Keep yourself accountable and meet your resolutions! Writing Together Online offers structured writing time to help you stay focused and productive throughout the IAP. We hold writing sessions every weekday, Monday through Friday, 9-10:30am. Join our daily 90-minute writing sessions and become part of a community of scholars who connect online, set realistic goals, and write together in the spirit of accountability and camaraderie. The program is open to all MIT students, postdocs, faculty, staff, and affiliates who are working on papers, proposals, thesis/dissertation chapters, application materials, and other writing projects.Register for IAP Writing ChallengeStarting on Mon, Jan 6th, through Fri, Jan 31st Mon-Fri 9-10:30am (Eastern Time)Those who attend at least 5 sessions during the IAP will be automatically entered into the raffle of gift-card prizes taking place on Fri, Jan 31st at 10:30am. The more you participate, the more times you will be entered into the raffle of prizes.For more information and to register, check the WCC website. Please spread the word and join with peers and friends.

Hacker Fab is an open-source initiative that provides blueprints, build instructions, and process knowledge for making nanofabrication machines and using them to create integrated circuits. Over IAP, join us for our course consisting of very brief lectures + guided build sessions, in which we will construct a photolithography stepper, spin coater, magnetron sputterer, and work towards the fabrication of diodes and transistors from scratch. The final build session will feature a short lecture and guidance from BreakingTaps!Hacker Fab will be sticking around at MIT after IAP, and is looking for student leaders that would be interested in taking ownership of project directions into the academic year.Please join the Hacker Fab Discord here and assign yourself a role as an MIT student: https://discord.gg/zfssVDC9

Monday, January 27-Friday, January 31, 2025 9:00 am - 1:00 pm ET each day (5 classes) Location: 3-133 Register by Saturday, January 25. Email Pablo Duenas (pduenas@mit.edu)For the 16th consecutive year, this five-session hands-on learning experience continues to evolve, delving into mathematical modeling to understand and accelerate the transition toward net-zero targets. With a primary focus on electricity systems, the course examines their pivotal role in a carbon-constrained economy. Participants will address critical challenges, such as the deployment of renewable energy resources, the surge in active demand response and electric vehicle integration, the synergies between electricity and hydrogen to support deep decarbonization, and the pending expansion of energy access in non-electrified areas of Africa, Latin America, and Asia. These challenges require advanced mathematical models for optimizing and analyzing complex decision-making processes. In addition to theoretical insights, the course offers practical tools, enabling participants to run case studies and explore the impact of different mathematical formulations. Real-world applications will be showcased to underscore the power to inform key stakeholders and public opinion, providing a robust foundation for driving collective action toward a net-zero future.No prior experience is required, although basic familiarity with Python and Julia programming can be helpful. Participants are welcome to attend individual sessions.Monday, January 27Part 0: How mathematical models contribute to achieving the net-zero target on timeCarbon emitters, decarbonization solutions, and the pivotal role of electricityLeveraging models to inform policymakers, stakeholders, and public opinionIntroduction to fundamentals on optimization techniquesPart 1: Removing carbon emissions at the community levelScheduling a decarbonized Home Energy Management System (HEMS)Energy communities and enabling active participation of buildingsTuesday, January 28Part 2: Removing carbon emissions from daily electricity productionUnit-Commitment (UC): daily dispatch of electricity generation unitsManaging uncertainty through stochastic optimization of UCWednesday, January 29Part 3: Removing carbon emissions from annual electricity productionMedium-term operation planningManaging uncertainty through stochastic hydro-thermal coordinationPart 4: The network as the backbone of electric systemsUnderstanding the role of the electricity networkManaging network constraints with Locational Marginal PricingThursday, January 30Part 5: Models for informing utility-scale investmentsBasic concepts: optimal mix problem by screening curvesDOLPHYN: an expansion model for studying low-carbon energy futuresFriday, January 31Part 6: Electrification and energy transition: openTEPES, REM, DECARBopenTEPES: informing infrastructure needs across AfricaREM: developing national electrification plans worldwideDECARB: is the distribution grid ready for wide electrification?InstructorsPablo Duenas, Research Scientist, MIT Energy Initiative (pduenas@mit.edu)Andres Ramos, Professor, Universidad Pontificia Comillas (arght@mit.edu)Javier Garcia-Gonzalez, Professor, Universidad Pontificia Comillas (javiergg@mit.edu)Ruaridh Macdonald, Energy Systems Research Lead, MIT Energy Initiative (rmacd@mit.edu)Yifu Ding, Postdoctoral Associate, MIT Energy Initiative (yifuding@mit.edu)Invited speakersGraham Turk, Deputy Director of Utility Regulation, Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed when you sit down to write? Are you ever immobilized by the thought of all the work that’s before you? This writing retreat will transform your writing sessions by teaching you how to quickly clarify what needs to be done, what to do first, and how much to do. In the Ready, Set, Flow Writing Retreat, you will:Understand why it’s so hard to figure out where to startLearn a proven strategy for jumpstarting every writing sessionQuiet your doubts so you can write with focusExperience the boost in motivation that comes from writing with othersBy the end of the retreat, you’ll have made significant progress on your manuscript. And you’ll have a powerful tool you can use to boost your productivity--every time you sit down to write.About Your FacilitatorReady, Set, Flow is facilitated by Michelle Boyd, PhD., Founder and Director of InkWell Academic Writing Retreats. Michelle is an award-winning writer, scholar, and former tenured associate professor from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She has been leading retreats since 2012, when she co-founded and coached her first retreat at UIC. Three years later, she left faculty life to create InkWell, where she helps scholars who dread writing develop a sustainable, satisfying, productive writing practice.This event is open to SHASS faculty, senior lecturers, graduate students, post-docs, and pre-docs.

