Sunday, May 09, 2010

Energy (and Other) Events - May 10, 2010

MIT

Monday, May 10, 2010

"How Changes in Atmospheric Particles Can Affect Clouds and Climate"
Speaker: Dr. Daniel J. Cziczo, Pacific Northwest National Labortory
Time: 10:00a–11:00a
Location: 54-915
EAPS Special Seminar Series
Web site: http://eapsweb.mit.edu/news/index.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
For more information, contact:
Roberta Allard
253-3382
allard@mit.edu
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Monday, May 10, 2010
Reception: SLAB: sidewalk laboratory / social construction / space / street vendors / Saigon
Time: 12:00p–1:00p
Location: 7-238, Rotch Library
Photos of street vendors in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam by Associate Professor Annette Kim, Department of Urban Studies and Planning and Tiffany Chu '10 (architecture and planning).
On view May 5-June 30.
Web site: http://info-libraries.mit.edu/rotch/exhibitions/
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Libraries
For more information, contact:
Jolene de Verges
617/258-5593
jdeverge@MIT.EDU
___________________________________________

Monday, May 10, 2010
Looking Ahead to the Future of NASA
Speaker: Charles F. Bolden, Jr., NASA Administrator
Time: 3:00p–4:00p
Location: 32-123
Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium Distinguished Lecturer Series
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): AeroAstro, Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium
For more information, contact:
Jeff Hoffman
617-452-2353
jhoffma1@mit.edu
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Monday, May 10, 2010
Innovation In Infrastructure and The Built Environment, Professor Sarah Slaughter
Speaker: Professor Sarah Slaughter
Time: 4:00p–5:00p
Location: 1-131
Professor Sarah Slaughter's research focuses on innovation in infrastructure and the built environment, specifically the development, assessment, implementation and diffusion in a context of complex systems and processes with multiple organizations. Modeling of the systems under multiple scenarios provides the primary, secondary, and tertiary impacts of introducing change and provides a framework to distribute benefits and increase the probabilities for success. Her recent work in this area targets innovations for sustainability and disaster resiliency.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Civil and Environmental Engineering
For more information, contact:
Andre Dixon
3-1629
aldixon@mit.edu
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Monday, May 10, 2010
MIT Energy Club and New England Women In Energy & Environment (NEWIEE) Co-Hosted Panel: Women in Careers in Energy
Time: 5:30p–7:00p
Location: 6-120
Join the MIT Energy Club and NEWIEE for a lively panel discussion where women who have built careers in the energy industry will offer varying perspectives. The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A period and networking.
Panelists:
Jacqueline Ashmore, Ph.D., Consul, Head of Science and Innovation / British Consulate-General Boston
Marybeth Campbell, Workforce Development Program Director / Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
Emily A. Neill, Vice President of Sales / Constellation NewEnergy
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Club
For more information, contact:
MIT Energy Club
energyclub@mit.edu
___________________________

Monday, May 10, 2010
Carbon Concepts: A Bazaar of Ideas
Time: 7:30p–10:00p
Location: 13-LOBBY
Terrascope Students present and defend ideas and technologies for reducing atmospheric carbon and other greenhouse gases. They will showcase prototypes, models and example of real, workable solutions. Refreshments.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Terrascope
For more information, contact:
Aczel, Debra Gross
253-4074
daczel@mit.edu
__________________________________

Tuesday, May 11, 2010
NextLab: Mobile Innovations for Global Challenges
You are invited to see how MIT students have partnered with industry leaders and other students in the developing world to design a next generation mobile platform to address the problem of global poverty.
Straton Student Center 3rd floor
84 Massachusetts Avenue.
- Mezzaninne Lounge W20-307
for Demos, Posters, Refreshments.
- Room "Twenty Chimneys" W20-306
For Student Presentations.

event schedule
• 12:00 - 12:55pm Poster session #1 and live demos. Box lunch and soft drinks will be served.
• 1:00 - 1:10pm m-Logistics in Developing Countries: Jhonatan Rotberg, Edgar Blanco, MIT CTL.
• 1:10 - 1:20pm Industry Collaboration Perspective: Oscar Howell, Estafeta.
• 1:20 - 1:35pm Common Denominator - Social networking portal for mobile and Internet users.
• 1:35 - 2:00pm m-Billing - Mobile payment and billing system.
• 1:50 - 2:05pm SmartLink - User credibility management and job matching.
• 2:05 - 2:20pm Mobilizers - Shipping route optimization and planning.
• 2:20 - 2:30pm Next Generation Mobile Platforms: Paul Yang, MIT CTL.
• 2:30 - 2:45pm Trakken - Package and courier tracking and tracing.
• 2:45 - 3:00pm MoMa - Mobile marketing and advertising service.
• 3:00 - 3:15pm Cloud Maestro - Cloud platform for open source mobile logistics and services.
• 3:15 - 3:30pm Closing and Announcement of Estafeta Merit Awards: NextLab Staff.
• 3:30 - 4:30pm Poster session #2 and live demos. Snacks will be served and People's Choice Award will be announced.
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Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Defect Engineering for High-Efficiency Lower-Cost Photovoltaics
Speaker: Dr. Bonna Newman, Clare Boothe Luce Postdoctoral Fellow
Time: 3:00p–4:00p
Location: E19-319
Solar is an effectively unlimited resource capable of satisfying humanities power needs. The conversion of solar irradiation to electricity is a necessary component of any sustainable energy portfolio. However, current photovoltaic generated electricity is approximately twice as expensive as grid electricity. In order to meet this challenge, high-efficiency, less expensive devices made of earth abundant materials must be developed.

