Events Calendar

How can you investigate something you cannot see?The challenge of understanding the unknown motivates scientists today, just as it has inspired curious people for centuries.Using material from the Allen Forbes Collection, this exhibit traces the scientific process of observing, measuring, and describing that turned whales from monsters into mammals.Using prints from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries, Monsters of the Deep examines how European knowledge about the creatures of the sea was informed by new information from sailors, scholars, and beachcombers, and how that knowledge transformed what people understood about the natural world.Want a closer look at what we have on view? You can explore digitized versions of exhibition objects here.On view through January 2026.

Hiroshi Ishii and the Tangible Media Group at the MIT Media Lab have pioneered new ways for people to interact with computers, with the invention of the “tangible user interface.”It began with a vision of "Tangible Bits," where users can manipulate ordinary physical objects to access digital information. It evolved into a bolder vision of "Radical Atoms," where materials can change form and reconfigure themselves just as pixels can on a screen. This experimental exhibit of three iconic works — SandScape, inFORM, and TRANSFORM — is part of the MIT Museum's ongoing efforts to collect the physical machines as well as preserve the user experience of, in Ishii's words, making atoms dance.Learn more about the exhibits here, or watch the YouTube video of Hiroshi Ishii's talk at the MIT Museum below.This is an ongoing exhibition in our MIT Collects exhibition.

Janet Echelman's Remembering the Future widens our perspective in time, giving sculptural form to the history of the Earth's climate from the last ice age to the present moment, and then branching out to visualize multiple potential futures.Constructed from colored twines and ropes that are braided, knotted and hand-spliced to create a three-dimensional form, the immersive artwork greets you with its grand scale presiding over the MIT Museum lobby.This large-scale installation by 2022-2024 MIT Distinguished Visiting Artist Janet Echelman, was developed during her residency at the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology (CAST). Architect, engineer and MIT Associate Professor Caitlin Mueller collaborated on the development of the piece.The title, Remembering the Future was inspired by the writings commonly attributed to Søren Kierkegaard: "The most painful state of being is remembering the future, particularly the one you'll never have."As the culmination of three years of dedicated research and collaboration, this site-specific installation explores Earth's climate timeline, translating historical records and possible futures into sculptural form.Echelman's climate research for this project was guided by Professor Raffaele Ferrari and the MIT Lorenz Center, creators of En-ROADS simulator which uses current climate data and modeling to visualize the impact of environmental policies and actions on energy systems.Learn more about Janet Echelman and the MIT Museum x CAST Collaboration.Learn more about the exhibition at the MIT Museum.

On view October 1 -- December 11, 2025This exhibition draws on archival materials from the Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT (AKDC) to explore a century of cultural heritage preservation in Aleppo, Syria. It takes as its point of departure the work of Kamil al-Ghazzi (1853–1933), the pioneering Aleppine historian whose influential three-volume chronicle, Nahr al-Dhahab fī Tārīkh Ḥalab (The River of Gold in the History of Aleppo), was published between 1924 and 1926.Ink, Stone, and Silver Light presents three modes of documentation—manuscript, built form, and photography—through which Aleppo’s urban memory has been recorded and preserved. Featuring figures such as Michel Écochard and Yasser Tabbaa alongside al-Ghazzi, the exhibition traces overlapping efforts to capture the spirit of a city shaped by commerce, craft, and coexistence. At a time when Syria again confronts upheaval and displacement, these archival fragments offer models for preserving the past while envisioning futures rooted in dignity, knowledge, and place.

Recent years have highlighted the ubiquity of global health across diverse public interests. There is now indisputable evidence that health intersects all aspects of life—economic, social, and political. Public and private investments to address global health challenges are both essential and increasing. However, many barriers to progress stem not from a lack of resources, but from politics, policy, and power dynamics that dominate the global health landscape. Understanding these forces is critical to confronting some of the world’s greatest health challenges—whether climate change, vaccine policy, or poverty. Amid funding cuts, conflict, disinformation, and growing inequality, what responses can meet rising health challenges? What lessons and opportunities emerge—and how can research, innovation, and public service be harnessed to drive meaningful impact?Vanessa Bradford Kerry, MD, MSc, is a critical care-trained physician, a nonprofit leader, and an associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she directs the Program in Global Health and Climate Policy in the Department of Environmental Health. She is the co-founder and CEO of Seed Global Health (Seed), a nonprofit focused on strengthening health systems that has helped train over 47,000 doctors, nurses, and midwives in Africa. Dr. Kerry also serves as the World Health Organization’s Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health.This seminar will be held in 10-105 (Bush Room). Lunch will be available. Please RSVP here.Contact Kate Danahy at kdanahy@mit.edu with any questions.This event is part of the CIS Global Research & Policy Seminar Series. Join our mailing list here to learn about upcoming seminars in the series.

Speaker: Maria Pilar Botana Martinez, Boston University School of Public Health Respondents: Mariana Arcaya, Professor of Urban Planning and Public Health, MIT Holly Samuelson, Associate Professor, MIT / Director Livable Spaces LabThis is part of the CDD / LCAU lunchtime lecture series. Lunch will be provided.

Join us to celebrate the launch of the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center on Inequality and Shaping the Future of Work, led by MIT professors Daron Acemoglu, David Autor, and Simon Johnson.