Gaia is a space telescope that measures the position and velocities of stars in the Milky Way. People of different levels will be accessing this data in the same room, and collaborating on new and exciting projects. If you have ideas on what to use the new data release for, great! Come in for the snacks and the company. If not, we have some fun projects for you, and a day full of tutorials! So join in! Prizes will be given! Register by January 15th!

The Art and Science of PCB Design is an introductory course into the fundamental aspects of developing electronic systems on printed circuit boards (PCBs). This course will heavily focus on providing hands-on labs with electronic design tools actively used in industry towards designing a primary course project resulting with the physical assembly of a PCB-based device. Students will gain experience in designing systems, conducting SPICE simulations, drawing schematics, and creating a PCB layout. Complex topics in electrical and PCB design will be explored, including from guest speakers and through advanced simulations. This class is intended for students of all skill-levels but at a minimum requires a basic understanding of circuit analysis, which will be applied towards learning how to implement real devices.Prerequisites: Understanding of basic circuit analysis provided in 6.200, 2.678, or equivalent. Prospective students who have not taken 6.200, 2.678, or an equivalent class will be required to pass a staff-created open-book pretest, prior to the start of IAP, that covers required circuit knowledge for the course. Prospective students should fill out the interest form located at: pcb.mit.edu.Lectures: MWF10, room 2-190Labs: 2-hour lab section on Tuesdays and Thursdays, room 38-530 (times TBD)Office hours: MWF 8a-10a, 11a-1p; TTh 5-7p, room 36-144Once accepted, please register for credit under EC.S03 or 6.S092, 6 units, p/d/f

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is seeking solutions to reconnect the city with the riverfront, proposing floating parks, highway coverings, and layered urban interventions. This workshop invites participants to envision innovative designs—such as bridges, floating structures, or highway coverings—that reunite the city with its landscape. The project integrates architecture, infrastructure, landscape, and climate considerations, addressing urban interventions to enhance seamless access to the riverfront. Projects can be developed individually or in groups using images, panels, models, or videos. Students in civil engineering, architecture (undergraduate or graduate), or related fields are welcome to explore ideas from conceptual design to master planning. Guidance will include virtual and in-person sessions with guest lecturers and critics. The aim of this course is to exhibit material together in Seoul in 2025.Students should bring laptop to all sessions with Rhinoceros installed.

