MIT
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Multi-Criteria Lifecycle Evaluation of Transportation Fuels Derived from Biomass Gasification
Speaker: Addison Stark - MIT, Dept. Mechanical Engineering
Time: 4:30p–5:30p
Location: 5-314
Center for 21st Century Energy - Reacting Gas Dynamics Laboratory Seminar Series
The development of a domestic biofuel industry has been a major policy thrust of the United States federal government in the first decade of the 21st century. Cellulosic biofuels have been identified as the primary candidate for meeting long term sustainability and energy security goals. In this work cellulosic biofuels produced via thermochemical processing are analyzed. Thermochemical processing utilizes well established chemical synthesis technology and allows for both feedstock and product flexibility relative to traditional enzymatic biofuel production routes. Here, both Spark Ignition Engine fuels (Methanol, Ethanol, Mixed Alcohols, and Methanol-to-Gasoline Synthetic Gasoline) and Compression Ignition Engine fuels (Dimethyl Ether and Fischer-Tropsch Diesel) are considered.
These fuels are analyzed on a lifecycle basis using identified criteria affecting each fuels adoptability including: (1) energy efficiency, (2) cost of production and shipping, (3) integrability into the current distribution infrastructure and (4) compatibility with regulatory and policy landscape. A primary conclusion from this analysis is that no one fuel is optimal with respect to all metrics. Instead, it is likely that a variety of fuels should be employed for different applications.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): RGD Lab
For more information, contact:
Patrick Kirchen
pkirchen@mit.edu
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Haiti Relief RoundRound Table Discussion with MA State Reps Marie St-Fleur and Linda Dorcena Forry
Speaker: State Reps. Marie P. St. Fleur & Linda Dorcena Forry, Moderated by Dr. Dale Joachim
Time: 2:00p–3:30p
Location: E15-070, Bartos Theatre, MIT Media Lab
"Sustainable Cooperation with Haiti" Lecture Series
Lectures & discussion of response to the Haiti crisis with an emphasis on applicable roles of energy and communication technologies in the long nation re-building efforts to come. What began as an IAP workshop at the Media Lab focusing on the January 12th crisis in Haiti will continue as a lecture series, a string of projects and continued discussions on the history, re-construction and nation-building of Haiti.
The unprecedented challenges facing Haiti after the earthquake on January 12 invite us to analyze foundational aspects of Haitian society as rebuilding projects are being put in place to restore virtually every single component of the country's infrastructure---physical, health-related educational, socio-economic, political, etc.
This round table, with Massachusetts State Representatives Marie P. St. Fleur and Linda Dorcena Forry (both of whom are Haitian-American), and Prof. Steven Lerman, Vice Chancellor and Dean of Graduate Education will explore the anticipated contributions of research universities in Haiti's rebuilding efforts and how these contributions will bear on these universities' traditional missions of research and teaching. Both state representatives represent districts in Boston and have been instrumental as leaders in working with the Haitian community and the Mayor's office to support the local Haitian community in Boston.
The round table will be moderated by Dr. Dale Joachim and will take place at 2:00pm, February 17th?in the?Bartos Theater at the Media Lab (E15-070)
This event is being held as part of the lecture series "Sustainable Cooperation with Haiti" (http://krikkrak.media.mit.edu/lectureseries).
Web site: http://krikkrak.media.mit.edu/lectureseries
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Media Lab Haiti Initiative
For more information, contact:
Dale Joachim
617-452-5635
kristin@media.mit.edu
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future
Speaker: Chris Mooney, Senior Correspondent, The American Prospect Magazine
Time: 4:00p–5:00p
Location: 54-915
Special DLS/MASS Seminar Series
Special DLS/MASS Seminar Lecture
Web site: http://eapsweb.mit.edu/news/dls.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: 0.00
Tickets: N/A
Sponsor(s): Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
For more information, contact:
Jacqui Taylor
253-2127
jtaylor@mit.edu
Thursday, February 18, 2010
MIT CEER Kick-off Event: China's climate change policy, technologies, and investment in the post-Copenhagen era
Speaker: Prof. Gang Chen, Dr. John Parsons, Prof. Kelly Sims Gallagher, Ms. Amy Corinne Smith
Time: 3:00p–5:00p
Location: 32-155
What is the deadlock between USA and China on climate change cooperation? How to break the deadlock? What's the trend of the carbon market, and the implication for China's investment in clean energy?
