Speaker: Graeme Milton (University of Utah)Title: Guiding Stress: From Pentamodes to Cable Webs to Masonry StructuresAbstract: Pentamode materials are a class of materials that are useful for guiding stress. In particular, they have been proposed for acoustic cloaking by guiding stress around objects and have been physically constructed. A key feature of pentamode materials is that each vertex in the material is the junction of 4 double cone elements. Thus, the tension in one element determines the tension in the other elements, and by extension uniquely determines the stress in the entire metamaterial. Here we show how this key feature can be extended to discrete wire networks, supporting forces at the terminal nodes and which may have internal nodes where no forces are applied. In usual wire or cable networks, such as in a bridge or bicycle wheel, one distributes the forces by adjusting the tension in the wires. Here our discrete networks provide an alternative way of distributing the forces through the geometry of the network. In particular the network can be chosen so it is uniloadable, i.e. supports only one set of forces at the terminal nodes. Such uniloadable networks provide the natural generalization of pentamode materials to discrete networks. We extend such a problem to compression-only 'strut nets' subjected to fixed and reactive nodal loads. These systems provide discrete element models of masonry bodies. In particular, we solve the arch problem where one wants the strut net to avoid a given set of obstacles and also allow some of the forces to be reactive ones. This is joint work with Ada Amendola, Guy Bouchitte, Andrej Cherkaev, Antonio Fortunato, Fernando Fraternali, Ornella Mattei, and Pierre Seppecher.

Birding 101: No matter where we are, we are always in nature.Learn how to look and listen for wildlife using binoculars, then go on a short walk around the MIT Open Space in search of local birds. This program is co-hosted by Mass Audubon Magazine Beach Park Nature Center.We will be offering four 30-minute sessions starting at 5:00pm, 5:30pm, 6:00pm, and 6:30pm.Meet your group in the MIT Open Space at the Against the Run clock. Space is limited and spots will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.Participating adults (21+) may also be interested in purchasing tickets for our May After Dark: Birds, happening inside the MIT Museum from 6-9pm.May 8 5-7pm Free

Iyengar yoga is Hatha yoga as taught by BKS Iyengar and develops strength, coordination, and flexibility of the body and mind. Participants learn how to use their embodiment as an anchor - a way to find peace and inner strength during busy and difficult times.Every class is different with a unique sequence based on the theme of the class and the needs of the students. Using physical alignment as a starting point, Iyengar yoga encourages the spread of intelligence throughout the body, the growth of self awareness and asana as a form of meditation.As a Certified Iyengar Teacher (CIYT) who has studied with renown teachers Patricia Walden and Jarvis Chen for over 16 years, Ashley uses individual pose modifications, props, and hands-on adjustments to support participants of all body types, ages and abilities.Iyengar yoga is truly for everyone - stiff bodies welcome!Registration is required on our wellness class website. If you do not already have an account on this website, you'll need to create one. This is fee-based class and open to the entire MIT community.

Cancer treatments kill tumor cells—does it really matter how?Cells can die or signal injury via several different biological processes or pathways, and research increasingly suggests that the particular mechanism activated by a cancer therapy can significantly affect treatment outcomes.Join us as Koch Institute researchers explain how they are leveraging specific cell injury and cell death pathways to take out tumors using new approaches to improve immunotherapy response and target aggressive, metastatic cancer cells.PresentersWhitney Henry, PhD Assistant Professor of BiologyMichael B. Yaffe MD, PhD David H. Koch Professor of Science Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering Director, MIT Center for Precision Cancer MedicineTiffany Emmons, PhD Postdoctoral Associate, Yaffe LaboratoryPrefer to attend online? Register on Zoom.Co-hosted by the MIT Club of Boston and the Koch Institute.

Swoop in and connect with your extended flock for an evening celebration of all things avian.Here's the lineup:What does an engineer see when she looks at a bird? Find out with renowned MIT Professor Lorna Gibson as she explores fantastic feathers and remarkable bills. Create your own vibrant bird-inspired art using gel plates and artist-quality printmaking supplies with the Nest, Mass Audubon's Art Studio and Maker Space. Join representatives from MIT's Beery and Broderick Labs to explore how technology and generative AI can play a role in bird research, appreciation, and conservation. Test your knowledge of bird identification, migration patterns, and more through engaging digital and analog games with the MIT Game Lab. Enjoy a special pop-up exhibition curated by the Museum of American Bird Art, featuring the beauty and wonder of birds thorugh the eyes of artists! Meet author Rosemary Mosco and check out her new book, The Birding Dictionary.Plus so much more!Delicious dumplings from Mei Mei and local brews from Lamplighter will be available for purchase.From 5-7pm, After Dark guests are also invited to join Birding 101, taking place in the MIT Open Space. The tours are available on a first come, first served basis.

Ryan Turner, ConductorJoin the MIT Chamber Chorus for their first concert of the season: "Songs from the Stage"Solo and Ensemble works from Broadway to the Met to Mass Ave! Featuring selections from:The Color PurpleCandideMerrily We Roll AlongSunday in the Park with GeorgeLa Clemenza di TitoAbout the MIT Chamber ChorusThe MIT Chamber Chorus, led by Ryan Turner, is a small student group that performs two concerts each year. Designed for the more vocally and musically advanced singer, this select ensemble is challenged with a wide variety of repertoire including music for a cappella chorus as well as choral works accompanied by small ensembles, or piano. Chamber Chorus has collaborated with the MIT Symphony, the MIT Wind Ensemble and with Theater faculty mounting chamber opera productions and opera scene programs.