Sign up by December 20, 2024 by emailing Lina Bondarenko.SSS is a workshop for the development of improvisational movements that survey sloped landscapes, negotiate with public infrastructures, and activate architectural sites. Inspired by dancer Anna Halprin’s Experiments in the Environment, we will practice foundational intuitive physical exercises and hand-drawing scores that recalibrate our notions of time and space. We will explore the historical relationship between urban design, choreography, and gravity, interrogating the persistence of horizontal surfaces and two dimensional representations in a tilted multi-dimensional world. By traveling locally on field trips to public parks and cultural sites, we will test a spatial practice for place-based learning inspired by landscape architect Lawrence Halprin’s RSVP cycles.SSS is a workshop for slorgs– sloped organisms. For millennia, human organisms have been collaborating with, traversing, inhabiting, perceiving, and relating to sloped terrain. Within the steep escarpments of the Great Rift Valley, a unique bioregional climate, landscape, and ecology fostered the evolution of our ancestors into upright hominids. The original stewards of this land, the Massachuseuk people, derived their name after the sacred hill Massa-adchu-es-et, massa meaning "large," adchu meaning "hill," et an identifier of place, translating roughly as "large hill place" (Jarzombek). The city of Boston was even founded as a colony in search of the “city upon a hill.” The condition of the slope is fundamentally coded within our very existence, the slorg’s physiology and cognition driven by the undulations of the land.Through learning to slow our attention to the subjective intelligence sensed by the body in space, slorgs are able to tune our pulse to the rhythms of the earth’s cycles, revealing environmental entanglements and response-abilities. We engage in sympoeisis—making with our communities of humans and non-humans (Haraway)—by moving with. SSS will culminate in the creation of a site-specific, collective happening in the legacy of the 1960’s Fluxus artists.SSS welcomes participants of all backgrounds and abilities with no prior familiarity with dance to experiment freely, embedding their own daily patterns within local ecology. As we transition between seasons and semesters, SSS is a method for grounding and acknowledging our position with this moment.COMMENTS/QUESTIONS1:00-3:00 Field Trips and score drawing (weather permitting) 3:00-4:00 Break/Rest/Commute 4:00-6:00 Movement in dance studio, guest speakersParticipants can Bring: a sketchbook and pens Wear: loose, comfortable, breathable clothing for studio sessions and warm weather-resistant layers for field trips.Lina Bondarenko is a current graduate student in SMArchS Urbanism at MIT Architecture, following a career practicing architecture and urbanism, teaching design at an arts high school, and a lifetime dancing and performing with various dance troupes. SSS follows her research on urban infrastructure of sloped terrain as spaces of subjugation and solidarity, presented as public happenings at architecture conferences in San Francisco titled “Steep Urbanist.”

Telltales of Tide and Terra is a participatory art project addressing the climate crisis through collaborative art making, public data visualization, and installations, which include shading structures and giant community meals. Upcycled textiles and its patterns transform complex climate data into accessible, emotionally engaging visual experiences that inspire climate action. The project is produced though collaborative screen printing and cyanotype workshops, for an exhibition at the MIT Art Festival (March 1-16, 2025) and the Venice Biennale of Architecture (May '25).You will learn cyanotype and screen printing. Everyone will be listed and credited in these exhibitions.Sign up by 1/20/2025 by emailing Merve Akdogan.

Organzied by the 11-6 (Urban Science and Planning with Computer Science) program, this workshop builds on the urban-related 6.100B problem sets (network routing, recursion and Monte Carlo simulation) but focuses on real-world contexts and decision-making cases. You will look into why these problems matter and who make the decisions - from the access and control of local roads, to mandatory insurance policy for coastal development, to locating essential public services, and hone your innovative problem-solving ability by designing and testing alternative problem formulations and exercising Python programming skills.11.085 | 1-0-1 Units for registered students. Audits welcomed.Schedule (All sessions from 10AM-12PM and will be held in 9-255):Monday, January 27 (Socio-technical Perspectives on Path Optimization Problems)Wednesday, January 29 (Stakeholders’ Interests and Risks in Public Policy Making)Friday, January 31 (Polling Places Locations, Closures and Where to Provide Essential Public Services)

Suproteem Sarkar, Harvard University

Design, build and test your own laptop-based radar capable of forming Doppler, range and synthetic aperature radar (SAR) images. Must register by 1/22/2025Dates: Jan 27th, 29th, 31stTime: 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM ESTLocation: 33-419Registration Opens: November 25, 2024To register email: kenneth.koloddziej@ll.mit.edu

Registration is now open!Before the start of each semester, TLL offers a series of workshops for TAs and teacher trainees to help them prepare for the roles and responsibilities of the position of teaching at MIT. Topics include giving feedback, presenting a class session, and facilitating office hours, among other practical subjects related to teaching. Please visit our Teaching Days page to view the full schedule and location for each of the workshops . Register via CanvasPlease note that the IAP 2025 Teaching Days schedule includes a mix of in-person and online sessions.

New babies are such a blessing, but they can also bring with them sleepless nights, crying, and sometimes quite a bit of extra stress. Learn an approach to calm your baby in our Happiest Baby Class. New parents will learn step-by-step how to help babies sleep longer and how to soothe fussy infants.Class information includes:The Missing 4th TrimesterThe Calming ReflexThe 5 S'sThe Cuddle CureThis class is open to all soon-to-be parents, new parents of babies birth - 4 months, and other family members and caregivers.This class is for the MIT community only.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 class is free and open to the entire MIT community.