If you want to discuss any of these interesting questions, or want to hear how some of our experts response, please join us for the MIT China Energy and Environment Research Group (CEER) kick-off event on China's climate change policy, technologies, and investment in the post-Copenhagen era on Thursday Feb 18.
We will be honored to present a panel discussion given by
Prof. Gang Chen (Warren and Towneley Rohsenow Professor, MIT Mechanical Engineering)
Dr. John Parsons (Executive Director of Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, MIT Sloan Management)
Prof. Kelly Sims Gallagher (Fletcher College, Tufts University and Harvard China project, Harvard University)
Ms. Amy Corinne Smith (Managing Director, Co-Head of Alternative Energy Banking, Barclays Capital).
The panel discussion is followed by a social session, fruit/beverage/refreshment will be served.
See you at 3:00 pm, Thursday Feb 18 in MIT 32-155!
Web site: http://ceer.mit.edu/event
Open to: the general public
Date: Friday, February 19 2010
Time: 1:00PM to 2:00PM
Refreshments: 12:45PM
Location: Kiva Conference Room 32-G449
Combining Minds: Coordination and Social Sensemaking
Speaker: Niki Kittur, Carnegie Mellon University
Host: Rob Miller, MIT CSAIL
Contact: Michael Bernstein, msbernst@mit.edu
Relevant URL: kittur.org
The amount of information available to individuals today is enormous and rapidly increasing. Continued progress in science, education, and technology is fundamentally dependent on making sense of and finding insights in overwhelming amounts of data. However, human cognition, while unparalleled at discovering patterns and linking seemingly-disparate concepts, is also limited in the amount of information it can process at once. One promising solution to this problem is through social collaboration, in which groups of individuals work together to produce knowledge and solve problems that exceed any individual's cognitive capacity.
In this talk I describe a series of studies examining the importance of coordination in harnessing the power of the crowds for complex information processing tasks in Wikipedia and beyond. I also present research into visualization and machine learning tools aimed at increasing the effectiveness of these systems. Finally, I discuss early forays into extending social collaboration to support insight and discovery.
Speaker Biography:
Aniket Kittur is an assistant professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. He received his Ph.D. from UCLA in cognitive psychology and did his undergraduate work at Princeton University in psychology and computer science. His research focuses on understanding and augmenting how humans make sense of large amounts of information. At the group level he studies the dynamics of social collaborative systems such as Wikipedia and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, and how visualization and machine learning tools can increase their effectiveness. At the individual level, his research interests center on human information processing in categorization and memory. His research employs multiple complementary techniques, including empirical experiments, statistical and computational modeling, visualization, data mining, and machine learning.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Seminar on Enviromental and Agricultural History
Speaker: Ellen Stroud, Bryn Mawr College
Time: 2:30p–4:30p
Location: E51-095
"Dead as Dirt: An Environmental History of the Dead Body"
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/history/www/nande/modTimes.html
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): History Office, STS
For more information, contact:
Margot Collet
253-4965
history-info@mit.edu
Sponsor(s): MIT China Energy and Envrionment Research Group, MITEI, MIT CEEPR
For more information, contact:
Lei Chen
ceer_board@mit.edu
Harvard
Caspian Energy: Phase II
Brown Bag Lunch
Series: Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Security Program Seminar
Open to the Public - CGIS South, 1730 Cambridge Street, S354
February 16, 2010
12:15-2:00 p.m.
Speaker:
Brenda Shaffer, Senior Lecturer, University of Haifa
Related Project: International Security
Description:
Caspian energy production and export is entering its second phase. With the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC), Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE), and the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) operating fully, regional and international focus has shifted to examining the second phase of Caspian energy production and export: Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz Two, additional markets for Turkmen natural gas, and export of Kazakhstan's natural gas. A number major geopolitical question marks will affect the destiny of these energy sources: Russia's reassertiveness in the Caspian region, instability in Iran, transit disputes with Turkey, unclear U.S. policy toward the region, and amplification of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict resolution process.
