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.

Eversource is hosting an in-person Q&A session to provides information about specific impacts to the MIT community and what to expect during construction of the Greater Cambridge Energy Program throughout MIT's Cambridge campus. Construction is underway on Ames Street.The Greater Cambridge Energy Program (GCEP), being led and implemented by Eversource and the City of Cambridge, is designed to address the region’s growing electric demand and enhance the resiliency and flexibility of the transmission system and the grid. Find more details about the project and impacts here.

Curious about which sustainability courses to take this spring? Join us for a rapid-fire pitch session featuring more than 12 MIT faculty members sharing what you can expect from their upcoming sustainability courses.Bring your questions, discover new opportunities, and get inspired ahead of registration.

This seminar, open to the MIT community, will be given by Dr. Christopher Borroni-Bird and moderated by Prof. Jinhua Zhao.Dr. Borroni-Bird is a visionary in sustainable mobility whose work bridges deep technical rigor, social impact, and bold design thinking. In his current role as founder of AfreecarLLC, Borroni-Bird is driving a mission to deliver sustainable, low-cost mobility and distributed power to under-served communities worldwide. His newly published Sustainable and Affordable Mobility for Alloffers a compelling narrative and technical roadmap for a future in which personal mobility, energy access, and climate justice converge.Please register for the seminar here.Conversations with VisionariesIn parallel with the seminar, Dr. Borroni-Bird will join a session for students from 5:00-6:00 PM on the same day to share his personal and career journey.Find more details about the student session here.

The Macroeconomic Impact of Climate Change: Global vs. Local Temperature | Diego Kanzig (Northwestern)