Join us for a conversation between Syrian-Armenian-American storyteller and Hakawati founder Sona Tatoyan and Lebanese-Armenian-Canadian-American Entrepreneur and Moderna Co-Founder Noubar Afeyan, two visionary Armenian diaspora leaders bound by heritage and a shared mission to heal the world: one through art and the other through science. Hear how they turned their genocidal legacies and experience with oppressive regimes into triumphant acts of resilience, creativity, and healing. Learn how they innovate and iterate to create groundbreaking work in the arts and sciences. How does storytelling heal societal wounds? Can scientific leaps mirror artistic epiphanies and vice versa? How do their legacies inform their work and mission? What advice do they have for scientists and artists working in today’s climate? They will discuss these questions and more.Moderated by Professor Lerna Ekmekcioglu.📅 Friday, October 24, 6-7:30 PM📍 MIT Museum, 314 Main Street, Lee Family Exchange Space, Cambridge, MA 02142This event is generously supported by the MIT Program in Art, Culture, and Technology and Radius.

Food before and after. Screening to start at 7pm.In Search of Bengali Harlem Watch the Trailer Documentary | 84 Minutes | USA | English/Bengali Directed by Vivek Bald and Alaudin Ullah Produced by Susannah Ludwig, Vivek Bald, Alaudin Ullah Edited by Beyza BoyaciogluWith music by: Vijay Iyer, Zakir Hussain, Ganavya, Imani Uzuri, Yosvany Terry, and Anik KhanFree and Open to the PublicPlease join us for a screening of Vivek Bald’s award-winning feature documentary In Search of Bengali Harlem, followed by a discussion with Prof. Bald and the film’s Editor and Co-Writer, Beyza Boyacioglu (MSc, MIT Comparative Media Studies, 2019), led and moderated by students and members of Cambridge/Boston’s South Asian communities. The event is made possible by the MIT Humanities Insight Collaborative and is in collaboration with community partner SubDrift Boston. It is sponsored by the departments of Comparative Media Studies/Writing and Art, Culture, and Technology, with additional support from the Asian American Initiative and the South Asian Association of Students.As a teen in 1980s New York, Alaudin Ullah was swept up by the revolutionary energy of hip-hop. He rebelled against his Muslim immigrant parents and rejected his Bangladeshi roots. Now an actor and playwright navigating post-9/11 Islamophobia, he embarks on a journey to tell the stories of the parents he never truly knew. IN SEARCH OF BENGALI HARLEM follows Alaudin on this profound quest from the tenements of mid-20th-century Harlem to the villages of present-day Bangladesh, revealing the lost, intertwined histories of South Asian Muslims, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans and the challenges and necessity of inter-generational healing.“In Search of Bengali Harlem is remarkable in the way it tells the decades-long story of the Bengali community’s integration in Harlem, and the way Black and Brown people found each other, peeling back layer after deeply personal layer of one subject’s life. With a charismatic lead and beautiful musical accompaniment, this film provides a unique perspective of the immigrant experience and honors the singular place New York City has held throughout America’s history.” – Juror’s Statement, DOC NYC 2022, Metropolis Competition.

Bhagavad Gita Fall Lecture SeriesJoin HG Sadananda Dasa, MIT Vaishnava Hindu Chaplain, for a weekly journey into the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita. Explore profound questions about identity, purpose, karma, yoga, love, and selfless service, and discover practical insights for living a meaningful and spiritually grounded life. Each session combines reflection, discussion, and practical tools for self-realization.RSVP: tinyurl.com/mitgita25

Time: 6:30 PMLocation: Cambridge, MA

Time: 6:30 PMLocation: Cambridge, MA

MIT’s Annual Family Weekend ConcertSonic Innovations—Celebrating maverick musiciansFriday, October 24, 2025/8:00 p.m.Kresge Auditorium, MITMIT Wind Ensemble, MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble & MIT Vocal Jazz EnsembleFrederick Harris, Jr., Music DirectorKenneth Amis, Assistant ConductorLaura Grill Jaye, Music DirectorJoin gifted MIT musicians for a thrilling evening of music by artists who have made a mark in their respective genres. The MIT Wind Ensemble performs Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, Valerie Coleman’s Roma, Eric Witacre’s October, and Kenneth Amis’ arrangement of Dvořák’s rousing Slavonic Dance No. 3. The MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble performs a high-spirited set of pieces by Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, and Count Basie.Reserve tickets here!If you cannot attend this performance, we encourage you to watch via livestream.Seating PolicyYour registration through Eventbrite guarantees you a seat until 15 minutes before the event start time. 15 minutes before the concert start time, we will release open seats to the standby list. If you were not able to register through Eventbrite, you may join the physical standby line in the Kresge Auditorium Lobby up to one hour before the concert start time.Don't miss a downbeat! Click here to subscribe to the Events Newsletter.

