Back by popular demand! This event goes on sale on October 7th, 2025.NeuroGraphica is a method of art based on psychological research. It helps put our minds in a relaxed state to enable us to connect with our subconscious mind.Join the NeuroMandala of Empowerment class—a unique workshop that combines the Law of Attraction with the Neurographica method to help you tap into your inner power and turn your ideas into real actions. This isn’t just about feeling more confident. It’s about discovering your true strength and using it to create a better future. Whether you want a new job, a career boost, or to start your own business, this masterclass is a powerful first step.You’ll learn how the Neurographica method can unlock creativity, reduce stress, and support your personal growth.Join Jaga Purevsuren, a Certified Neurographica Instructor, Aesthetic Coach, and NeuroFacilitator. She loves Neurographica because it is a creative tool that allows us to "talk" to our subconscious minds, rewrite any negative obstacles, and build our lives with the tip of a marker.This event is open the MIT Community only.

Stop by before you start your day to grab a coffee or tea and a breakfast treat! Connect with old friends, meet new ones, and let's talk about the kind of events you'd like to see from the WL this semester.Please RSVP so we know how much coffee to brew!Tickets go on sale on 9/8/25.This event is open the MIT Community only.

Lourido lab I “A systematic analysis of Myb domain–containing proteins in Toxoplasma gondii”

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.

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.

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.

Jumpstart your postdoc experience! Plan Your Postdoc (PYP) is a signature program for early stage postdoctoral scholars who have joined MIT for less than a year. Participants attend four 1 to 1.5 hour lectures/planning sessions, panels, and interactive workshops to kickstart their career developmentJoin us for the final PYP event which is open to ALL postdocs: Spend time learning how to effectively communicate in tense or misaligned settings. Learn a specific de-escalation technique, discuss techniques you have found helpful to re-align goals, and practice communication skills using case studies in a closed environment with your postdoc peers.This event is only open to MIT Postdocs. Registration is required for this event. Please register here.

Electron microscopy and atomic-scale materials characterization are undergoing a revolution fueled by the new capabilities of electron ptychography, which is setting records for spatial resolution—down to 20 picometers. In this talk, Pinshane Y. Huang from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will discuss how her group is developing atomically precise methods to characterize materials using electron ptychography and the new science these capabilities enable. Their work spans applications from visualizing thermal vibrations atom-by-atom to recovering 3D atomic coordinates of 2D moiré materials from a single projection.

"Geographic Variation in Healthcare Utilization: The Role of Physicians" | Amy Finkelstein (MIT)

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

Speaker: Lior Alon (MIT)Title: Periodic Hypersurfaces, Lighthouse Measures, and Lee–Yang PolynomialsAbstract: There is a hierarchy of regularity for continuous ℤ𝑛 -periodic functions in ℝ𝑛 , 𝐶0 ⊃ 𝐶1 ⊃ ⋯ ⊃ 𝐶∞ ⊃ analytic ⊃ trigonomet- ric polynomial, and the decay of the Fourier coefficients pre- cisely reflects this regularity. In particular, the support supp(f̂) is finite if and only if 𝑓 is a trigonometric polynomial. Periodic hypersurfaces in ℝ𝑛 exhibit a similar regularity hierarchy, but there is no analogous Fourier description.In this talk, I will present a joint work with Mario Kummer in which we provide a sufficient Fourier-criterion for a 𝐶1+𝜖 peri- odic hypersurface Σ ⊂ ℝ𝑛 to be the zero set of a trigonomet- ric polynomial of the form 𝑝(𝑒2𝜋𝑖𝑥1, … , 𝑒2𝜋𝑖𝑥𝑛 ) with 𝑝 Lee–Yang polynomial.The criterion can be stated using a recent notion introduced by Yves Meyer: a periodic and positive Radon measure 𝑚 on ℝ𝑛 is a lighthouse measure if supp(𝑚) has zero Lebesgue measure and supp(m̂) is contained in a proper double cone.Our proof relies on the classification of one-dimensional Fourier quasicrystals. No field specific background is assumed. This work is based on collaborations with Alex Cohen, Pavel Kurasov,and Cynthia Vinzant.

The Provost’s and Chancellor’s offices invite undergraduates and research mentors to participate in the first ever Institute-wide UROP Mixer happening on Tue, Oct 28th. This expo-style event aims to connect undergraduates with mentors offering exciting UROP opportunities (across all MIT disciplines) for IAP, Spring, and Summer 2026.Prepare for a welcoming and engaging environment that encourages thoughtful conversations and sparks new research collaborations. Halloween-themed treats and swag will be on hand to keep the energy high and the conversations flowing!Undergraduates interested in connecting with researchers across a broad range of research areas may sign up for the Mixer here.MIT researchers actively recruiting for UROP students (or simply wanting to showcase their work) are strongly encouraged to participate. Mentor sign up for table space is here.Any questions regarding this event may be directed to the Katey Provost.