Ten minutes for your mind@2:50 every day at 2:50 pm in multiple time zones:Europa@2:50, EET, Athens, Helsinki (UTC+2) (7:50 am EST) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88298032734Atlantica@2:50, EST, New York, Toronto (UTC-4) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85349851047Pacifica@2:50, PST, Los Angeles, Vancouver (UTC=7) (5:50 pm EST) https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85743543699Almost everything works better again if you unplug it for a bit, including your mind. Stop by and unplug. Get the benefits of mindfulness without the fuss.@2:50 meets at the same time every single day for ten minutes of quiet together.No pre-requisite, no registration needed.Visit the website to view all @2:50 time zones each day.at250.org or at250.mit.edu

Cheer up with a cup of hot cocoa (on us!) on this first work day after daylight savings time kicks in. Available while supplies last.

TBD

Jennifer LewisHansjörg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Wyss Institute, Harvard UniversityDATE: Monday, November 3, 2025 TIME: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET, reception to follow LOCATION: MIT Building 10 Room 250ABOUT THE LECTUREThe ability to pattern soft and living matter in three dimensions is of critical importance for several emerging applications. In this talk, Lewis will begin by describing the design of printable materials for direct and embedded 3D printing. She will then introduce representative functional, structural, and biological inks as well as sophisticated printhead designs for fabricating soft materials ranging from soft electronics to robotic matter. Finally, Lewis will highlight our efforts to create vascularized human tissues via a tight integration of stem cell biology, organoid building blocks, and bioprinting.ABOUT JENNIFER LEWISJennifer Lewis is the Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and a Core Faculty Member at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. Her research focuses on the digital manufacturing of functional, structural, and biological materials. Multiple startups are commercializing technology from her lab ranging from 3D printed electronics to kidney therapeutics. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Inventors, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Lewis has received numerous awards for her work, including the NAS James Prize for Science and Technology Integration.ABOUT MILDRED S. DRESSELHAUSMildred "Millie" Dresselhaus was a beloved MIT professor whose research helped unlock the mysteries of carbon, the most fundamental of organic elements—earning her the nickname “queen of carbon science.” She is well-known for her work with graphene, fullerenes (also known as "buckyballs"), bismuth nanowires, and low dimensional thermoelectricity. She developed the concept of the "nanotube," a single-layer sheet of carbon atoms that is incredibly thin and yet incredibly strong.With appointments in the Departments of Electrical Engineering and Physics, Dresselhaus was a member of the MIT faculty for 50 years. In 1985 she was honored with the title of Institute Professor, an esteemed position held by no more than 12 MIT professors at one time. A winner of numerous awards, Dresselhaus was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Science, and the Kavli Prize in Nanoscience. She was inducted into the U.S. National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014.Dresselhaus led MIT and her field not only through her research and teaching, but with her longstanding commitment to promoting gender equity in science and engineering and a dedication to mentorship and teaching. She received a Carnegie Foundation grant in 1973 to support her efforts to encourage women to enter traditionally male dominated fields of science and engineering.In honor of Millie, MIT.nano hosts the Mildred S. Dresselhaus Lecture annually in November, the month of Millie's birthday. The event recognizes a significant figure in science and engineering from anywhere in the world whose leadership and impact echo Millie’s life, accomplishments, and values.

TBA | Juan Carlos Suarez Serrato (Stanford)

Come by for snacks, and tea with Literature Section friends, instructors, students, etc. What are you reading? What 21L classes are you taking or hoping to take? This event is specifically geared towards undergrads; but open to friends of the community that engage in the literary and humanities at MIT.

Speaker: Bowen Yang (Harvard University)Title: Quantum Cellular Automata and Algebraic L-TheoryAbstract: Quantum cellular automata (QCAs) are models of reversible quantum dynamics that preserve locality; they can be thought of as quantum analogues of classical cellular automata, but with much richer structure. I will describe a classification of the Clifford subclass of QCAs using methods from algebraic L-theory. The main result identifies the group of Clifford QCAs, up to natural equivalences, with L-theory homology of the underlying space. This gives a conceptual explanation of previously observed periodic patterns in lattice models and extends the picture to more general spaces. I will outline the ideas behind the construction and indicate how the framework connects topology, operator algebras, and quantum information. If time permits, I will also comment on what is known — and unknown — about the general (non-Clifford) case.

Come to MIT Health’s next Baby Talk Open House, and learn how we can support you and your family.Meet our pediatricians and family medicine providers. Ask questions. Learn how MIT Health cares for children. Family members and guests are welcome.Monday, November 3, 5:30–6:30 p.m.MIT Health, second floor (E23, 25 Carleton Street)Meet Rosemarie Roqué Gordon, MD, MPHRegister here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/fc550a44a70044d6a786305ff2e0bed3

Time: 5:00 PMLocation: Cambridge, MA

Join us on Monday evenings for Argentine tango classes with outstanding instructors. Whether you are completely new to tango, or already have some experience, you will find a friendly environment in which to learn new things and improve your technique. You don't have to bring a partner, since the classes involve rotations with all participants.Full Series: Sep 15, 22, 29, October 6, 13, 20, 27, Nov 3, 10, 17, 24, Dec 1, 8, 15.For all info and registration, visit following link.

Time: 5:00 PMLocation: Cambridge, MA

Join us for an immersive experience exploring the works of Stockholm-based artists Goldin+Senneby. Their recent work focuses on issues of autoimmunity, accessibility, and ecology. We will meet at the List Center for a guided tour through the gallery.Drawing on the experience of living with multiple sclerosis, the exhibition’s title refers to a treatable aspect of the disease. While the gradual progression of the condition offers limited options for intervention, the sudden flare-ups have attracted significant interest from the pharmaceutical industry, paving the way for lucrative treatments. Flare-Up also alludes to the volatile, inflammable nature of pine resin, which has fueled investment in genetically engineered pines as a potential source of green energy.This presentation at the List Center is organized by Natalie Bell, Curator, with Zach Ngin, Curatorial Assistant, MIT List Visual Arts Center.This event is open the MIT Community only.