Facilitated by Program Manager, Jennifer Recklet Tassi, this private appointment is a time to ask questions, voice concerns, and reimagine your life here in Boston. We can spend the time talking about whatever is on your mind - from job search and career development to navigating a new city to figuring out how to make your experience in Boston productive and meaningful.Appointments will be available at various times during the week. Consults are held on Zoom, Skype, or phone.Book a 30 minute private appointment: mspc.youcanbook.me here.

February 26, 2025 - July 17, 2025Hidden within MIT’s Distinctive Collections, many architectural elements from the earliest days of the Institute’s architecture program still survive as part of the Rotch Art Collection. Among the artworks that conservators salvaged was a set of striking windows of gypsum and stained-glass, dating to the late 18th- to 19th c. Ottoman Empire. This exhibition illuminates the life of these historic windows, tracing their refracted histories from Egypt to MIT, their ongoing conservation, and the cutting-edge research they still prompt.The Maihaugen Gallery (14N-130) is open Monday through Thursday, 10am - 4pm, excluding Institute holidays.

In this webinar, hosted by MIT Open Learning, authors from the AI + Open Education Initiative will discuss rapid response papers on the topics of professional education, the judicious use of AI, and open practices. The following papers and authors will be spotlighted:AI Literacies and the Advancement of Opened Cultures with Angela Gunder and Joshua HerronAuto Evaluation: A Critical Measure in Driving Improvements in Quality and Safety of AI-Generated Lesson Resources with Hannah-Beth Clark and Margaux DowlandBefore opening to audience questions, speakers will engage with respondent Nick Baker, the director of the Office of Open Learning at the University of Windsor, in a discussion on:How AI might accelerate responsive open education practicesWhat inequalities might become more entrenched through AI applicationsWhat new literacies are needed for creators of open content co-creating with AI?The purpose of this webinar is to shape the discourse about these pressing issues, and to invite multiple perspectives as we tackle these challenges together. REGISTER NOW

Calling all music lovers for our DJ showcase at MIT! "Class Dismissed" will feature an amazing lineup of student DJs, each showcasing their unique skills and styles across a variety of genres. Whether you're into house, disco, hip-hop, or anything in between, come celebrate the end of the semester with us. See you on the dancefloor!This showcase is hosted by the students of CMS.303/803/21M.765J DJ History, Technology, and Technique.

Speaker: Quilee Simeon (Boyden Lab)Title: Using C. elegans as a Platform for Multimodal Neural DataAbstract: This talk explores how the nematode C. elegans presents an opportunity for integrating multiple dimensions of neural function. With only 302 neurons, complete connectome mapping, optical transparency, and genetic tractability, C. elegans enables comprehensive study across three fundamental modalities: molecular genetic profiles, network connectivity, and neural activity dynamics. I'll discuss recent technological advances allowing whole-nervous-system measurements of these modalities, computational frameworks for their integration, and propose approaches to overcome current limitations in multimodal data acquisition and integration.Speaker: Rebecca Pinals (Tsai Lab)Title: Alzheimer’s disease risk triad drives perturbations in the brain lipid economyAbstract: Lipid dysregulation is increasingly recognized as a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Many of the top risk genes for AD are involved in lipid handling and metabolism. In particular, the strongest AD risk gene, APOE, encodes a lipid transporter protein, ApoE. APOE4 glia have been previously shown to accumulate excess lipid droplets in a manner that impairs neuronal support, and ApoE4 protein is less efficient at transporting lipids compared to the non-risk form, ApoE3. Together, this APOE4 risk gene, age, and female chromosomal sex comprise the so-called Alzheimer’s risk triad. Herein, we investigate how these three major risk factors interact to produce lipidomic changes in mice expressing humanized APOE, focusing on the brain and surrounding cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Our findings indicate that age induces global, sex-dependent lipidomic changes in brain tissue, which are exacerbated by the inability of ApoE4 in the CSF to adapt to this aging lipid profile. We further validate and expand upon these results by analyzing lipidomic changes in two human patient cohorts representative of the AD risk triad. Based on these findings, we introduce a brain-inspired biosynthetic nanoparticle strategy aimed at correcting lipid imbalances that arise in AD. This approach shows promise in human APOE4 astrocyte cell culture and an AD mouse model, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic strategy for mitigating lipid imbalances in the AD brain.

This year, MIT student SERC Scholars teamed up with students from HBCUs to design and implement research projects on generative AI and democracy. Please join us on May 12 anytime from 12pm-1pm for a casual pick-up lunch in the Stata Center’s TSMC lobby as you explore these students’ posters and interactive projects.Human vs. AI-generated Political Arguments: This study examines how human-written versus AI-generated persuasive arguments from political parties affect participant opinions. Social Media Algorithms, User Experience, and Polarization: This project explores people’s social media experiences and user journeys and studies how demographic differences changes those experiences. Deliberate Self-Questioning: Socratic and Forced Argumentation Games on Deliberation.io: This project examines the effectiveness of interventions involving (i) Socratic questioning and (ii) forced defense of an opposing perspective at reducing polarization.Co-sponsored by SERC, GovLab, and MIT Radius.

