual open house, showcasing the latest adaptive technologies for persons with disabilities.


Web site: http://web.mit.edu/atic

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): IS&T ATIC Lab

For more information, contact:
ATIC Lab
253-7808
atic@mit.edu


Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Child Education in Afghanistan: A Presentation From Barakat
Speaker: Chris Walter, co-founder of Barakat

Time: 6:00p–8:00p

Location: E51-325

Barakat is a Cambridge-based nonprofit that does work in Afghanistan and the region around it. Their mission is to advance literacy and to strengthen education systems in these areas. Come learn directly from representatives of Barakat about the work they have been doing and how you can take action to aid the human rights situation in Afghanistan.


Web site: web.mit.edu/amnesty

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Amnesty International, GSC Funding Board

For more information, contact:
Kayvan Zainabadi
mitai-exec@mit.edu


Thu Jan 28
01-03:00pm
Chipman Room, 6-104
The Magic of Carbon Nanotubes: Properties, Growth, and Applications
Gilbert D. Nessim PhD Alum

No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 25-Jan-2010
Single session event
Prereq: none

Carbon nanotubes, one of the most interesting structures in the nanotechnology landscape, are the closest implementation to a one-dimensional structure. Their exceptional electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties have made them a hot subject of research for many future applications. Carbon nanotube reinforced tennis racquets are already in the market. Research labs have already developed prototypes of electrical devices such as field effect transistors or field emission displays using nanotubes. The futuristic space elevator project has focused on carbon nanotubes as the material of choice for its super-strong cable.

This presentation will provide the audience with an understanding of the properties, growth methods, future applications, and challenges for integration of carbon nanotubes in future products.
Contact: Gilbert D. Nessim, gdnessim@mit.edu
Sponsor: Materials Science and Engineering

Thursday, January 28, 2010
Applied Storytelling--How to talk so they will listen
Time: 9:00a–12:00p

Location: E15-209

Reach people when describing your research and projects so they "get it." Learn to present with confidence in front of any audience. People want to hear a good story; learn how to tell one that leaves sponsors and faculty wanting to hear more and asking you the questions you want them to ask. In this 3 hour introductory workshop with optional follow-up coaching sessions, students will Identify, develop and craft a story from their own lives and work; Learn theories of applied storytelling for performance and public speaking.

This workshop is led by seasoned performing storyteller and Media Lab alum Kevin Brooks.

Sign up by emailing Kevin Brooks

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Media Lab

For more information, contact:
Kevin Brooks
brooks@media.mit.edu


Thu Jan 14
Fri Jan 29,
10am-06:30pm
E14-526
How Will We Pay for Things in the Future?
Kwan Hong Lee

No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 13-Jan-2010
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)

The payment landscape has been rapidly changing in recent years with many potential disruptions on the horizon. Large financial institutions still dominate the landscape with little disintermediation, but are vulnerable. PayPal has become the standard in online transactions and payment services and now threatens to invade the physical world. Existing large institution infrastructures neither provide for rapid adaptation to these market changes nor rapid adaptation to customer requirements as they have all grown through mergers & acquisitions. And emerging technology is readily available to precipitate the paradigm shift. Introduce revolutionary disruption into payments system and make it fun (dreary old bankers); and win prizes! Come join us in reinventing a $5 trillion a year business model that is ripe for change!
Contact: Mutsumi Sullivan, E14-574L, x3-1908, msullivan@media.mit.edu
Sponsor: Media Arts & Sciences

Thursday, January 28, 2010
Seminar Series: Self-Assembling Biological Systems
Speaker: Shuguang Zhang, Associate Director, Center for Biomedical Engineering, MIT

Time: 11:00a–12:00p

Location: WI-Auditorium

Follow Nature's Lead: Designer Self-assembling Peptides

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Biology



Thursday, January 28, 2010

IDEAS Competition - Monster Challenge workshop
Time: 6:00p–8:00p

Location: 2-136

The IDEAS Competition is pleased to announce a new and exciting opportunity with Monster.com! Come meet and speak with Giles Phillips, Director of Innovation; Matthew Mund, Vice President, Global Applications; and Damon Dimmick, Interaction Designer.

Monster.com is teaming up with the IDEAS Competition and challenging students to come up with innovative ideas and implementable solutions to help change web and search technology. This is an exciting chance for students to work with Monster.com to develop feasible, innovative and effective solutions to revolutionize the way that people look for jobs.

To find out more about this new IDEAS Competition challenge, come to the workshop to connect, share your ideas and skills, and meet potential team members!

