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

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Early September at MIT

Monday, September 08, 2008
Denmark's Ambassador to the United States Discusses Climate Change Security
Speaker: Friis Arne Petersen, Denmark's Ambassador to the United States
Time: 3:00p–5:00p
Location: 32-141
Denmark is to host the United Nations Climate Conference in 2009 when the successor to the Kyoto protocol is to be agreed upon. At least 10,000 participants from around the world will be attending, which will be the most significant gathering since the Kyoto meeting in 1997. Denmark is also among the leading nations in the use of renewable energy and has already reduced CO2-emissions by 15 percent. Ambassador Friis Arne Petersen will discuss expectations for the UN Climate Conference, how Denmark has implemented its climate and energy policy, and answer questions from the audience.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Club, MIT Center for International Studies
For more information, contact:
Amy Fazen
energy-events@mit.edu

Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Profitably Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Speaker: Thomas R. Casten, founder and CEO of Recycled Energy Development
Time: 4:14p–5:45p
Location: 66-110
MIT Energy Initiative Seminar Series
MITEI sponsors a series of energy colloquia featuring leaders from across the energy spectrum. These speakers are the innovators in energy and will be of interest to faculty, staff, and students across the campus and beyond. Other MITEI-sponsored seminars seek to highlight energy research and education activities taking place at the Institute. All posted events are open to the public
Climate change and energy concerns call forth energy policies, but there is a failure to understand societal costs of each alternative action. Furthermore, economists and policy advisors assume the present energy conversion system is economically optimal, given current technology. Drawing on 30 years of developing $2.0 billion of local generation projects that recycle waste energy, Casten analyzes the societal costs and savings of twelve alternate approaches to generating electricity. The presentation will show how the U.S. could achieve two billion tons of CO2 reduction per year while saving over $100 billion per year. The presentation ends with suggested policy changes to induce profitable GHG reductions and start an energy efficiency revolution.

Web site: http://mit.edu/mitei/news/seminars

Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Campus Events
For more information, contact:
Karen Gibson
6172586368
kgibson@mit.edu

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
X PRIZE Energy Forum: "Seeking Radical Breakthroughs in Alternative Energy: What I Would Advise the Next President"
Time: 4:30p–7:00p
Location: 34-101
Join us for an exciting forum on innovative solutions to the energy crisis, as we explore what technologies and approaches are most promising, where investments should be made and what policies should change.

Featuring:
Futurist Dr. Ray Kurzweil,
Biologist Dr. George Church,
Inventor Dr. Saul Griffith,
X PRIZE Foundation Chairman and CEO Dr. Peter Diamandis, and other special guests.

Networking reception to follow from 6-7pm in Stata R&D Commons.
Open to: the general public
Cost: FREE
Sponsor(s): X PRIZE Lab @ MIT, MIT Energy Club, X PRIZE Foundation
For more information, contact:
Erika Wagner
617-253-0017
xprize@mit.edu

Friday, January 06, 2006

January Is IAP at MIT

It's Independent Activities Period at MIT once again. Here are my picks for this year. The full list of courses is at http://web.mit.edu/iap.



Mega Energy Projects
Peter Evans, Nicholas Alan McKenna
Tue Jan 10, Thu Jan 12, Tue Jan 17, Thu Jan 19, 10am-12:00pm, Building E51-149

Enrollment limited: first come, first served
Signup by: 09-Jan-2006
Limited to 40 participants.
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)

Mega energy projects are complex, high impact projects that range from $1 to $20 billion dollars. They can yield important benefits but also generate strong resistance given their potentially large social, environmental and geopolitical impacts. This course will provide an integrated approach to understanding the growing trend toward mega energy projects worldwide. The course will draw on systems architecture, system dynamics, organizational theory and transaction cost economics to understand why these complex social and technical projects are often delayed and run over budget. It will also draw on theories of international relations, political economy, and transnational interest group politics to understand the broader forces that cause mega-energy projects to succeed or fail.
Web:
Contact: Peter Evans, E40-441, x4-1497, evansp@mit.edu