RSVP for the Zoom webinar here.Speaker:Andrea Kendall-Taylor is a senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). She works on national security challenges facing the United States and Europe, focusing on Russia, authoritarianism and threats to democracy, and the state of the transatlantic alliance.Discussants:Carol Saivetz is a senior fellow in the MIT Security Studies Program at the Center for International Studies (CIS). She is the author and contributing co-editor of books and articles on Soviet and now Russian foreign policy issues.Elizabeth Wood is Ford International Professor of History at MIT. She is the author most recently of Roots of Russia’s War in Ukraine as well as articles on Vladimir Putin, the political cult of WWII, right-wing populism in Russia and Turkey, and U.S.-Russian Partnerships in Science. She is director of the MIT-Ukraine Program at CIS.This event is co-sponsored by the Center for International Studies, the MIT-Eurasia program, and the MIT Security Studies Program (SSP).

Shifrah Aron-Dine (UC Berkeley) | joint w/ Environmental

"Rebuild or Relocate? Recovery after Natural Disasters" | Shifrah Aron-Dine (UC Berkeley) (joint with Macro)

Speaker: Uriya First (University of Haifa)Title: Higher Essential Dimension: First StepsAbstract:Let $G$ be a linear algebraic group over a field $k$. Loosely speaking, the essential dimension of $G$ measures the number of independent parameters that are required to define a $G$-torsor over a $k$-field. It measures the complexity of $G$-torsors and equivalent objects. One formal way to define it is to say that the essential dimension of $G$ is $\leq m$ if every $G$-torsor over a finite-type $k$-scheme is, away from some codimension-$1$ closed subscheme, the specialization of a $G$-torsor over a finite-type $k$-scheme of dimension $m$.Recently, for every integer $d\geq 0$, we defined the $d$-essential dimension of $G$, denoted $\mathrm{ed}^{(d)}(G)$, by replacing ``codimension-$1$'' with ``codimension-$(d+1)$''. After recalling ordinary essential dimension and its usages, I will discuss work in progress about the new sequence of invariants $\{\mathrm{ed}^{(d)}(G)\}_{d\geq 0}$ and its asymptotic behavior as $d\to \infty$. For example, $\mathrm{ed}^{(d)}(\mathbf{G}_m)=d$, $\mathrm{ed}^{(d)}(\mathbf{\mu}_n)=d+1$ and $\mathrm{ed}^{(d (\mathbf{G}_m\times\mathbf{G}_m)=2d$ in characteristic $0$. Moreover, there is a dichotomy between unipotent and non-unipotent groups: If $G$ is unipotent, the sequence $\{\mathrm{ed}^{(d)}(G)\}_{d\geq 0}$ is bounded, whereas if $G$ is not unipotent, then $\mathrm{ed}^{(d) (G)\geq d-C_G$ for some constant $C_G$. There are also some interesting anomalies.

Join us for a presentation and panel discussion on science storytelling through book arts with artists Bo-Won Keum (Lecturer, MIT Architecture), Sarah Hulsey (PhD in Linguistics, MIT) and Caroline Hu (Assistant Professor of Biology, Massachusetts College of Art and Design). Light refreshments provided. Registration encouraged.The term book arts encompasses artwork inspired by the concept, form, and function of the book. It includes formats such as artist’ books, zines, and comics. MIT Libraries’ Distinctive Collections holds a growing collection of artists’ books and zines that align with the Institute’s core values and enhance its teaching and research mission.Schedule for event:5:10-5:15 - Introductory remarks5:15-6:00 - Panelists' presentations6:00-6:15 - Discussion and Q&A6:15-6:30 - RefreshmentsThis event is part of the Libraries' Science Storytelling through Book Arts series. Other events in the series include a zine-making workshop and an open house featuring new acquisitions and other materials from Distinctive Collections and Rotch Library.