No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 25-Jan-2010
Single session event

For more information, contact:
Samantha Cooper
5-5474
ideas-rsvp@mit.edu


Web site: http://web.mit.edu/ideas

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Graduate Student Life Grants, MIT IDEAS Competition, Public Service Center

For more information, contact:
Samantha Cooper
5-5474
coopers@mit.edu

Friday, January 29, 2010
Seminar Series: Self-Assembling Biological Systems
Speaker: Katharina Ribbeck, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Engineering, MIT

Time: 11:00a–12:00p

Location: WI-Auditorium

From Nuclear Pores to Biofilms - a Study of Biological Filters

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Biology


Harvard

Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human
WHEN
Wed., Jan. 27, 2010, 6 – 7 p.m.
WHERE
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St.
TYPE OF EVENT
Presentation/Lecture, Science, Social Sciences, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Harvard Museum of Natural History
SPEAKER(S)
Richard Wrangham
COST
Free and open to the public
NOTE
Lecture & booksigning with Richard Wrangham. In his latest book, Harvard biological anthropologist Richard Wrangham puts forth a bold theory — that our Paleolithic homo ancestors tamed fire and began cooking 1.8 million years ago, much earlier than conventionally believed. Wrangham will discuss how the cooking kick started a revolution in human evolution — driving whole scale changes in our physiology, behavior, and cognition that define our species to this very day.
LINK
www.hmnh.harvard.edu


Global Climate Change Mini-Conference
WHEN
Thu., Jan. 28, 2010, 1 p.m.
WHERE
First Parish, 3 Church St., Cambridge, MA
TYPE OF EVENT
Environmental Sciences, Presentation/Lecture, Science, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Cambridge Forum
COST
Free and open to the public.
NOTE
During the afternoon, scientists explore the impact of atmospheric methane on the earth's temperature, as well as the impact that climate change will have on human health, environmental migration, agricultural production, and sea level. The impact of the 350.org movement, the Copenhagen talks, and the likely follow-up on the part of individual governments will be the focus of the 7:00 p.m. closing address by James Hansen.
LINK
www.cambridgeforum.org

Other

Boston Bookfuturists: Introducing experiments in storytelling and publishing — exploring the intersection of books and technology.
The first ever Bookfuturists Meetup is this month at Microsoft New England Research & Development Center near the MIT campus in Kendall Square. Come listen to presentations on experiments in storytelling and publishing. The event is free. Please RSVP:
Boston Bookfuturists 1
7-9pm
January 29
Microsoft New England Research & Development Center
One Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA
Interested in presenting at future events? Please contact us: info@bookfuturists.com
Please visit our website: http://bookfuturists.com/
Host: Joanne McNeil, The Tomorrow Museum
Presenting:
Joshua Glenn, a Boston-based journalist and scholar, is coeditor of Hilobrow.com and co-curator ofSignificant Objects, an online experiment that pairs writers with secondhand junk, then sells the junk on eBay (using the story as an item description), in an effort to answer this question: "What makes things meaningful?"
Peggy Nelson is a new media artist whose work encompasses film, augmented reality, performance art, and reenactments. In Search of Adele H is a Twitter movie, a re-imaging of the life and fictionalizations of Victor Hugo's daughter Adèle. But as with a book, the moving images are intentionally missing. The Twitter movie happens in your head, much as the main character's life happened in hers.
Stona Fitch writes powerful novels that have earned an international following. His novel SENSELESS is now a UK feature film and a cult classic that critics often refer to as the most disturbing novel ever written. St. Martin's is publishing his next novel, Give + Take, in April. He has been selected as one of the Boston Public Library's 2010 "Literary Lights." In 2008, Stona and other writers/thinkers founded theConcord Free Press, the world's first generosity-based publisher, which publishes original novels and gives them away in exchange for voluntary donations to worthy causes or people in need.
Matthew Battles has written about technology, language, and culture for such publications as the American Scholar, the Atlantic, and the Boston Globe. He's cofounder of the blog Hilobrow.com and author of the book Library, an Unquiet History.

Thanks to Fred Hapgood's Boston Lectures on Science and Engineering list
http://fhapgood.fastmail.fm/site02.html

Links to greater Boston college and university lectures and events at http://hubevents.blogspot.com

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Events List

MIT

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Recycling Facility Tour

Speaker: Jarrod Jones

Time: 10:00a–1:30p

Location: Depart from NW62

Take a tour of the Casella Recycling Facility in Charlestown and see how Single Stream materials are sorted. Transportation to the facility and back to MIT will be provided. Sign up is required. Each tour is limited to 15 people. RSVP to recycling@mit.edu.

Open to: the general public

This event occurs daily through January 21, 2010, except January 20, 2010.