Defect engineering of inorganic photovoltaic materials is one way of enhancing solar cell performance. Defects, such as grain boundaries, impurities, and dislocations, are naturally occurring in all semiconductor systems and often limit conversion efficiency in photovoltaics. However, proper understanding of defects and their formation allows for controlling defects and the impact on devices. I will discuss our efforts to use high concentrations of impurities to actually improve solar cell performance and engineer higher efficiency silicon solar cells.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Initiative
For more information, contact:
Rebecca Marshall-Howarth
rhowarth@mit.edu
___________________________________

Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Soap Box: How Can Engineers Contribute to the Fight Against Malaria?
Speaker: Dean Subra Suresh and graduate students from the Suresh Research Group
Time: 6:00p–7:30p
Location: N51, MIT Museum at 265 Massachusetts Avenue
MIT Dean of Engineering Subra Suresh has made understanding malaria - its effect on red blood cells, its diagnosis, and future methods of treatment - a top priority of his research group. Professor Suresh and members of his research group will talk about how engineers and biologists have come together to examine the biomechanical properties of living materials, especially malaria-infected red blood cells. Join the conversation and explore how interdisciplinary research allows for the rapid development of technologies that were science fiction only a few years ago.
Web site: web.mit.edu/museum/programs/soapbox.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: free
Sponsor(s): MIT Museum
For more information, contact:
MIT Museum Reception
617-253-5927
museum@mit.edu
________________________________
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
"No Impact Man": Can you save the planet?
Time: 6:30p–8:00p
Location: 4-237
Screening and Dinner
Colin Beavan decides to completely eliminate his personal impact on the environment for the next year. It means eating vegetarian, buying only local food, and turning off the refrigerator. It also means no elevators, no television, no cars, busses, or airplanes, no toxic cleaning products, no electricity, no material consumption, and no garbage. No problem, at least for Colin, but he and his family live in Manhattan. So when his espresso-guzzling, retail-worshipping wife Michelle and their two-year-old daughter are dragged into the fray, the No Impact Project has an unforeseen impact of its own.

Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein's film provides an intriguing inside look into the experiment that became a national fascination and media sensation, while examining the familial strains and strengthened bonds that result from Colin and Michelle's struggle with their radical lifestyle change.
Web site: http://www.noimpactdoc.com/index_m.php
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Amnesty International, GSC Funding Board
For more information, contact:
mitai-exec@mit.edu
_______________________________________

Wednesday, May 12, 2010
"Canaries or Chimneys? The Role of the Himalaya in Regional and Global Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Change"
Speaker: Dr. Arnico K. Panday, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
Time: 10:00a–11:00a
Location: 54-915
EAPS Special Seminar
Web site: http://eapsweb.mit.edu/news/index.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
For more information, contact:
Roberta Allard
253-3382
allard@mit.edu
____________________________________

Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Saving the World, Science, and Yourself with Cross-Cultural Engineering: Anthropological Field Methods for the Intrepid Engineer
Speaker: Scott Lacy
Time: 5:00p–7:00p
Location: 4-370
Cross-cultural engineering brings highly skilled volunteers and critical technology into developing communities worldwide. This session will explore how cross-cultural engineering contributes to international development projects and community relations. Scott Lacy will lead attendees through a talk on his own experiences in Mali and an applied activity to give attendees the change to practice the methods he teaches.
Food will be provided. Please RSVP to rheywood@mit.edu.
Web site: http://ewb.mit.edu
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Engineers Without Borders
For more information, contact:
Rebecca Heywood
rheywood@mit.edu
_____________________________________

Thursday, May 13, 2010
Energy Discussions: Electrifying the Developing World
Speaker: Rhonda Jordan
Time: 6:00p–7:00p
Location: 26-204
There are 1.6 billion people in the world today that do not have access to electricity.? The factors contributing to this reality are numerous, but many people are looking to distributed generation to provide energy to those who need it most. Join members of the MIT Energy Club to discuss the latest arguments for distributed versus centralized electricity generation in the developing world.
Please prepare for the discussion by reading the articles posted on the event website.
A light dinner 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 Dell
rwdell(at)mit.edu
___________________________________________________________