Dr. Brenda Shaffer will discuss these geopolitical quagmires and their impact on the prospects for a new round of major production and export projects from the Caspian region.
This seminar is co-sponsored by the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University.
Speaker Info:
Dr. Brenda Shaffer is the author of the book Energy Politics (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2009) and a faculty member at the University of Haifa. Dr. Shaffer previously served as the Research Director of the Caspian Studies Program at the Harvard Kennedy School. She is also a visiting professor at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. She is also the author of Borders and Brethren: Iran and the Challenge of Azerbaijani Identity (MIT Press, 2002) and the editor of The Limits of Culture: Islam and Foreign Policy (MIT Press, 2006). She serves as a lecturer and consultant on the Caspian region to a number of public organizations, governments, and regional security organizations, including NATO. Dr. Shaffer's op-eds have appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, the International Herald Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, and the Boston Globe.
Contact:
The Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies
3rd Floor- CGIS 1730 Cambridge Street Cambridge, MA 02138
Harvard University
Email: pskalnik@fas.harvard.edu
Phone: 617-495-4037
Url: http://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/
February 16, 2010
7:00-9:00 pm
Film Screening & Panel: Food Fight and discussion about Slow Money Alliance
Where: Science Center Lecture Hall A, Cambridge campus
Does the term “foodie” inspire, irritate, or intrigue you? Do you wonder what the big deal is about food that is locally grown, organic, or “sustainable”? Do you wonder whether your food choices really matter? Join the Harvard University Dining Services Food Literacy Project for a screening of the award-winning documentary Food Fight and a discussion with filmmaker Chris Taylor and Woody Tasch, the founder of Slow Money Alliance. Food Fight explores the political and social changes that shaped 20th century American agricultural policy and food culture and the changing relationship between consumers and big agribusiness. Slow Money Alliance is a new nonprofit that combines principles of philanthropy and investing to “bring money back down to earth” by encouraging investment in small food enterprises, local food systems, and local economies. Questions? Contacttheresa_mcculla@harvard.edu for information. The event is free and open to the public.
Sustainability Film Screening: Food Fight
WHEN
Tue., Feb. 16, 2010, 7 – 9 p.m.
WHERE
Hall A, Science Center, One Oxford St., Cambridge, MA
TYPE OF EVENT
Environmental Sciences, Film, Health Sciences, Presentation/Lecture, Social Sciences, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Harvard University Dining Services' Food Literacy Project
SPEAKER(S)
Filmmaker Chris Taylor and Woody Tasch, the founder of Slow Money Alliance
COST
Free and open to the public.
NOTE
Join the Harvard University Dining Services Food Literacy Project for a screening of the award-winning documentary "Food Fight" and a discussion with filmmaker Chris Taylor and Woody Tasch, the founder of Slow Money Alliance. "Food Fight" explores the political and social changes that shaped 20th century American agricultural policy and food culture and the changing relationship between consumers and big agribusiness. Slow Money Alliance is a new nonprofit that combines principles of philanthropy and investing to “bring money back down to earth” by encouraging investment in small food enterprises, local food systems, and local economies.
Green Public Diplomacy: Sustainability as Finland's Message in the U.S.
WHEN
Wed., Feb. 17, 2010, 2:10 – 4 p.m.
WHERE
Belfer Center Library, Harvard Kennedy School
TYPE OF EVENT
Presentation/Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
SPEAKER(S)
Pekka Lintu, Finland ambassador to the U.S.
COST
Free
CONTACT INFO
jed_willard@hks.harvard.edu
NOTE
In this seminar, Finland's ambassador to the United States, Pekka Lintu, will discuss public diplomacy in U.S. and European relations as well as its role in bringing about comprehensive climate change policies in the United States.
The Fast Track to Finding a Habitable Exoplanet
WHEN
Wed., Feb. 17, 2010, 4 – 5 p.m.
WHERE
Room 1068, Biological Laboratories Lecture Hall, 16 Divinity Ave.
TYPE OF EVENT
Presentation/Lecture, Science
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Harvard Origins of Life Initiative
SPEAKER(S)
David Charbonneau
COST
Free
Biodiversity, Ecology, and Global Change Series: "Acute Infectious Diseases in Space and Time"
WHEN
Wed., Feb. 17, 2010, 5 p.m.