MIT Campus Sustainability - Challenges and Responses
Steven Lanou, Robert Cunkelman
Tue Jan 10, 12-01:00pm, Building 56-114

Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 06-Jan-2006
Limited to 60 participants.
Single session event
Prereq: None

A presentation and discussion on MIT's campus environmental challenges and the programs and activities to minimize their impacts. Includes special presentation on MIT's green building program and innovative Stata Center "Bioswale" water recycling and stormwater management system by MIT Senior Engineer, Bob Cunkelman. Moderated by Steven Lanou (MCP '98), Deputy Director, Sustainability Program(Environmental Programs Office)
This workshop is part of the Environmental Writing Contest Initiative.
Web: http://mit.edu/wgrecycling/writing_contest.html
Contact: Nancy Boyce, E51-296, nboyce@mit.edu


A CEE Sampler
Peter Shanahan
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)

An Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering

Civil and environmental engineers address the interactions between people and the built and natural environments. This lecture series provides an overview of the problems solved by civil and environmental engineers as well as some of the current research in MITs CEE department. If you are a freshman considering CEE as a major or anyone interested in learning a little more about our department and discipline, we welcome you to attend one or all sessions.
Contact: Jeanette Marchocki, 1-281, x3-7106, jmmarch@mit.edu

Sponsor: Civil and Environmental Engineering

Transportation Issues for the 21st Century; Challenges for CEE
Professor Joseph Sussman
Transportation provides services vital to a functioning society and economic development, but also creates negative externalities such as air pollution and excessive energy use. These issues have both a technological and an institutional aspect. This lecture through several examples will illustrate some approaches to dealing with the opportunities and problems in the transportation realm.
Tue Jan 10, 04-05:00pm, Room 1-150

Seawalls: Are they Sons of Beaches or not?
Professor Ole Madsen
The evolution of the Town of Chatham, MA, beaches following the breach of Nauset Beach in January 1987 and subsequent construction of seawalls will be presented along with some experimental results on erosion and deposition in front of seawalls.
Thu Jan 12, 04-05:00pm, Room 1-150

Collapse of the Nicoll Highway
Professor Andrew Whittle
As Boston completes the Big Dig, the civil engineering community in Singapore is recovering from the catastrophic failure of an excavation for the new MRT Circle Line subway in April 2004 that killed four people. This talk will summarize the forensic investigations that have uncovered the underlying structural, geotechnical and construction causes of the failure.
Fri Jan 13, 04-05:00pm, Room 1-150

Issues in Technology and Policy Seminar Series
Renee Robins
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)

Many policy issues involve the application, commercialization, and control of technologies. This annual seminar series explores selected issues in technology and policy, including examples from areas such as energy, telecommunications, and space exploration. This year the series includes a two-part workshop on "Complexity." Bring brown bag lunch; light refreshments provided.
Web: http://web.mit.edu/tpp
Contact: Renee Robins, E40-381, x3-7662, rrobins@mit.edu

Sponsor: Technology and Policy Program

An Introduction to Complexity
Bill Nuttall Cambridge University
This 2-part workshop provides a wide-ranging and fast-moving introduction to the science of complexity and its application to problems found in physics, ecology, geology and organizations. The goals are to help participants recognize signs of complexity in seemingly unstructured phenomena and to introduce concepts of complexity that can be used in designing physical or social processes.
Tue Jan 10, Wed Jan 11, 12-02:00pm, Building E51-149, Note: two-part workshop

Electric Power Networks: Challenges and Opportunities
Marija Ilic Visiting Professor from Carnegie-Mellon
Public needs in the electric power sector are evolving. This seminar will examine evolution to new technologies and more flexible organizational structures from a systems engineering perspective, including the technical and regulatory issues surrounding the maintenance of reliable, affordable and high quality electricity service as existing infrastructure is gradually replaced with distributed small scale technologies.
Wed Jan 18, 12-01:30pm, Building E51-149