Colonel Alicia Burrows will give an Independent Activities Period presentation on contracting support for US Army and allied forces in Europe.Speaker info: Colonel Alicia Burrows is a US Army 2024-2025 Fellow at MIT's Security Studies Program and Lincoln Laboratory. She enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in 2001, completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, and accepted an ROTC scholarship through the University Maine – Orono. She was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Signal Corps in 2004 after graduating from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and played basketball. In 2012, she received a Master’s of Business Administration from the Mason School of Business at the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA. She graduated from resident Command and General Staff College in June 2015 as an Art of War Scholar with a Masters in Military Arts and Sciences.Her previous assignments include: Director, Theater Contracting Center/409th Contracting Support Brigade, Kaiserslautern, Germany; DCMA Philadelphia Chief of Mission Support and Deputy Director of Contracts, Philadelphia, PA; Assistant Executive Officer, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology), Pentagon; Contracting Officer, DLA Troop Support, Philadelphia, PA; Battalion S3/XO, 925th Contracting Battalion, Team Leader, 619th Contingency Contracting Team, Fort Drum, NY; Staff Officer, LandWarNet, Army Capability Integration Center, TRADOC, Fort Monroe, VA; S6/Electronic Warfare Officer, 28th Transportation Battalion, Mannheim, Germany; Node Center Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, Charlie Company, 32nd Signal Battalion, Darmstadt, Germany. LTC Burrows’ deployments include combat deployments to Iraq (October 2005 –October 2006) and Kuwait (March 2008 – June 2009).She is a member of the National Contract Management Association and an Honor Graduate of the Contract Management Leadership Development Program. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a Certified Federal Contract Manager (CFCM). She also serves on the Board of Trustees for her high school, a private co-educational boarding school in New Hampshire.Open to the MIT communityMIT is committed to providing an environment that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you need a disability related accommodation to attend or have other questions, please contact us at ssp-info@mit.edu.

Join us for lunch as we experiment with the genre of 'spiritual autobiography.' Life is full of influences on our human spirit - religious and secular, helpful and hurtful. Exploring these legacies in a free and creative way can help us understand ourselves, and our world, more deeply

What is CERT? CERT training covers basic skills that are important to know in a disaster when emergency services are not available. With training and practice, and by working as a team, you will be able to protect yourself and maximize your capability to help for the greatest number of people after a disaster.CERT Training Covers:Disaster PreparationEmergency Operations Organizational StructureDisaster Medical OperationsDisaster PsychologyFire SafetyLight Search and RescueTerrorism and CERT ResponseAt the conclusion of the 20 hours of training, scheduled in eight class sessions, most of them in-person, a new MIT CERT member will be active to participate in emergency response and large-scale activities hosted on campus as a part of MIT's emergency operations.

As an academic researcher, whether you are a student, postdoc, researcher or faculty member, others will search your name on the internet to find out more about your work. What will they find? This workshop will discuss some places where your list of publications will show up, the pros and cons of various academic profile sites and website tools, and ways to make sure your profile in Google Scholar, ORCID, and elsewhere is accurate and up to date. We'll go over some ways to use research databases to potentially find future collaborators. And finally, we'll talk about a few tools you have as an MIT affiliate to make your publications and research output open access and available for greater visibility of your work.This workshop will be in person in the library computer lab, 14N-132, and will include some time at the end to work on your own academic profiles.Register here.

Have you ever wondered…· How do space science missions get their start?· What funding is available for space instruments and experiments and how do I tap into it?· What’s a review panel anyway and what are they looking for from a proposal?Then join our course to learn what it takes to write successful NASA proposals! Over the course of three sessions we will learn about:· The NASA funding landscape· How to read funding solicitations· How to develop compelling concepts and write winning proposals, and· What to expect (and do!) after you’re awarded.This course will culminate in students developing their own concepts for a real solicitation (individually or in teams) and writing a draft 3-page proposal that will be reviewed in a mock panel. This course is open to all members of the MIT community and is not for credit.Registration is required for this course. Please register using the following link and feel free to reach out to LParit@mit.edu with any questions: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc09JvZC8ctQiZkW_2xfXH1qq7di7MTUzHBetDCv7Tr1YY8oQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