Presented by David DiPasquale Professor of the Practice in the Department of Political Science at Boston CollegeAbstract: The brief talk will introduce the key elements and players involved in the so-called “Maimonidean Controversy” of the 13th/14th centuries, when rabbinic authorities in Montpellier and Barcelona condemned Moses ben Maimon (d. 1204) as a heretic and encouraged the burning of his Mishneh Torah and Guide of the Perplexed. We will trace the origins of this heretical brand of Aristotelianism back to the writings of Muslim philosopher Abu Nasr Alfarabi (d. 950), and compare this radical tradition of “modern” or post-classical philosophy with the more famous one inspired by Machiavelli.Bio: David M. DiPasquale is Professor of the Practice in the Department of Political Science at Boston College, where he serves as Director of both the undergraduate John Marshall Project and Graduate Studies in the Islamic Civilization and Societies Program.Ancient Medieval Studies Colloquium Fall 2025 | Website December 2 – AMS: Sarah Olsen, Williams College & Naomi Weiss, Harvard University

Ashish Avikunthak Presented with The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture and the HTC Forum Part of the MIT Fall 2025 Architecture Lecture Series.Bureaucratic Archaeology: State, Science and Past in Postcolonial IndiaIn this talk, Ashish Avikunthak outlines the central arguments of his book Bureaucratic Archaeology: State, Science and Past in Postcolonial India (Cambridge University Press, 2021), an ethnographic investigation into the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and its role in shaping archaeological narratives in postcolonial India. Rather than presenting a linear or celebratory history of Indian archaeology, Avikunthak offers a critical account of how a modest colonial institution transformed into a formidable bureaucratic apparatus. He demonstrates how contemporary ASI’s practices are driven by nationalist imperatives, claims to scientific authority, and spatial politics, revealing archaeology’s instrumental role in constructing a Hindu-centric vision of the past. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews, the book exposes the stratification of archaeological labor and the spatial segregation between archaeologists and workers, echoing colonial hierarchies. Through the ASI’s work at Harappan sites in western India, Avikunthak reveals how archaeology is mobilized to legitimize a flawed narrative of Vedic-Aryan origins, reinforcing ideological agendas under the guise of scientific inquiry. Avikunthak connects these practices to broader political movements, notably the ASI-led excavations at Ayodhya following the demolition of the Babri Masjid, illustrating archaeology’s entanglement with religious nationalism. The book critiques the objectivity of ASI archaeology, showing how its epistemology is subverted by postcolonial corruption and Hindutva ideology.BiographyAshish Avikunthak is an Indian avant-garde filmmaker, film theorist, archaeologist and cultural anthropologist. His films have been the subject of more than a dozen retrospectives, eighteen solo shows and they have been shown worldwide in major film festivals, group shows and museums. He has been named Future Greats 2014 by Art Review. In 2025, he received the Ground Glass Award from Prismatic Ground, the New York–based festival of experimental documentary and avant-garde film, in recognition of his "outstanding contributions to the field of experimental media." He is the author of “Bureaucratic Archaeology: State, Science and Past in Postcolonial India,” published by Cambridge University Press in 2021, that ethnographically interrogates the role of Archaeological Survey of India in the making of the past in contemporary India. His scholarly works have been published in the Journal of Social Archaeology, Journal of Material Culture, Contributions to Indian Sociology and The Indian Economic and Social History Review among other publications. He has a PhD in cultural anthropology from Stanford University and earlier taught at Yale University. He is now a Professor of Film media at the Harrington School of Communication, University of Rhode Island.This lecture will be held in person in Long Lounge, 7-429 and streamed online on YouTube.Lectures are free and open to the public. Lectures will be held Thursdays at 6 PM ET in 7-429 (Long Lounge) and streamed online unless otherwise noted. HTC Forum events are made possible with the generous support of Thomas Beischer through the Lipstadt-Stieber Fund.

Join us at the MIT Museum for an evening exploring the connection between living organisms and the natural cycle of light and dark at the opening of Lighten Up! On Biology and Time.Part of the MIT Museum’s TIME thematic season, Lighten Up! features fifteen artists with eighteen immersive artworks, installations, and experiential environments, including work by Carsten Höller, James Carpenter, Liliane Lijn, Helga Schmid, and more. This exhibition was originally organized and presented by EPFL Pavilions and was curated by Anna Wirz-Justice, Marilyne Andersen, Sarah Kenderdine, and Giulia Bini.The evening will feature a panel discussion with Marilyne Andersen, artist Alan Bogana, and Harvard Professor of Neurobiology Elizabeth Klerman, moderated by MIT Museum Director Michael John Gorman, followed by a reception where visitors can explore the exhibition.Lighten Up! at the MIT Museum is supported by generous donors to the 2025 McDermott Award Gala, hosted by the Council for the Arts at MIT. This reception is supported by SwissNex.Doors open at 6:15pm. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that some ticket holders may be required to stand.We have a limited number of free tickets available for students. Please reach out to museumregadmin@mit.edu.

Time: 6:00 PMLocation: Babson Park, MA