Sponsor(s): Department of Facilities, MIT Energy Initiative

For more information, contact:
Jarrod Jones
recycling@mit.edu

Tue Jan 19,
12-01:30pm,
E51-145, brown bag lunch; refreshments
Climate Change Challenges in Developing Countries: Low Carbon Economic Development Options for Indonesia
Dr. Gary Kleiman Sr. Environmental Policy Analyst, World Bank Office, Jakarta
The Government of Indonesia recognizes that climate change is a key economic development issue, and also that early action to address mitigation and adaptation concerns will be strategically beneficial. Indonesia is studying options to address climate change mitigation without compromising development objectives. This talk will review the overarching goals of the study and present early findings across several sectors.

Tue Jan 19,
02-04:00pm,
E51-335
Climate Change 101: Introduction to Climate Change Economics and Policy
Valerie Karplus and Jennifer Morris

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event

Concerned about climate change, but unsure how our policy options stack up? Come learn enough to hold your own at a cocktail party on current climate policy topics! From the basic economics to the pros and cons of different policy options to the status of international negotiations on a global agreement, this course will be a tour de force of current issues in climate change economics and policy. This discussion will provide helpful background for the upcoming session on recent developments in U.S. climate policy legislation.
Contact: Tony Tran, E19-411, (617) 253-7492, tones@mit.edu
Sponsor: Joint Program/Science and Policy of Global Change

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Introduction to Nuclear Power
Speaker: Benoit Forget, Paul Romano, Jacob DeWitte

Time: 2:00p–3:30p

Location: 4-149

Enrollment limited to 50 participants: first come, first served
Participants requested to attend all sessions

Course 1: Historical perspective of nuclear fission. Overview of radioactive decay and nuclear fission. Basic concepts of a nuclear power reactor.
Course 2: Introduction of nuclear reactor safety. Discussion of reactivity and feedback mechanisms. Overview of defense in depth concepts. Discussion of Chernobyl accident.
Course 3: Overview of the fuel cycle. From mining to waste disposal, this course will discuss ore processing, enrichment, spent nuclear fuel and long term disposal.
Course 4: Overview of closed-fuel cycles possibilities such as Pu recycling and Minor actinides recycling. Introduction to fast reactors.

Open to: the general public

This event occurs daily through January 22, 2010.

Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Initiative, Nuclear Science & Engineering

For more information, contact:
Benoit Forget
bforget@mit.edu


Wed Jan 20,
11:15am-12:30pm,
NW17-218
Dancing with the Stars: Quest for Fusion Energy
Abhay Ram
How do our earthly efforts to generate fusion energy compare with nature's working fusion reactors? This highly illustrative talk will compare and contrast the approach to fusion from a laboratory perspective with that taken by nature in forming and operating the Sun. The progress towards energy's holy grail will be part of the presentation.

Wed Jan 20,
02-04:00pm,
E51-149
Climate Change 102: Recent Developments in U.S. Climate Policy Legislation
Jennifer Morris

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event

U.S. climate policy is on the move—the Waxman-Markey Bill passed the House last spring, and before you could say Kerry-Boxer the Senate had a bill too! Wondering what these landmark bills are made of, but don’t have time to sift through 1,400 pages of legalese? Come learn about the substance and potential impacts of these recent developments in U.S. climate policy.
Contact: Tony Tran, E19-411, (617) 253-7492, tones@mit.edu
Sponsor: Joint Program/Science and Policy of Global Change


Wed Jan 20,
05-07:00pm,
32-155
Conscious Capitalism with Bud Sorenson
Kenneth C. Zolot, Ralph Z. Sorenson

Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 18-Jan-2010
Limited to 125 participants.
Single session event

With special guest Ralph “Bud” Sorenson, member of the Board of Directors of Whole Foods Markets, moderated by Ken Zolot.

Today, the laissez faire concept of capitalism espoused by Milton Friedman is under siege. This workshop will focus on whether there is a way to retain capitalism as a powerful positive force for creating jobs, wealth, and innovation, while at the same time making it more responsive to the interests of all stakeholders, not just shareholders.

It will explore the concept of “Conscious Capitalism” that is based on the proposition that the primary goal of corporate leaders and entrepreneurs should be to optimize the returns to all stakeholders: customers, employees, supply chain partners, communities, the environment and, of course, shareholders.

Enrollment limited. Please sign up at the URL below
Web: http://iapcc.eventbrite.com
Contact: Kenneth C. Zolot, 32-386, x3-6481, zolot@mit.edu
Sponsor: Kenneth Zolot, 32-386A, 617 253-6481, zolot@mit.edu

Thursday, January 21, 2010
Recycling Facility Tour

Speaker: Jarrod Jones

Time: 10:00a–1:30p

Location: Depart from NW62

Take a tour of the Casella Recycling Facility in Charlestown and see how Single Stream materials are sorted. Transportation to the facility and back to MIT will be provided. Sign up is required. Each tour is limited to 15 people. RSVP to recycling@mit.edu.