DescriptionAll members of the MIT community are invited to participate in GET NOTICED! – a dynamic two-day design challenge that showcases your creativity, sets new trends in biking and riding apparel, and reflects the uniqueness of MIT. Most importantly, this challenge aims to help Personal Wheels (PW) riders GET NOTICED for improved safety and visibility on the streets of Cambridge.We’re calling on innovative minds to conceptualize a unique article of clothing or a wearable/mountable device that is:Easy to put on and take offEye-catching and highly desirable for PW ridersAffordable to produceDesigned to significantly enhance visibility for ridersWe’re thrilled to collaborate with Ehmke Manufacturing Company, a leading designer and producer of innovative technical fabric products for defense, aerospace, and industrial markets, to bring your ideas to life.Event DetailsDay One – January 15Overview of the design challenge criteriaPresentation on PW safety initiatives at MITMeet-and-greet with our collaborators at Ehmke Manufacturing CompanyCollaborative workshops with expert speakers to refine your designs, explore materials, and discuss efficient, cost-effective manufacturing processesDay Two – January 27Presentation of designs to a jury of professionals and MIT community membersSelection of a winning conceptOpportunity for the individual or team with the selected design to collaborate with Ehmke Manufacturing Company to refine and prototype their designIf successful, your design could be produced and distributed to PW riders across the MIT campus, enhancing both safety and style.Join us to set a new standard for visibility and creativity!Attendance: Participants must attend both sessionsHosted by: The Personal Wheels Safety Committee in collaboration with Ehmke Manufacturing CompanyDates: Jan 15th and 27thTime: 1pm - 3pm ESTLocation: NW23

Autonomous RACECAR IAP CourseLearn about basic autonomy and robotics for ground vehicles in this short two-week course on Autonomous RACECAR! In this course, members of the MIT community will have the opportunity to program a 1:14 scale RC car to autonomously navigate through an obstacle course. The course concludes with a hackathon and an all-out race in the famous MIT tunnels, with prizes and more!Instructor Name: Chris LaiRegistration Opens: November 25, 2024Dates: Jan 20th, 22nd, 24th, 27th, 29th, and 31stTime: 1pm - 4pm ESTLocation: 17-130Registration Link: https://mit-bwsi.formstack.com/forms/racecar_neo_iap_2025Website link: https://sites.mit.edu/mit-racecar/

Step inside MIT.nano's fab to create a 1x1 inch chip with your favorite image to take home with you! We will work inside the MIT.nano cleanroom: learn how to grow up, understand the different fab tools, and use the tools to pattern a 50nm thin layer of aluminum with your design. At the end, we will separate out the chips from the wafer, and you get a chance to put your chip in a small frame or carrier to take with you.

Offers students alternative exploratory experience in teaching, learning, and researching. Through collaborative activities with open-ended experiments from diverse origins, participants re-create historical instruments and discoveries that challenged assumptions and sparked new investigations. Student curiosity and questions shape specific course content. Assignments include observations, experiments, readings, journal writing and sketching, and a final reflective paper.

In this talk, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Cecilia Leal will present findings on how lipid droplets undergo structural remodeling, close-packing rigid and highly saturated triacylglycerols in response to caloric overload. This adaptation allows for optimal fat expansion during the initial stages of obesity.

Dear MIT students from every course/major, undergraduate and graduate,For the second year in a row, we are offering this three-unit, for-credit class led by instructors Prof. Olivier de Weck and Prof. Luca Carlone from the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro). You can view the syllabus here.In this experimental, three-week class, students will learn about the fundamentals of aerospace engineering through extended (virtual) reality. No prior experience necessary!Students who complete this class will enter a raffle to win one of two Meta Quest 3S headsets!If you are interested in this course, please fill out the following short, pre-registration survey (4-5mins), so we can tailor our instruction to this year's students. The survey also contains more information about the class, including the lecture dates: https://forms.gle/rYJs3ukn519Zc4Yt7.

Advance sign-up required by 1/15/2025Sites are often represented as static, empty plots of land. In reality, every site is an environment—an interconnected system shaped by ecological, cultural, and material relationships. These environments extend vertically into the sky, horizontally through soil and ecosystems, and inward to unseen processes such as microorganisms and material histories. How can experimental drawing and representation techniques reveal these complexities and reshape the way we design?This workshop invites participants to reimagine sites as living systems and engage in collaborative design practices. Focusing on a local, seemingly vacant lot, we will investigate the site’s temporal and spatial dynamics—tracing its layers of interaction and exploring how elements and materials influence its identity. By reframing traditional notions of scale and boundaries, we will uncover the opportunities of co-authorship amongst the environments, forces and creatures.The Wiesner Gallery will act as a hub for both a workshop and exhibition space. Each day, participants will gather in the gallery to experiment with prototypes, drawings, and multimedia techniques. Collaboration and play will guide the approach, creating an open and exploratory environment where games facilitate dialogue and negotiation. This collective exploration will reveal the site’s interconnected urban and architectural layers from the perspectives of diverse actors. The workshop will culminate in a public exhibition at the end of January, showcasing our collective discoveries.The workshop will take place daily at the Wiesner Gallery at MIT. It will culminate in an exhibition, likely Jan-31-Feb 2. Students should bring their laptops to all sessions.

