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: Jeffrey Ratmell, University of ChicagoHost: Alison RingelTitle: TBDThe Biology Colloquium is a weekly seminar held throughout the academic year — featuring distinguished speakers in many areas of the biological sciences from universities and institutions worldwide. More information on speakers, their affiliations, and titles of their talks will be added as available. Unless otherwise stated, the Colloquium will be held live in Stata 32-123 (Kirsch auditorium) Contact Margaret Cabral with questions.

Cristina Arellano (FRB Minneapolis)

Brain-Body Music: Bridging Neuroscience, Physiology, and Human–Computer InteractionThis talk will present new directions in brain–body music research, situated within the broader field of human–computer interaction. I will share interactive systems and experimental studies from the Brain Music Lab that use brain and body signals—such as EEG, heart rate, and respiration—to create dynamic musical feedback. These systems serve as testbeds for embodied communication between humans and machines, and as tools for studying how music mediates empathy, attention, and social connection. Alongside the scientific investigations, I will highlight performances and installations that transform physiological data into sound, demonstrating how creative practice can advance HCI research while opening new avenues for musical expression.Bio: Grace Leslie is a researcher, composer, and flutist advancing the science and practice of music technology at the intersection of neuroscience and human–computer interaction. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder (ATLAS Institute; College of Music), where she directs the Brain Music Lab.Her research investigates how music interfaces with brain and body, with a focus on sensorimotor synchronization, multisensory biofeedback, and inter-brain coupling. Through experiments and interactive systems, Leslie explores music as a medium for communication, empathy, and regulation. This work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, including a prestigious NSF CAREER Award, which supports her lab’s development of new brain–body music interfaces.Leslie’s publications span music cognition, human–computer interaction, and interactive system design, and her research has been featured in both scientific and artistic venues worldwide. Complementing this scholarship, her performances and installations transform EEG, heart, and breath signals into immersive sonic experiences, translating physiological states into sound.

Lucas Epp The Edward and Mary Allen Lecture in Structural Design Part of the MIT Fall 2024 Architecture Lecture Series. Presented with the Building Technology Group.Lucas is a structural engineer with more than 19 years of experience working in Canada, the UK, and New Zealand. After graduating from UBC, he spent several years working for StructureCraft, where he was responsible for modelling several large-scale timber projects including the 2010 Olympic Speed Skating Oval roof structure. Following a desire to explore abroad, he moved to London, UK for 5 years to work for Buro Happold. While there, he worked with some of the world's leading architects designing a range of projects including London's Olympic Stadium and a 300m (1000ft) tower in Kuwait. He then moved to New Zealand, working there on several seismically challenging projects for 2 years prior to returning to Canada.His expertise with complex geometry and challenging structures has led to involvement in projects where the close interaction of architecture and structure is critical to the success of the project. Lucas has been an invited speaker and guest lecturer at ETH Zurich, the Architectural Association in London, and MIT, among others.Lucas has had a lifelong exposure to timber, working at StructureCraft from a young age on the shop floor. He has since been involved in many of the company's signature projects, including the sweeping 200m (650 ft) long Arena Stage Theatre facade in Washington, DC and an 80m (265 ft) clear span footbridge in Banff, and now leads the engineering department at StructureCraft.This lecture will be held in person in Huntington Hall, 10-250 and streamed online.Lectures are free and open to the public. Watch the webcast on YouTube.

Time: 5:00 PMLocation: Cambridge, MA