Open to: the general public

This event occurs daily through January 21, 2010, except January 20, 2010.

Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Initiative, Department of Facilities

For more information, contact:
Jarrod Jones
recycling@mit.edu


Thu Jan 21,
02-04:00pm,
E51-149
Climate Change 103: Issues in Climate Policy- Technological Change and Biofuels
Nidhi Santen and Suhail Ahmad

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event

Part 1: Climate Policy-Induced R&D and Technological Change in the Energy Industry

This lecture provides an overview about climate policy-induced R&D, innovation, and technology change in the energy industry, with extensions about the state of important technological change considerations within climate policy models.

Part 2: Review of US Biofuels Policies and their Implications

In this talk, we provide an overview of the most prominent policies to date that impact the production and use of biofuels and biomass and outline their intended objectives and mechanisms. We focus on three economic sectors, electricity, transportation, and agriculture and attempt to describe the impacts of those policies on other sectors such as food production, energy and environment, infrastructure, and the economy at large.
Contact: Tony Tran, E19-411, (617) 253-7492, tones@mit.edu
Sponsor: Joint Program/Science and Policy of Global Change

Fri Jan 22,
01-04:45pm,
9-450A
Planning, Funding, and Implementing Transportation Projects in the Real World (or How It Really Works)
Kate Fichter, Eric Plosky

No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Single session event

As a vital and complex element of any urban or regional environment, transportation infrastructure both affects and is affected by land use patterns, economic development policies, political power-brokering and environmental resources, and so offers a lens through which to study many of the choices and constraints available to today's planners. This seminar will offer a practice-oriented overview of the issues, players and trends most relevant to contemporary transportation planning, as taught by two MIT/DUSP alumni/ae currently working in the field.
Contact: Ezra Glenn, 7-337, x3-2024, eglenn@mit.edu
Sponsor: Urban Studies and Planning

Friday, January 22, 2010
Noam Chomsky Tribute Concert: Musical Tribute to Scientists
Speaker: several
Time: 7:00p–9:00p
Location: W16-109

The famous linguist, philosopher and MIT professor Noam Chomsky, who inspired the creation of musical compositions by Armenian-American Edward Manukyan, will be the spotlight of the MIT concert, to be held on January 22, 2010, at Kresge Auditorium. Professor Chomsky will be present with many family members, friends, and colleagues.

Violinist Sarita Uranovsky will perform a piece for solo violin, dedicated to Noam Chomsky on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Soprano Lyndi Williams will perform songs on words by Prof. Chomsky, and there will be other performances of Manukyan's chamber works, along with speeches by noted scientists and speakers, including Professor Pesetsky from MIT and Professor Chierchia from Harvard.

For more information visit: www.EdwardManukyan.com

For tickets visit:
http://sao.mit.edu/tickets/2010/musical-tribute


Web site:http://www.edwardmanukyan.com/concerts/chomsky_tribute.html

Open to: the general public

Cost: $3 for MIT community; $10 otherwise

Tickets: http://sao.mit.edu/tickets/2010/musical-tribute

Sponsor(s): Student Activities Office, GSC Activities

For more information, contact:
GSC Vice President
gsc-vp@mit.edu



BU

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
3:30pm (Refreshments at 3:15pm)
SCI 107, Metcalf Science Center, Boston University

Boston University Physics Colloquium
Magnetic Metamaterials: New Opportunities in Electromagnetism
Richard Averitt

Metamaterials are a new type of artificial composite with unique electromagnetic properties that derive from their sub-wavelength structure. The canonical sub-wavelength “particle” from which metamaterials are fashioned is the split ring resonator (SRR) which consists of nothing more than an inductive metallic ring with a gap to provide capacitance. This seemingly innocuous particle has resulted in the emergence of a new paradigm in classical electromagnetism during the past decade. Namely, it is possible to design materials which are magnetically resonant at any desired wavelength from the microwave through the visible. This, in turn, has led to the realization that possibilities abound for creating effective materials displaying phenomena not exhibited by naturally occurring materials. This includes negative refractive index and cloaking.

Following an introduction into these exciting developments, I will describe our work at far-infrared wave- lengths. For example, through the judicious combination of metamaterials with MEMS technology we have created micromechanically active metamaterials where the orientation of the individual SRRs – and hence the magnetic response – can be precisely controlled. Such adaptive metamaterials are the starting point for the development of a host of new functional electromagnetic devices.

Call: Winna Somers (wsomers@bu.edu) (617) 353-9320
Host: William Klein


Thanks to Fred Hapgood's Boston Lectures on Science and Engineering list
http://fhapgood.fastmail.fm/site02.html