Ocean discoveries over the past 50 years have reshaped our understanding of Earth's systems. Advances in robotics and sensors now enable unprecedented deep-sea and coastal exploration, uncovering microbes and fungi crucial to ocean health and carbon cycling. Meanwhile, satellite Earth observation has revolutionized ocean monitoring and resource management.But how do these two realms—space and the deep sea—intersect to advance research and policymaking? How do satellite data and deep-sea sensors work together to drive biological discoveries and inform climate strategies? Join our experts in deep-sea exploration, marine microbial ecology, and space technologies as they explore these questions and more with the MIT Science Policy Review.Speakers:Katy Croff Bell, PhD, Founder and President, Ocean Discovery League: deep-sea explorer dedicated to democratizing ocean exploration through low-cost technologies, AI-driven data analysis, and capacity building. Bell’s expertise spans ocean engineering, maritime archaeology, and geological oceanography, and she has led numerous expeditions to advance accessible deep-sea discovery.Jo Hickman, Ph.D. student MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography, Applied Ocean Science and Engineering: studies marine microbial ecology, focusing on the biodiversity and ecological roles of understudied microbial eukaryotes in the open ocean. Hickman leverages a background in bioinformatics, earth science, and philosophy to bridge ocean science, technology, and policy for climate change mitigation and environmental decision-making.Minoo Rathnasabapathy, PhD, Research Engineer and Program Lead, Future Worlds, MIT Media Lab: expert in space technologies driving climate intelligence and sustainability solutions. Rathnasabapathy combines an aerospace engineering background with global space policy leadership to bridge innovation and governance in addressing pressing environmental challenges.Moderator:Amelia Macapia, Guest Investigator, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: researcher in bioacoustics and sensory ecology studying acoustic monitoring for science-based conservation and management.Please RSVP here. There is a Zoom option available; please indicate if you prefer that option in your RSVP. A link will be sent to you prior to the event.Lunch will be available. Contact Kate Danahy at kdanahy@mit.edu with any questions.This event is part of the CIS Global Research & Policy Seminar Series. Join our mailing list here to learn about upcoming seminars in the series.

Speaker: Melanie Machett Wood (Harvard University)Title: Finite quotients of 3-manifold groupsAbstract: It is well-known that for any finite group G, there exists a closed 3-manifold M with G as a quotient of the fundamental group of M. However, we can ask more detailed questions about the possible finite quotients of 3-manifold groups, e.g. for G and H finite groups, does there exist a 3-manifold group with G as a quotient but not H as a quotient? We answer all such questions. To prove non-existence, we prove new parity properties of the fundamental groups of 3-manifolds. To prove existence of 3-manifolds with certain finite quotients but not others, we use a probabilistic method, by first proving a formula for the distribution of the fundamental group of a random 3-manifold, in the sense of Dunfield-Thurston. This is joint work with Will Sawin.A fireside chat and a reception will follow the talk.

Love environmental data? So do we.Join MIT Libraries and the Public Environmental Data Partners (PEDP) for our next datathon, focused on understanding risks to data, the tools to preserve it, and the many ways you can help. Whether you’re a seasoned scraper or brand new to data, all are welcome. Training provided. We’ll spend the afternoon digging into datasets that need saving to keep them usable for the long haul. Monday, May 12, at the GIS & Data Lab (7A-100) in Rotch Library (enter Building 7, 2nd floor).Space is limited, sign up now!

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

Let's meet, drink bubble tea, and speak! Practice a language with a group of native speakers and other language learners, meet other language lovers, and learn about the LCE.The registration is here.Anyone who is affiliated with MIT can participate in the LCE. Our members include students, staff, visiting scientists and scholars, faculty members, and their spouses and partners.

Speaker: Sky Cao (MIT)Title: Global well-posedness of the dynamical sine-Gordon model up to 6πAbstract:I will discuss recent work which shows global well-posedness of the dynamical sine-Gordon model up to the third threshold, i.e. 6π. The key novelty in the approach is the introduction of the so-called resonant equation, whose solution is entirely deterministic and which completely captures the size of the solution to the dynamical sine-Gordon model. The probabilistic fluctuations in the dynamical sine-Gordon model are then controlled using uniform estimates for modified stochastic objects. Joint with Bjoern Bringmann.--*Note the earlier start time.