International Space Cooperation? Visions of the Future
Dava Newman Director, Technology and Policy Program
Space exploration offers great opportunity for international cooperation. Will we realize the ideal? After decades of nation-based competition resulting in a 'space race' during the Cold War, we are now in a globalized world. This seminar will address opportunities and challenges for international space cooperation, including differing perspectives between the US, Europe, Russia, Japan & China, and visions for the future.
Wed Jan 25, 12-01:30pm, Building E51-149

MyAmazon.Com? Personalization and Privacy in the Marketplace
Frank Field Senior Research Scientist, CTPID
New online retailing technologies have equipped firms with tools that move us toward a "mass market of one," where marketing and advertising are migrating to individually-targeted sales strategies applied across the mass market. As these techniques spread, some nagging public policy issues remain not only unaddressed, but increasingly hard to frame. This talk will address why this is so, and what might be done about it.
Tue Jan 31, 12-01:30pm, Building E51-149, Note: Tues. seminar this week


The Materials Science of Renewable Energy: Materials Fundamentals in Fuel Cells, Solar Cells, and Batteries
David Danielson, Josh Hertz, Elsa Olivetti, Ken Avery
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 25-Dec-2005
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
Prereq: None

This course will provide a foundation for understanding materials issues underpinning three key electronic and electrochemical renewable energy devices: fuel cells, solar cells, and batteries. The operating principles, terminology, and dominant technologies will be reviewed, materials limitations will be discussed, and current research approaches will be presented. Characterization methods for these materials and devices will be presented in both classroom and hands-on settings.
Web: http://web.mit.edu/mit_energy/IAP_Courses/MatSci_of_RE/index.html
Contact: David Danielson, 13-4138, x3-3157,


Plasma Science and Fusion Center IAP Series
Jeffrey Freidberg, Peter Catto, Steve Wukitch
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)

This series introduces plasma physics research and areas of related interest at the Plasma Science and Fusion Center. See URL below.
Web: http://www.psfc.mit.edu/
Contact: Paul Rivenberg, NW16-284, x3-8101, rivenberg@psfc.mit.edu

Sponsor: Plasma Science and Fusion Center

Star Trek: Magnetic Fusion's New Journey
Miklos Porkolab
In Cadarache, France, the world is about to embark on the largest international science project ever undertaken, building the International Tokamak Experimental Fusion Reactor (ITER), a high temperature, self-heated burning plasma experiment. This talk will present recent advances in high temperature plasma physics research on existing tokamak facilities and discuss some of the remaining physics issues surrounding ITER.
Tue Jan 10, 11am-12:00pm, Building NW17-218

The Future Prospects of Fusion Plants
Farrokh Najmabadi UC San Diego
Tue Jan 10, 02-03:00pm, Building NW17-218

America the Powerless: Facing our Nuclear Energy Dilemma
Alan Waltar Director of Energy, DOE Pacific Northwest National Lab
America once provided clear global leadership in the development of civilian nuclear power. However, a set of concerns--including a fear of radiation, waste disposal, nuclear proliferation, risk phobia and the environmentalist movement--essentially stopped nuclear power growth in the U.S. during the 1980s and 1990s. The tide is now turning and the prospects for a nuclear renaissance appear to be quite strong.
Wed Jan 11, 11am-12:00pm, Building NW17-218

Hydrodynamic Instabilities in Astrophysics and at High Energy Density
Paul Drake Laboratory for Astrophysical Simulations
In the evolution of both astrophysical systems and high-energy-density laboratory systems, hydrodynamic instabilities naturally evolve. The speaker will discuss the instabilities that appear in both environments, using examples taken from experiments aimed at Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF), from astrophysical systems, and from experiments using high-energy-density systems to address issues in astrophysics.
Wed Jan 11, 02-03:00pm, Building NW17-218

Radiation and Modern Life: Fulfilling Marie Curie's Dream
Alan Waltar Director of Energy, DOE Pacific Northwest National Lab
Radiation has been harnessed over the past hundred years to provide an astonishing array of benefits to modern life. Agriculture, medicine, industry, transportation, space exploration, public safety, environmental protection and electrical production have all been affected. In the U.S. alone, well over $400 billion is added to our economy annually from the applications of radiation, as well as over 4 million jobs.
Thu Jan 12, 10-11:00am, Building NW17-218