WHERE
Sherman Fairchild Lecture Hall, 7 Divinity Ave.
TYPE OF EVENT
Environmental Sciences, Presentation/Lecture, Science, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Harvard University Center for the Environment
SPEAKER(S)
Bryan Grenfell, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University
COST
Free and open to the public
NOTE
Reception to follow.
LINK
www.environment.harvard.edu
Marcel Smets: "Infrastructure Design in the Contemporary Landscape"
WHEN
Wed., Feb. 17, 2010, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE
Harvard Graduate School of Design, Piper Auditorium, 48 Quincy St.
TYPE OF EVENT
Art/Design, Environmental Sciences, Humanities, Presentation/Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Harvard Graduate School of Design, Department of Urban Planning and Design and Department of Landscape Architecture
SPEAKER(S)
Marcel Smets, state architect to the Flemish government and professor of urbanism, University of Leuven, Belgium
COST
Free
NOTE
The design of infrastructure is a formative element of the contemporary landscape. It inevitably produces a physical presence that affects its environs and constitutes a layer of a new totality. Infrastructure is not just an isolated entity for organizing transport or generating motion. It acts as the cornerstone for generating an inclusive new environment.
In this lecture, Marcel Smets will analyze the basic attitudes that dominate the design of transport infrastructure in the world today. He characterizes five basic approaches:
- Hiding
- Camouflage
- Assimilation
- Detachment
- Fusion
Each of these design approaches will be clearly identified and amply illustrated by archetypical examples of different programmatic nature (roads, bridges, parking, rail, and airport infrastructures). Indirectly, the lecture pleads for a more integrated design effort that addresses a new public space typology. Such conception of infrastructure as an inclusive landscape design is presented as a major requirement for enhancing the quality of today's built environment.
This lecture also announces the publication of the book, "The Landscape of Contemporary Infrastructure" (written by Kelly Shannon and Marcel Smets, Nai-Publishers, Rotterdam, 2010). More information can be found onwww.naipublishers.nl…
LINK
www.gsd.harvard.edu…
Ecologies of Human Flourishing: A Case From Pre-modern South India
WHEN
Thu., Feb. 18, 2010, 12 – 2:30 p.m.
WHERE
Center for the Study of World Religion, HDS, 42 Francis Ave.
TYPE OF EVENT
Humanities, Presentation/Lecture, Religion
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
CSWR, Harvard Divinity School
SPEAKER(S)
Anne Monius, professor of South Asian religions, Harvard Divinity School. Response will be given by Archana Venkatesan, assistant professor of religious studies and comparative literature, University of California, Davis
COST
Free, but reservations are required.
CONTACT INFO
617.495.4476
NOTE
A light lunch will be served at noon; the lecture will begin at noon.
LINK
www.hds.harvard.edu…
PlanIT Valley: 21st-Century Solutions for Sustainable Urbanization
WHEN
Thu., Feb. 18, 2010, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
WHERE
Piper Auditorium, Harvard Graduate School of Design
TYPE OF EVENT
Art/Design, Business, Environmental Sciences, Presentation/Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Graduate School of Design
SPEAKER(S)
Celso Ferriera, president (mayor) of Paredes, Portugal; Steve Lewis, CEO, Living PlanIT
CONTACT INFO
617.496.3146, jwolfe@gsd.harvard.edu
Eco-Smart Cities and the Convergence of Technology, Design, and Public Policy
WHEN
Thu., Feb. 18, 2010, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
WHERE
Starr Auditorium, Belfer Building, Harvard Kennedy School campus
TYPE OF EVENT
Art/Design, Environmental Sciences, Presentation/Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Professors Amy Edmondson and Robert Eccles, Harvard Business School; Graduate School of Design; Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School; Leadership Institute at Harvard College
SPEAKER(S)
Celso Ferreira, president (mayor) of Paredes, Portugal; Steve Lewis, CEO,Living PlanIT
CONTACT INFO
617.495.4663, loren_gary@hks.harvard.edu
Thanks to Fred Hapgood's Boston Lectures on Science and Engineering list
http://fhapgood.fastmail.fm/site02.html
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