Time: 7:00 PMLocation: Springfield, MA / Springfield College

Time: TBALocation: Worcester, MA / Lake Quinsigamond

Time: 10:00 AMLocation: Medford, MA

Time:Location: Philadelphia, PA / Temple University

Time: TBALocation: Saratoga Springs, NY / Fish Creek

The irony of artificial intelligence is that it often reveals more about human intelligence than machines themselves.From AI in the home to robots in the workplace, the presence of AI all around us compels us to question its potential and recognize the risks. What has become clear is that the more we advance AI technology and consider machine ability versus human ability, the more we need to mind the gap.Researchers at MIT have been at the forefront of this evolving field. The work presented in this exhibition builds on the pioneering contributions of figures such as Claude Shannon and Seymour Papert, while highlighting contemporary research that spans computer science, mechanical engineering, neuroscience, and the social sciences.As research probes the connections between human and machine intelligence, it also underscores the profound differences. With AI now embedded in everyday life — from smart assistants in our homes to robots in the workplace — we are challenged to ask critical questions about its potential, its risks, and the boundaries between machine ability and human capability.Join us in shining light on the tremendous promise, unforeseen impacts, and everyday misconceptions of AI in this riveting, interactive exhibition.Learn more about the exhibition.

Imagine different worlds in Cosmograph: Speculative Fictions for the New Space Age, an exhibition that brings art and science together to examine possible futures where outer space is both a frontier for human exploration and a new territory for exploitation and development by private enterprise.We are living at the dawn of a New Space Age. What will the future hold? Will space elevators bring humanity's space junk to turn it into useful material here on Earth? Will asteroid mining be the next frontier in prospecting? Will the promise of geo-engineering turn into a nightmare of unintended consequences?Explore these possibilities and more in our new exhibition that blurs the lines between fact and fantasy, and art and science.

MIT is not a place so much as it is a unique collection of exceptional people.What is essential at MIT is asking questions others may not ask, trying the unexpected in pursuit of a greater solution, and embracing distinctive skills and combinations of talents. Whether encompassing global issues, ventures into space, or efforts to improve our daily lives, stories told in this exhibit showcase the process of discovery that sits at the heart of MIT.Delve into the experimental culture and collaborative spirit of the MIT community in this dynamic and interactive exploration of groundbreaking projects and ongoing innovation."MIT’s greatest invention may be itself—an unusual concentration of unusual talent, forever reinventing itself on a mission to make a better world." — President L. Rafael ReifLocated in the Brit J. (1961) and Alex (1949) d'Arbeloff GallerySupported by the Biogen Foundation

How can code be used as a creative tool by artists and designers?This question motivates the work of the Future Sketches group at the MIT Media Lab. Led by artist and educator Zach Lieberman, the group aims to help us “see” code by using it to make artistically controlled, computer-generated visuals.Explore some of the latest research from the group that uses typography and digital tools to create interactive, creative, and immersive work.Located in our Martin J. (1959) and Eleanor C. Gruber Gallery.

Experience the captivating work of Arthur Ganson, where his perceptions of the world are choreographed into the subtle movements and gestures of his artistic machines."These machines are daydreams condensed into physical form, computer programs manifesting in three-dimensional space." - Arthur GansonArthur Ganson's medium is a feeling or idea inspired by the world he perceives around him – from the delicate fluttering of paper to the sheer scale of the universe. Combining engineering genius with whimsical choreography, he creates machines to encode those ideas into the physical world. But he invites everyone to draw their own conclusions on the meaning behind the subtle gestures of the machines.Currently on display are a select group of Arthur Ganson's works from our MIT Museum Collection. We expect to exhibit his work in large numbers in the future.

MIT Collects features objects and other media from the museum's vast collection, arranged in areas that tell stories, explore themes, and dive into subject areas.Modeling Everything:Models and model-making, both the objects and the action, are vital to every research area at MIT and to the life of the Institute itself. Explore a wide array of models for teaching, discovery, research, and documentation, from ships to crystal structures to architectural design.Radical Atoms: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.A Sequence of Actions:Developed and operated at MIT, the Differential Analyzer, Whirlwind Computer, and Apollo Guidance Computer were massive and complex projects that involved thousands of people. See historical components and artifacts from this critical era in programming during the mid-20th century and explore how these early programmers influenced today’s digital culture.Technology and the Dream:Through recordings of students, staff, researchers, and community members, listen to personal reflections and gain a sense of the Black experience at MIT. This dynamic audio installation is co-curated with the MIT Black History Project.Totally Useless Things:Toys, puzzles, and play are a significant part of the creative process. Playful activity can shape a research agenda or an entire discipline. Extracurricular play — like MIT's famous hacks — enhances creativity and community. And play itself is a rich field for scientific research. Jump in and learn how curiosity is the fuel that discovery runs on.Located in the Edward O. Thorp Gallery

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.