Out of Gas - The End of the Age of Oil
David Goodstein California Institute of Technology
The world will start to run out of cheap, conventionally-produced oil much sooner than most people expect, possibly within this decade. This talk will discuss the reasoning that leads to that conclusion and the likely consequences if it is correct. Cosponsored with the PSFC by Physics Department and the Energy Council.
Thu Jan 12, 02-03:30pm, Building 4-370

ITER-Relevant Research on Alcator C-Mod Tokamak
Bob Granetz
Despite its compact size, many of Alcator C-Mod's engineering and plasma parameters are comparable to those planned for ITER. This enables C-Mod to address a number of the physics issues relevant to ITER and to provide valuable input to ITER's design.
Fri Jan 13, 10-11:00am, Building NW17-218

Stable under Pressure: High Beta Plasmas in the (Almost) Levitated Dipole Experiment
Darren Garnier Columbia University
Fri Jan 13, 11am-12:00pm, Building NW17-218

Tour of PSFC Fusion Experiments
Tour guide to be announced
The PSFC is exploring fusion through two different devices. The Alcator C-Mod tokamak is a well tested approach that has produced decades of progress towards achieving fusion energy. The Levitated Dipole Experiment is a brand new approach, only been in operation since August. Come see what makes these experiments unique.
Fri Jan 13, 01-02:00pm, Buildings NW17-218 and NW21

The Fundamentals of Photovoltaics: Scientific, Engineering, Economic, Policy, and Market Dimensions
David Danielson, Adam Lorenz, Tonio Buonassisi
No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 05-Jan-2006
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
Prereq: None

The aim of this course is to provide a broad overview of the scientific, engineering, economic, and policy drivers and challenges for traditional and next-generation photovoltaic technologies. The course will consist of a series of lectures featuring guests from the MIT community and beyond and tours of a local solar energy manufacturing plant and a PV installation at MIT. The technical emphasis of the course will be strong but balanced, to expand the horizons of both individuals with scientific & engineering as well as non-technical backgrounds.
Web: http://web.mit.edu/mit_energy/IAP_Courses/PV_IAP/index.html
Contact: David Danielson, 13-4138, (617) 512-2646, dtdaniel@mit.edu

Sponsor: Energy Club

Photovolatics (PV): Basics and Context
Tonio Buonassisi (Research Scientist at Evergreen Solar)
Wed Jan 11, 07-08:30pm, Building 3-442

PV Materials & Technologies
Tonio Buonassisi (Research Scientist at Evergreen Solar)
Wed Jan 18, 07-08:30pm, Building 3-442

MIT PV Installation Tour
Steve Lanou
We will tour one of MIT's new PV installations.

Space is limited, so please sign up early! Email Dave Danielson, dtdaniel@mit.edu, to sign up.
Tue Jan 24, 10am-12:00pm, TBD

PV Manufacturing & Installation
Adam Lorenz (MIT Alum - Research Engineer @ Evergreen Solar)
Wed Jan 25, 07-08:30pm, Building 3-442

Evergreen Solar Manufacturing Plant Tour
David Danielson, Adam Lorenz, Tonio Buonassisi
We will have a guided tour of Evergreen Solar's PV manufacturing plant in Marlborough, MA. We will arrange for carpooling. Space is limited, so sign up early! Email Dave Danielson, dtdaniel@mit.edu, to sign-up.
Thu Jan 26, 11am-02:00pm, Evergreen Solar

PV Economics, Policy, and Markets
Michael Rogol
Wed Feb 1, 07-08:30pm, Building 3-442


Out of Gas - The End of the Age of Oil
David Goodstein California Institute of Technology
Thu Jan 12, 02-03:30pm, Building 4-370