These are trainings in basic laboratory skills and techniques for mammalian cell culture, transfection, and optical anaysis of mammalian cells. These modules are Level 1 and Level 2 trainings, prior experience required. (See Basic Lab Skills)The Credential Certification program in the Huang-Hobbs BioMaker Space offers participants an opportunity to learn, practice, and demonstrate proficiency in a wide range of biological laboratory techniques. Upon successful completion of the assessment, particpants are awarded a certificate of completion for the credential.Credential modules are open to all users in the MIT community who have completed the required pre-requisite trainings. All particiants must be added to the "biomakerspace" training group and complete clearance form and online trainings. Email jbuck@mit.edu to be added to the training group and for additional information about this program. Limited to 12 participants. To register, please visit http://tinyurl.com/HHBMS-IAP2025.In this series of trainings, participants will review the theory and practice of following credential modules:1) Mammalian Cell Culture - Inoculation (Tuesday 1/21) 2) Mammalian Cell Culture - Media Changing & Inverted Microscope Use (Wednesday 1/22) 3) Mammalian Cell Culture - Passaging & Cell Counting (Thursday 1/23) 4) Mammalian Cell Culture - Media Changing (Friday 1/24) 5) Mammalian Transfection - Seeding Plates (Monday 1/27) 6) Mammalian Transfection - Transfection (Tueday 1/28) 7) Fluorescent Microscopy (Wednesday 1/29) 8) Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) (Thursday 1/30) 9) Fluorescent Microscopy, FACS & Conclusions (Friday 1/31)Pre-Requisite Trainings: Basic Laboratory Skills Modules: 1) Huang-Hobbs BioMaker Space Lab Specific Training 2) Laboratory Math and Making Solutions 3) Basic Micropipette Use 4) Microbiological Culture and Sterile Technique

Games and Machine Learning – an MIT Independent Activities Period offeringThis course will combine a series of lectures and hackathon-style projects, the latter chosen from a list of examples or otherwise devised, to introduce students to game creation, current game-related research and an exploration of the technology, the art and the fun of video games.Sony Interactive Entertainment : The Nexus of Games and AIDescription: Computers and gaming have grown up together. Since Bertie the Brain learned to play Tic Tac Toe in 1950, computers have hosted, played, and designed increasingly sophisticated games as they have grown in power. For every computer science paper on the arXiv – from computer vision to LLMs to personal immersion to cognitive science and general AI – there are a half dozen use cases you can name in the creation of video games. Furthermore, video games provide new worlds and synthetic data that test and stretch the capabilities of machine learning models – so the relationship is synergistic.This IAP course will give a brief, project-oriented survey of some of the main research topics that are integral to the development of the future of gaming. Lecturers from Sony Interactive Entertainment, the company behind PlayStation, as well as contributors from MIT and other universities will discuss topics such as player immersion, persuadable chatbots and realistic NPCs, sentiment analysis, rendering, asset and game creation with Unreal Engine and the use of LLMs for agent planning and the development of game tutor agents. Students will choose from a list of potential course projects (or invent their own) and the final week will include student project presentations.Audience: The course is targeted at those who have an interest in video games and machine learning. There are no specific prerequisites. We encourage students with an interest in art, psychology, writing, social impact and design of games to participate.Structure: Project-oriented course combined with lectures.Readings: Readings will be dependent upon project choice and be chosen from the literature.LecturesNumber of lectures: 9Lectures:1/6/25 Mike Stopa – The lay of the land: AI in video games1/8/25 Keri Carpenter – Creating a game concierge for our games1/10/25 D. Fox Harrell, MIT: Considering the Avatar Dream: Designing and Evaluating Characters and Avatars1/13/25 Gale Lucas, USC – Cognitive science and realistic NPCs1/15/25 Ram Barankin – Using GenAI to listen social media1/17/25 Erick Flores – Neural methods to improve real time game streaming1/22/25 Logan Olson, Haven Studios – “0-to-1” game development with Generative ML1/24/25 TBD1/27/25 Final projects + TBDProject examples – students will be asked to complete a hackathon-style project for the class. The topic is completely open although several categories of projects will be suggested by our lecturers – who can then provide guidance in executing the projects. These projects do not need to be computational. Pure artistic projects designing characters, for example, would be welcome.Unreal Engine (or Unity) simple game creation (Mike)Cognitive Science and Realistic NPCs (Gale)Creating Novel Game Mechanics with LLMs (Logan)Video Enhancement, Video Quality Measurement or Codec tuning using Machine Learning (Erick)AI Generated Gamer Concierge  (Keri)A Generative AI-Powered Sentiment and Insights Tool for Social Listening (Ram)

