Cultural capital and access to opportunity: Evidence from subcaste norms in India | Paul Novosad

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

Feeling that winter slump? This workshop will introduce evidence-based skills from MGH’s Resilience and Prevention Program to help you build emotional strength, manage stress, and overcome challenges. This session is a precursor to April’s Resilience Training Series, but can be attended as a stand-alone workshop.

Come relax with us and enjoy some fun conversation! No need to RSVP: just show up with your friends!

Please join us on Wednesday, March 5, at 4 pm in Room 2-190 for the C.C. Mei Distinguished Speaker Series with Dr. Trent Northen.Abstract Title: The Chemical Underground: Are Rhizosphere Microbes Hooked on Root Exudates?Abstract:Plants release a large fraction of the carbon they fix into the soil surrounding roots (the rhizosphere), shaping soil microbial communities to support plant health and productivity. Understanding rhizosphere processes is critical for sustainable agriculture and managing soil carbon cycling. However, these interactions remain poorly understood due to the inherent complexity and inaccessibility of these ecosystems. Progress has been further hindered by the lack of standard, replicable experimental systems, making it difficult for scientists to build on each other’s findings.In this talk, I will describe our approach to constructing fabricated rhizosphere ecosystems and share results from the first multilaboratory microbiome reproducibility study. Additionally, I will highlight recent discoveries from our work, including the unexpected exudation of dopamine—a key human neurotransmitter—by plant roots, and discuss the potential role of catecholamines in directing rhizosphere microbial community assembly.Bio:Dr. Trent Northen is Deputy Division Director and a Senior Scientist within the Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division at Berkeley Lab. His laboratory focuses on understanding the role of exogenous small molecule metabolites in mediating microbial interactions with other microbes and plant hosts and how these processes impact soil carbon cycling. A long-term goal of the Northen lab is to help harness plants and microbes for sustainable agriculture—including to restore soil carbon and improve soil health. Towards these goals the Northen lab has developed a range of metabolomic, cheminformatic, and bioinformatic capabilities for metabolite identification and analysis. Dr. Northen has also championed the development of fabricated ecosystems spanning scales and complexity.The C.C. Mei Distinguished Speaker Series was founded and has been organized in honor of Prof. Chiang C. Mei. It aims to provide a vibrant forum for highly distinguished speakers, from around the world, to share their research with the CEE, MIT, and local Boston community.