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up

The world will start to run out of cheap, conventionally-produced oil much sooner than most people expect, possibly within this decade. This talk will discuss the reasoning that leads to that conclusion and the likely consequences if it is correct. It may be possible, with considerable difficulty, to substitute other fossil fuels for the missing oil, but if we do that we may do irreparable damage to Earth's climate. And even then we would start to run out of all fossil fuels, including coal, probably within this century. Can civilization survive if that happens? We will consider the possibilities.
Web: http://www.its.caltech.edu/~dg/
Contact: Paul Rivenberg, NW16-284, x3-8101, rivenberg@psfc.mit.edu


What is the $100 Laptop and How Can I Participate?
Walter Bender, Mako Hill, David Cavallo
Thu Jan 12, 06-09:00pm, Building e15-283a

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event

The MIT Media Lab has launched a new research initiative to develop a $100 laptop -- a technology that could revolutionize how we educate the world's children. In this workshop, we will describe the current state of the hardware and software and brainstorm as to how MIT community members can contribute to the project. Pizza will be served.
Web: http://laptop.media.mit.edu
Contact: Walter Bender, E15-208, x3-7331, walter@media.mit.edu



IDEAS Competition - Seminars on Success
Alison Hynd
Enrollment limited: first come, first served
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
Prereq: None

The IDEAS Competition is an invention and enterpreneurship competition with community service at its core. IDEAS encourages teams to develop and implement projects that make a positive change in the world. Each year, at least six teams win IDEAS awards of $2500, $5000, and $7500 to develop and implement their projects. This series is designed to help your team succeed in the IDEAS Competition through information sessions, project consulting, and workshops.
Web: http://web.mit.edu/ideas
Contact: Alison Hynd, 7-133, x8-0691, hynd@mit.edu

Sponsor: Edgerton Center
Cosponsor: Public Service Center

How to Win the IDEAS Competition!
Alison Hynd
Past winners and IDEAS staff offer insights and strategies for succesful project development and applications. Learn more about the Competition, get answers for your questions, and learn about the differences between winning projects and the rest.
Thu Jan 12, 06-08:00pm, Building 4-402

IDEAS Competition Project Consulting
Alison Hynd
Thinking of entering IDEAS this year? Come and meet with IDEAS staff and mentors to brainstorm ideas, get feedback on your project plans, and to get help accessing the resources you need.

Won the Competition in a previous year? This is a great opportunity to consult with the IDEAS staff and get continuing support for your project.

Creativity: It's All In Your Head
Ruth Levitsky, Toastmasters@MIT, Cherylle Garnes, Ray Valvano, Kevin Carlson, David Marshall
Sat Jan 14, 10am-12:30pm, Building E51-372

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Signup by: 13-Jan-2006
Limited to 40 participants.
Single session event

Most people stopped being creative by the third grade. In this interactive team presentation you will learn tips, techniques and games to sharpen, enhance and spark your creativity in all areas of your life.
Contact: Ruth Levitsky, Toastmasters@MIT, E52-252, x3-3399, levitsky@mit.edu


It's All About the Interface: Speech Recognition That Works for Both Human and Computer
Mary Ziegler, Kimberly Patch, President, Redstart Systems
Tue Jan 17, 11am-01:00pm, Building 3-133

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up

Although it has been possible to use speech to control a desktop computer for the past decade or so, the technology has not lived up to its potential for speeding and simplifying computer use. Kim Patch, President of Redstart Systems, will talk about why this is and why it doesn't have to be. She'll also demonstrate Utter Command -- a speech interface that addresses classic interface challenges including speedy access to folders, files and Web sites, command consistency across programs, break reminders, and managing time.
Web: http://redstartsystems.com/papers.html
Contact: Mary Ziegler, 7-143, 258-9328, maryz@mit.edu


The UN Millennium Report: An International Response to Global Environmental Challenges
Dr. Matthew Gardner, Ms. Xanat Flores
Tue Jan 17, 12-01:00pm, Building 56-114

Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 13-Jan-2006
Limited to 60 participants.
Single session event
Prereq: none