Hosted by E14 Fund and MAS, this engaging workshop will bring together MIT founders to share their experiences and insights on transitioning from scientists and engineers to entrepreneurs. The workshop is designed to guide you through the entrepreneurial process, encourage meaningful connections with both experienced and budding founders, and build a supportive community of peers at various stages of their startup journey.Space is limited and applications to join are due by December 6.Sign up: https://beyondthelab.mit.edu/iapAbout the E14 Fund: The E14 Fund is the MIT-affiliated early-stage venture fund. Born at the MIT Media Lab, E14’s mission is to serve the MIT community and invest in scalable, deep-tech startups. E14 donates a significant portion of profits to MIT.

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

Speakers - John Floretta, Kim Dadisman, and Matt Edmundson

MIT Schwarzman College of Computing SERC group leaders will be hosting a series of workshops throughout the January Independent Activities Period to teach students the skill of writing a technology impact paper and to offer help and advice on creating such a paper for those interested in applying for the Envisioning the Future of Computing Prize.These workshops will provide general information on the competition, guidelines on how to write this kind of paper, and opportunities to discuss project ideas. Workshop slots are limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up for a session here.

Winning SBIR Grants:“Free” Government Funding for your Technology Product &/or StartupMIT IAP 2025 OfferingMon Jan 27 & Wed Jan 29 2025, 4-5:30pm, 10-250Register Here: https://tiny.cc/mitsbirregRaise anywhere from $150k to $2M of “free” federal government funding for your startupHow to write winning SBIR proposals (of 100 proposals only 5-10 are typically accepted)The biggest US Government agencies are mandated to fund small businesses and startups developing needed technologies with roughly $4 Billion per year.This is “free” funding to commercialize your deep technology research – meaning you don’t sell shares and it’s not a loan but you do have to deliver towards your promises, so it’s not a gift.Instructor: Steve Derezinski, sjd@mit.edu, steve.derezinski@alum.mit.eduMIT S.B. Mechanical engineering and Sloan MBA alumWinner of $23M+ SBIR+other federal awards from NSF, NASA, DOE, ARPA-ECo-founder of multiple tech startups & GeorgiaTech’s VentureLabMonday Jan 27, Day 1: Overview, Admin, Key DetailsOverview of SBIR plus STTRReview of the 11 agencies who fund SBIR/STTR:DOD, NIH, DOE, NSF, EPA, NASA, USDA, ED, DOC, DOT, DHSAdmin stuff -- boring but really criticalIs it really free? Comparing Non-recourse funding versus VC or Debt financingWednesday Jan 29, Day 2: Winning StrategiesTiming and calendar managementApplying while in schoolGenerative AI enhancementsReview process details or “what happens after I press submit?”Advanced tips to ensure success… including repeat future winsWho is this for?Current or graduated Students or MIT AffiliatesUndergrad, Grad, MBA, MEng, PhD, Post-Doc, Staff, etc.Anyone seeking funding for their technology-based product or companyPrerequisites: Watch Ben Schrag’s Intro to SBIR from NSF – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OePUxtd2TjM – a good overview of SBIR / STTRs from NSF, which runs one of the best SBIR programs.

Join us for a fun, hands-on workshop where you'll learn to design your own unique custom box and mirror using decoden techniques!"Decoden" (short for "decorative denwa," or decorative phone) is a popular Japanese craft style that uses colorful whipped cream-like clay, rhinestones, beads, and cabochons to create stunning, over-the-top designs on everyday items. These cute crafts are perfect for storing your favorite treasures or adding some glam to any space.No experience needed—all materials are provided!Space is limited. Registration closes at 5pm on January 6th. Participants will be chosen by lottery and notified on January 10th. Specify which section you wish to attend on the registration form.

This series is for anyone with dance experience or a desire to move, musicians who are willing to experiment, and video artists who can manipulate video in real-time.We will explore methods of working together to produce structured interdisciplinary pieces.Open to all curious about improvisation; students, faculty, staff!Questions: email burgio@mit.edu

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.