Thursday, May 13, 2010
Bang Wong: Communicating Science Visually
Speaker: Bang Wong
Time: 7:00p
Location: N30, The Broad Institute Auditorium
IEEE/ACM Joint Seminar Series
Exploring the edge of computing technology.
Images play a critical role in the advancement of science. Throughout history, there has been a rich tradition of capturing the natural world through drawings to document and understand biology. Illustrations continue to be the mainstay of science communication. Visual representation of information is an important instrument of science. With the massive amounts of data researchers are able to generate today, they rely on visualization for analysis and to gain insights into the domain under study. Designing effective visuals requires catering to the audience and including the right level of detail. This is true whether the purpose of the visual representation is for communication to the public at large or for researchers to explore data.
Bang Wong is the Creative Director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Art as Applied to Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His work focuses on communicating science visually in the areas of scientific graphics, data visualization, and art and design. He received a Masters degree in Immunology and a Masters degree in Medical and Scientific Illustrations both from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. www.bangwong.com
This joint meeting of the Boston Chapters of the IEEE Computer and Engineering in Medicine and Biology Societies, the MIT Biological Engineering and BioMedical Engineering Student Group and GBC/ACM will be in the Broad Auditorium.
Web site: http://ewh.ieee.org/r1/boston/computer/bangtalk.html
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): ACM & IEEE/CS, Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, MIT Biological Engineering and BioMedical Engineering Student Group (BE-BMES)
For more information, contact:
Dorothy Curtis
dcurtis@csail.mit.edu
___________________________________________________

Thursday, May 13, 2010
Turning the Tide: Spreading the word on Organic Farming
Speaker: Revathy (Association for India's Development, Saathi)
Time: 7:00p–8:30p
Location: 4-231
We would like to invite you to a very special talk by Association for India's Development (AID) Saathi, Revathy who is on a US tour. After Cyclone Aila in May 2009 where most of the salinated land was speculated to be useless for agriculture for 3 years, AID Boston worked closely with Revathy who trained the farmers in the Sunderbans, West Bengal in growing paddy and vegetables using modern and innovative organic methods proving them wrong in just a few months.
About Revathy:
Revathy has worked with more than 32,000 farmers in the organic movement in Tamil Nadu and her work has been recognized by the governments of India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Her hands-on knowledge in the importance of rejuvenating the soil using a holistic approach towards soil restoration, seed selection techniques, methods to create organic pest repellent and herbicides would help us understand and appreciate the intricacies involved in agricultural practices. She also has a lot of experience in disaster management and has spearheaded some of these efforts supported by AID during the Tsunami(Tamil Nadu), Cyclone Aila (West Bengal) and Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) floods.
For more information, see: http://www.aidboston.org/RevathyUSTour2010/index.html
This event is brought to you by Association For India's Development MIT & Boston Chapters
Web site:http://www.aidboston.org/RevathyUSTour2010/index.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Association for India's Development - MIT
For more information, contact:
Karthik Shekhar
617 999 6155
kshekhar@mit.edu
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Harvard

Participedia: A Crowd Sourced Approach to Discovering, Understanding, and Diffusing
WHEN
Mon., May 10, 2010, 12 – 1:30 p.m.
WHERE
Room 226, Suite 200-North, 124 Mt. Auburn, Cambridge MA
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION
Business, Classes/Workshops, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
SPEAKER(S)
Archon Fung, Harvard Kennedy School
COST
Free
CONTACT INFO
christina_marchand@hks.harvard.edu
LINK
http://ash.harvard.edu/Home/News-Events/Events/Participedia

Participedia is a wiki-based platform with an ambitious goal: strengthening democracy around the world. The website consists of a user-generated library of examples and methods of participatory governance, public deliberation, and collaborative public action. From citizen involvement in budgeting to oversight groups that ensure better health care and social service delivery, government initiatives that encourage democratic participation demonstrate powerful results. Participedia was launched in September of 2009 and uses the same wiki platform as Wikipedia to tell stories about efforts such as participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil; municipal evaluation meetings in China; and the CaliforniaSpeaks health care dialogue with citizens.
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Centennial Lowell Lecture. "The Tethered Life: Technology Reshapes Intimacy and Solitude"
WHEN
Fri., May 14, 2010, 8 – 9:30 p.m.
WHERE
Lowell Lecture Hall
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION
Humanities, Information Technology, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Harvard Extension School
SPEAKER(S)
Sherry Turkle, Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of the Social Study of Science and Technology at MIT
COST
Free; seating on first-come, first-served basis
CONTACT INFO
617.495.4024
NOTE
Sherry Turkle has focused her research on psychoanalysis and culture and on the psychology of people's relationship with technology, especially computer technology. Her focus has been not on what the computer does but what the computer does to us — to our relationships, to our families, to our ways of thinking about what is special about being human. In this lecture, Turkle considers the significant impact technology has on our personal and political lives, including the effect on our children, our families, and our notions of privacy.
LINK
www.extension.harvard.edu
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Other

Thursday, May 13
6:30 pm
Public Meeting on Solar Air Conditioning System at MIT
350 Brookline Street, Cambridge, MA
more information at 617-253-0942
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BASEA Forum: May 13: Hilary Flynn, "Cuba's Energy Revolution: Lessons in Sustainable Energy Development"
2009-201

1st Parish Unitarian Church, #3 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge.

A reception begins at 7:00 p.m., with the program beginning at 7:30 p.m.

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