Dr. Matthew Gardner, Executive Director of the MIT Earth Science Initiative, will present an overview of the UN Millennium Report which identifies environmental challenges as well as recommendations for action on global environmental issues.
Ms. Flores Xanat Flores, PhD Candidate, Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory,(CEE) will report on an MIT response to the Millennium Report: the SODIS (SOlar DISinfection) Bags Project which focuses on creating simple and inexpensive solutions to purify water in rural communities in developing countries by using solar radiation to disinfect microbially contaminated water.
This workshop is part of the Environmental Writing Contest Initiative.
Web: http://mit.edu/wgrecycling/writing_contest.html
Contact: Nancy Boyce, E51-296, nboyce@mit.edu


Nuclear Energy and National Security
Mujid Kazimi
Tue Jan 17, Thu Jan 19, Tue Jan 24, Thu Jan 26, 01:30-04:30pm, Building 32-141

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)

Series of eight lectures on the promise and challenge posed by nuclear energy development to national security. First lecture each day covers Elements of Proliferation Resistance of Nuclear Energy and introduces the uninitiated to the basic concepts involved. Second lecture each day offers broad Perspectives on Security Issues and Nuclear Power Development for the more informed audience. Speakers: Prof. George Apostolakis; Adm. Frank (Skip) Bowman, NEI President; Prof. John Deutch; and Prof. Ernest Moniz. Students and the MIT community are invited to attend any part or all of the program.
Web: http://web.mit.edu/canes/iap.html
Contact: Dr. Walter Kato, 24-214, 253-8643, wykato@mit.edu


Design for Demining (Landmine Removal) Informational Open House
Andrew Heafitz
Wed Jan 18, 12-01:00pm, Building 4-402
Wed Jan 18, 01-02:00pm, Building 4-402

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Repeating event. Participants welcome at any session

SP.776 Design for Demining (landmine removal) is holding an Open House for students interested in taking this spring term design class. Pizza for the first 30 students. Presentations and demos at 12:00 and 1:00. Come try out actual protective equipment and tools!

Landmines persist in many countries. This is an exciting chance to invent things that could really change or save people's lives. The class runs like a real development firm. You can invent brand new things, or work on established projects, help blast test them and deploy them with professional deminers around the world. The class includes a field trip to the US Army's Demining Training Center, (no live landmines), and visits by deminers to evaluate our work. This is real product design! Students from all majors are welcome. Come to the Open House to find out more.
Contact: Andrew Heafitz, heafitz@mit.edu


Designing Telematic Sculpture for Mediated Conversation
Judith Donath, Karrie Karahalios
Mon Jan 16 thru Thu Jan 19, 10:30am-12:30pm, Building E15-335

Enrollment limited: advance sign up required (see contact below)
Signup by: 16-Jan-2006
Limited to 15 participants.
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)

We have been commissioned to create a set of telematic sculptures that will be publicly exhibited as part of the the ISEA festival in San Jose in August 2006. These human scale artworks will exist in a cafe where they will enable remote users to communicate with patrons of the cafe.

This course will explore the design of these telematic sculptures. We will cover topics including facial cognition, non-linguistic speech components, and expressive animation. We will create prototypes of several designs, including the remote interface used to control them, the physical design of the sculpture, and its interactive components.
Web: http://smg.media.mit.edu/projects/ChitChatClub/
Contact: Judith Donath, E15-392, x3-5098, judith@media.mit.edu


The Future of Materials Science
Joseph Walish
Mon Jan 16 thru Fri Jan 20, 01-02:30pm, Building 35-410 Chipman Room

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
Prereq: none

Ever wondered whats next in materials research? Thinking about graduate school but dont know what to do? The Future of Materials Science seminar series aims to answer these and other questions as a group of distinguished speakers lecture on nanotechnology, biotechnology, computational materials science, and other interesting topics. Please join us as we explore this exciting field of research.
Contact: Joseph Walish, 13-5095, x8-6135, jwalish@mit.edu