Aging Brain Seminar with Andrew S. Yoo, PhD, Washington University School of MedicineDate: Monday, May 12Time: 4:00pmLocation: 46-3310, Picower Seminar RoomModeling Late-Onset Neurodegeneration Via MicroRNA-Mediated Neuronal ReprogrammingThe Yoo lab's primary goal is to uncover the genetic pathways driving neurogenesis and develop strategies to generate human neurons by directly converting non-neural cells like fibroblasts. We use this approach to model aging of neurons and its link to late-onset neurodegenerative disorders. Our work focuses on brain-enriched microRNAs, miR-9/9* and miR-124, which trigger the direct conversion of fibroblasts into neurons while preserving the cellular age signature. This allows us to create age-matched neurons for studying adult-onset disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease.Andrew Yoo received his bachelor's degree in Neurophysiology from McGill University and his PhD in Genetics and Development from Columbia University. He conducted his postdoctoral work at Stanford University, focusing on the role of the BAF chromatin remodeling complex during neural development. There, he discovered how microRNAs instruct the function of BAF complexes during neurogenesis and demonstrated the potency of microRNAs as regulators of cell fate. His lab developed high-efficiency conversion methods to generate human neurons using microRNAs as cell-reprogramming effectors and to model late-onset neurodegeneration using patient-derived neurons. His work has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from the White House, the NIH Director's New Innovator Award, the Mallinckrodt Scholar Award, and the HDF Transformative Research Award.

https://broad.io/BroadM ITSeminarSeriesStructural plasticity in alphavirusinteractions with cellular receptors

Meredith Startz Dartmouth University (joint with IO, Trade and Devo)

Meredith Startz (Dartmouth)

Meredith Startz (Dartmouth)

The Department of Mathematics welcomes École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne professor Thomas Vidick to our annual Simons Lecture Series, May 12-14:Surprises in Quantum Complexity TheoryLecture 1: Some complexity challenges from quantum information Lecture 2: Entanglement, interactive proofs, and approximability Lecture 3: Entanglement, error-correcting codes, and proofsEach day, a reception will be held at 4pm in Room 2-290, followed by the 4:30pm lecture in Room 2-190.This annual lecture series features presentations by top mathematicians. Many thanks to the late Jim Simons and his wife, Marilyn Simons, for their continued financial support of these lectures.

Search costs, intermediation, and trade: Experimental evidence from Ugandan agricultural markets | Meredith Startz (joint with IO, Applied Micro, and Trade)

When: Almost every Monday (except Holidays) during the semester Time: 4:15pm – 5:45pm Where: Room 14N-417Come by for snacks, and tea with Literature Section friends, instructors, students, etc. What are you reading? What 21L classes are you taking or hoping to take? This event is specifically geared towards undergrads; but open to friends of the community that engage in the literary and humanities at MIT.

Speaker: Ishan Levy (University of Copenhagen)Title: The spectral Sullivan conjectureAbstract: The Sullivan conjecture, proven by Miller in 1984, says that the space of pointed maps from BCp to a finite dimensional CW-complex is contractible. I will explain a generalization of this, where BCp can be replaced with any connected p-nilpotent infinite loop space. I will also describe some consequences and questions surrounding this result.

Presented by the MIT Chamber Music Society Recital SeriesProgram TBDPlease note that this event is in-person only and will not be livestreamed.

Do you think yoga is only for young, slender, super-flexible people? Think again!Yoga for Every Body with Catherine provides a gentle yoga experience in the Kripalu tradition. It offers a safe introduction for beginners of all ages, shapes, and sizes, as well as an opportunity for more experienced practitioners to share a gentle, mindful practice.Catherine hopes that this will give everyone an opportunity to turn down the “noise” of daily living and tune in to your own body, mind, and spirit.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.

Create ephemeral, moving art using one of the most important tools in molecular biology and genetic engineering. Gel electrophoresis uses electrical currents to analyze DNA, RNA, and proteins. And now it's in your hands to make art with! In this two-part workshop, you'll learn how to "run a gel" to separate dyes and design gelatinous creations reminiscent of abstact expressionism.Session Dates: May 12 May 26$80 per person for 2 sessions | $60 with valid college ID. Participants must be available for both sessions.

Yang Sheng "Life Nourishing" Qigong is an extremely powerful tool for bringing out one's natural human potential and optimal fitness. Physical health and mental well being are a direct result of the practice.The core of our training is 'Zhan Zhuang' (Standing Meditation). It is designed to activate 'Zheng Qi' (True or Proper Qi). The effects of this training are rapid with deep therapeutic results producing a unified and balanced 'mind, body, and breath.'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.

Presented by the MIT Chamber Music Society Recital SeriesProgram TBDPlease note that this event is in-person only and will not be livestreamed.