The MIT wrestling club holds practices in the du Pont Wrestling Room on weeknights 5:30-7pm. All levels of experience welcome! Whether you're looking to learn how to grapple or just want to get in a good workout, wrestling practice is a good time to learn technique, get in some live goes, and have fun with a great group of people.Current schedule is: structured practice MTRF, open mats W, and technique sessions 9-10:30am on Saturday. For more information, contact wrestling-officers@mit.edu.

Infinite Careers: Sebastian Begg - MD Candidate at Harvard Medical School, DJ, and Jazz Trumpet PlayerDinner and Learn with Sebastian.Sebastian earned a Bachelor of Science in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from MIT in 2014. During his time at MIT, he was involved in Externship, MISTI Italy, and Ring Committee, and lived in Chi Phi. He received the Great Dome Award in 2015.Currently an MD Candidate at Harvard Medical School, Sebastian's journey includes roles as a talent scout and artist manager at Interscope Records in Los Angeles and pancreatic cancer researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital. He completed his post-baccalaureate premedical program at Goucher College in Baltimore.Sebastian has served as an Advisor for Alumni Engagement Career Guidance since August 2017. He volunteers with Musicians On Call as a musician guide and participates in Harvard's bedside music program, bringing live music to patients across Boston. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities like mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, sailing, tennis, cooking, and spending time with family in the Greater Boston Area.Join us over IAP for this hybrid event! Students on campus can enjoy dinner together while connecting with Sebastian via Zoom projection. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to hear about how he combines his passion for healthcare with musical engagement.Register in Handshake. Dinner will be served for the first 30 attendees. This CAPD event is open to MIT undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and alumni.

Advanced Machining will go over detailed and in-depth knowledge related to practical subtractive manufacturing (machining material away rather than additive manufacturing like 3D printing). For each session, the first half will be a lecture that goes into all the theory and practical details of machining and the second half will be given by a guest lecturer with many years of machining experience. I would recommend taking this course if you want to work at a company like SpaceX, Tesla, Anduril, Apple, or any other company where you will be designing hardware products that will be mass-manufactured. The fact of the matter is that if you don't know how to make it yourself you really don't know how to design it properly (and you will learn this the hard way if you ignore this advice). This class will take you from inexperienced novice to advanced machinist, at least in theory, and will give you the tools that you need to continue your hands-on learning journey after the class is over. All I need is your eagerness to learn and I will empower you with the rest :) This class will be taught by me (Randall Briggs), an alum from course 2, who currently works in the field of robotics and has been machining for many years.

Create your own custom jewelry in this three-part workshop series!Start by designing digital models on the computer, then bring your creations to life with the Museum's 3D printers. Finally, learn handcrafting techniques to add personalized finishing touches. By the end of this series you will have a collection of custom-made jewelry and new skills in digital design and fabrication.Participants must be available for all three sessions. Basic computer proficiency is recommended, but no prior experience with the software is needed.This is an 18+ workshop series.$120/personWorkshop dates: January 27 February 3 February 10

Interested in medical interpreting? Fluent in Spanish or Chinese? Apply by Dec. 4 for this 4-week intensive IAP medical interpreting virtual course that will train you to become a qualified medical interpreter and prepare you for national certification exams. Offered by CAPD Prehealth Advising. https://capd.mit.edu/iap-medical-interpreting-course/

Join us on Monday evenings for Argentine tango classes with outstanding instructors Fernanda Ghi, Guillermo Merlo and Mia Dalglish (read their bios on the link). Whether you are completely new to tango, or already have some experience, you will find a friendly environment in which to learn new things and improve your technique. You don't have to bring a partner, since the classes involve rotations with all participants.More info on website: https://sites.google.com/site/mittangoclub/products-services/2025-spring-series?authuser=0

Gridspace presents a lecture series on the fundamentals of constructing sound with machines, with weekly guest speakers. Find out more at https://iap.gridspace.comABOUT US: Gridspace is a speech and language technology company that teaches machines to listen and speak. We process and automate billions of minutes of speech data per year.SCHEDULE: Lectures every Monday, Wednesday and alternate Thursday/Fridays (w/ special guests and performances). Streamed live and in-person in our office in LA.

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.

Come learn the art of change ringing, a musical tradition originating on 16th century English tower bells! In contrast to tune-ringing, sequences of notes are generated by permuting bells according to an algorithm. We will introduce these patterns on handbells, which are easier to ring than tower bells but offer a mental challenge in their own right. No musical experience necessary; if you can count, you can ring!