Humans and Technology Symposium
Mary Cummings, Stacey Scott, Enlie Wang
Mon Jan 23 thru Fri Jan 27, 09am-05:00pm, Building 33-116

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
Prereq: none

The Humans and Automation Laboratory (http://halab.mit.edu) is hosting a week-long symposium to raise awareness of human-centered technology design, research methods, and practices. The goal of the symposium is to expose professionals and students from all disciplines to the benefits of human-centered research and practices. This symposium will also provide researchers and practitioners from various related fields such as Human Factors, Human-Computer Interaction, Science and Technology, etc., to gain an awareness of the states of the art in an informal and collaborative environment.
Web: http://web.mit.edu/aeroastro/www/labs/halab/symposium.html#reg
Contact: Stacey Scott, 33-407, x8-5046, sdscott@mit.edu


Power Up!: Strategies for Getting Energy Information
Angie Locknar, Chris Sherratt
Tue Jan 24, 10-11:00am, Building 14N-132

Enrollment limited: first come, first served
Single session event

Information on energy is everywhere! How do you find what you need and keep on the cutting edge of what is published? Attend this hands-on session to find out.
Contact: Angie Locknar, 14s-134, x3-9320, locknar@mit.edu


The State of the World Economy
Olivier Blanchard, Robert Solow
Tue Jan 24, 01-02:00pm, Building E51-325

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event

A tour of the world, and the main macroeconomic issues of the day, from growth in China, to the slump in Europe, to the current account deficit in the United States.
Contact: Denise MacDougall, E52-252, x3-3971, dmac@mit.edu


The Economics of E-Retail
Sara Ellison
Thu Jan 26, 10:30-11:30am, E51-372

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event

This talk is meant as an introduction to some of the interesting economic questions that arise in e-retailing with many real-world examples.
Contact: Denise MacDougall, E52-352, x3-3971, dmac@mit.edu


Battling the Hydra: The Al Anbar Insurgency from the Perspective of a U.S. Marine
Colonel G. H. Bristol
Mon Jan 30, 10am-02:00pm, Building E38-714

Enrollment limited: first come, first served
Limited to 20 participants.
Single session event

Operation IRAQI FREEDOM is one of the most complex operations faced by US Armed Forces. The Al Anbar Province is the most volatile area in Iraq. Facing Sunni disenfranchisement, a kaleidoscopic insurgency, and triple border incursions and tension, the Marine Corps battles a "three block war" daily.

The class details the 2004-2005 year in a combat zone of the 1st Marine Division. Topics include organization for combat, intelligence architecture and collection, tactical success and failure, insurgency analysis, effects-based targeting, and combined operations with Iraqi Security Forces.

Col. George H. Bristol, USMC is Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellow at SSP. A 30-year Marine Corps officer, he was the G-2 for 1st Marine Division during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM II.
Contact: Colonel G. H. Bristol, E38-670, x8-9440, gbristol@mit.edu


The First Families in Space - Presentation & Discussion
Joseph Palaia 4Frontiers Corporation, Mars Foundation, Mars Society, Bruce Mackenzie, Martha Adams
Mon Jan 30, 01-02:00pm, Building 33-116

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Single session event

Audience discussion of the raising of the first children on Mars or elsewhere in space. What ethical questions arise from proposing to raise children in a (possibly) unsafe environment? What physical support is needed? What kind of robotics and remote assistance will be needed from Earth? What is the minimum satisfactory number of adults and children? Is a nuclear family the best family model? Finally - what impact will this have on our society here on Earth?
Web: http://www.MarsHome.org
Contact: Joseph Palaia, (508) 561-2232, jpalaia@mit.edu


Google, or Google Scholar: That is the Question!
Amy Stout, Kate Gyllensvard
Wed Feb 1, 03-04:00pm, Building 14N-132

Enrollment limited: first come, first served
Limited to 30 participants.
Single session event

Is Google the best tool to search for scholarly information? Or is Google Scholar? Are there other choices? Search these databases and more to find out. The results may surprise you!
Contact: Angie Locknar, 14s-134, x3-9320, locknar@mit.edu