The next session on February 4th will be held on Zoom.Meet other expecting and first time parents of infants under one year to connect, share information, and support each other. Bring your concerns, questions, and experiences to the group. And of course, your babies are welcome! This peer led group is organized by MS&PC members Kathrin and Maria.Contact Kathrin hauserkathrin1994@gmail.com or Maria maria.korompili24@gmail.com for more information.

MIT Free English Class is for international students, sholars, spouses. Twenty seven years ago we created a community to welcome the nations to MIT and assist with language and friendship. Join our Tuesday/Thursday conversation classes around tables inside W11-190.

Speaker: Trevor K. Grand Pre (Princeton)Title: Model-free Inference from Time-series DataAbstract:Drawing inferences from experimental data often involves imposing models, which can lead to inaccurate conclusions. Theory sometimes points to quantities that are significant independent of the underlying mechanisms, but making accurate modelfree estimates of these quantities can be hard because finite data generates systematic errors. I present two cases where we develop new methods to address and correct these errors: (1) extracting long-term population growth from single-cell lineage data and (2) estimating the evidence for the arrow of time in patterns of neural activity. For population growth, key observables are the number of divisions and generation times along a lineage for a fixed time. Simple growth rate estimators suffer from finite-time bias at short times. This bias scales inversely with time and can be corrected. At longer times, rare events introduce a linearization bias, causing an abrupt phase transition explained by a simple model of disordered systems. Our approach yields accurate estimates provided the lineage counts and lengths stay below the critical point, allowing inference of how mutations and physiological variations impact fitness. In the case of neural activity, the relevant observables are the moments of activity and the waiting times between these moments. Estimating the irreversibility—quantified by the Kullback-Leibler divergence between the distribution of forward and backward trajectories—faces similar biases. Finding the systematic dependence of these biases on sample size allows for accurate estimates, including detecting systems that obey detailed balance, and opens a path to exploring how the brain represents the arrow of time. Generally, this new understanding of how model-free estimators rely on a complex order of limits of the amount of data and the length of each sample may allow quantitative understanding of other relevant processes such as gene regulation, cell-cycle dynamics, and signal transduction.

"Who Values Power for Its Own Sake?" | Holger Herz (Fribourg)

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: Isaac Chiu, HarvardHost: Erin ChenTitle: "Role of nociceptor neurons in pain, immunity and host defense"The 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.

“Social Gravity: A behavioral science perspective on norms and normalization” | Elizabeth Levy Paluck (Princeton)

Prospective Student Visit

Time: 12:00 PMLocation: New London, CT

This yoga practice provides the opportunity to relax and de-stress as well as to stretch, strengthen, and balance your body. The practice begins with a meditative centering followed by warm-ups, a posture flow, and a restful final relaxation. We conclude with a closing and some time for connecting with your fellow yogis.The yoga postures are led at a moderate intensity. Lower intensity modifications are always offered and there is absolutely no obligation to do any posture. The goal is to make the class accessible to beginners as well as experienced practitioners. Listening to your body is the key to safety, especially in this online format.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.

"Do you ever feel that life holds a deeper meaning beyond what you currently understand? The truth is profound—there are countless mysteries of existence, divinity, and the self that lie beyond our awareness. There is so much we don’t know, and even more that we don’t realize we don’t know."Join us on this exciting journey of Discover Your Self to explore the unknown territories of life and delve into the science of spirituality. This course, based on the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, will equip you with proven methods to achieve true inner joy and answer your deepest questions about life's higher principles. This Course explains Proven methods to attain the true inner joy of heart and gives answers to all the Inquiries about Higher Principles in life like the pathway for unlimited and everlasting happiness from the eyes of scriptures like Bhagavad Gita in a scientific perspective.Salient Features:Discover the Game of LifeDiscover Inner SelfDiscover The Ultimate GeniusDiscover Manual of LifeDiscover Lasting SolutionDiscover Sublime Joy Through SoundDiscover The Real Eternal LoveDiscover The Happy PlanetYou are invited to join us every Tuesday 6:00-7:00 pm. To your pleasure we have free delicious sattvik vegetarian dinner is available after every session.Event details:6:00 pm-6:10 pm: Mantra Meditation and kirtan6:10 pm-6:50 pm: : Session7:00pm : Dinner along with Q&A.Venue: MIT Room 56-180, 32 Vasaar Steeet, Cambridge MA Kindly RSVP here https://forms.gle/DEXUz6ig6dJZoU1k7Regards, MIT Vedic Vision Forum