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Wednesday, April 23, 2025
- All dayArtfinity: The MIT Festival for the ArtsA celebration of creativity and community at MITArtfinity is a new festival of the arts at MIT featuring 80 free performing and visual arts events, celebrating creativity and community at the Institute. Artfinity launches with the opening of the new Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building on February 15, 2025, continues with a concentration of events February 28-March 16, and culminates with the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts public lecture by 2025 recipient artist and designer Es Devlin on May 1, 2025, and a concert by Grammy-winning rapper and Visiting Professor Lupe Fiasco on May 2, 2025. Artfinity embodies MIT’s commitment to creativity, community, and the intersection of art, science and technology. We invite you to join us in this celebration, explore the diverse events, and experience the innovative spirit that defines the arts at MIT.About the Artists Artfinity features the innovative work of MIT faculty, students, staff, and alumni, alongside guest artists from the Greater Boston area and beyond.About the Activities & Events All 80 events are open to the public, including dozens of concerts and performances plus an array of visual arts such as projections, films, installations, exhibitions, and augmented reality experiences, as well as lectures and workshops for attendees to participate in. With a wide range of visual and performing arts events open to all, Artfinity embodies MIT’s commitment to the arts and the intersection of art, science, and technology.About the Presenters Artfinity is an institute-sponsored event organized by the Office of the Arts at MIT with faculty leads Institute Professor of Music Marcus Thompson and Professor of Art, Culture and Technology Azra Akšamija. Departments, labs, centers, and student groups across MIT are presenting partners.Visit arts.mit.edu for more information about the arts at MIT.
- 10:00 AM6hRefracted Histories: 19th-c. Islamic Windows as a Prism into MIT’s Past, Present, and FutureFebruary 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.
- 11:00 AM45mMIT Museum Highlights TourJoin a member of our Visitor Experience Team for this 45-minute introductory tour of the MIT Museum. Learn about the collection, our history, and get your questions answered by our gallery experts. Space is limited, please speak to a visitor experience representative at the admission desk when purchasing museum tickets if you would like to participate in the tour.Every Wednesday at 11am Free with museum admission
- 11:30 AM1h 30mBook DiscussionLooking for an interesting read?The Book Discussion group will host virtual meetings via Zoom. Please write to Maxine Jonas (jonas_m@mit.edu) to be added to their mailing list. They (almost always) meet on the fourth Wednesday of the month, at 11:30am – 1pm.Upcoming titles: September 25: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (736 pages, 2023, fiction) October 23: Silenced Whispers by Afarin, Bellisario (348 pages, 2024, fiction) with the author! December 11: The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins and the Fight for Women in Science by Kate Zernike (363 pages, 2023, non-fiction) January 22: Chasing Beauty, the Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner by Natalie Dykstra (508 pages, 2024, non-fiction) February 26: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (368 pages, 2022, fiction) March 26: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (205 pages, 1937, classic) April 23: A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (224 pages, 1991, non-fiction) May 28: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (400 pages, 2022, fiction)
- 11:30 AM2hMidday Music & Bike Tune UpsLive Hip-Hop and R&B band curated by The Cambridge Hip-Hop Collective, free bike tune ups, bike safety info, food trucks, and more!Stop by with your bike for a safety check with a bicycle technician from Casa Bikes. Tune ups will take place on a first come, first served basis; no advance registration required. Free & open to all.
- 12:00 PM30mCan we mine our way out of climate change?Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change is perhaps the most urgent environmental and social challenge of our time. But a transition from fossil fuels to clean energy will require more solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles—increasing demand for metals like copper, lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Mining these materials brings its own social and environmental impacts. In this fireside chat, MIT social scientist Scott Odell will join MIT Horizon executive editor Benjamin Rachlin to discuss the challenges at the intersection of critical mineral mining and the clean energy transition and what industry, government, and individual consumers can do to combat climate change and conserve natural resources.Register for this MIT Horizon webinar.
- 12:00 PM1hTai Chi - Virtual ClassA martial art known for its many health benefits, tai chi is a moving study in meditation.Designed for small spaces, this class covers fundamental skills including postures, hand, and footwork. A short Yang style tai chi form will be taught.Special clothing is not necessary, but athletic shoes and loose fitting pants are recommended.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.
- 12:10 PM30mSun(nel) Walk sponsored by getfitHave some fun(nel) on a tunnel or sun(nel) walk! Join us for a 30-minute volunteer-led walk either through MIT’s famous tunnel system or around Killian Court. As the weather gets warmer, walk leaders may choose to take the group outside. Is the weather warm and you missed the start? Find the group on Killian Court and join in!Sun(nel) Walk Leaders will identify themselves by holding a white flag at the meeting location.Location details: Meet in the atrium by the staircase. [See image below]Prize Drawing: Attend a walk and scan a QR code from the walk leaders to be entered into a drawing for a getfit canvas boat tote bag at the end of the getfit challenge. The more walks you attend, the more entries you get. Winner will be drawn and notified at the end of April. Winner does not need to be a getfit participant.Disclaimer: Tunnel walks are led by volunteers. In the rare occasion when a volunteer isn’t able to make it, we will do our best to notify participants. In the event we are unable to notify participants and a walk leader does not show up, we encourage you to walk as much as you feel comfortable doing so. We recommend checking this calendar just before you head out.Getfit is a 12-week fitness challenge for the entire MIT community. These tunnel walks are open to the entire MIT community and you do not need to be a current getfit participant to join.
- 1:10 PM30mSun(nel) Walk sponsored by getfitHave some fun(nel) on a tunnel or sun(nel) walk! Join us for a 30-minute volunteer-led walk either through MIT’s famous tunnel system or around Killian Court. As the weather gets warmer, walk leaders may choose to take the group outside. Is the weather warm and you missed the start? Find the group on Killian Court and join in!Sun(nel) Walk Leaders will identify themselves by holding a white flag at the meeting location.Location details: Meet in the atrium by the staircase. [See image below]Prize Drawing: Attend a walk and scan a QR code from the walk leaders to be entered into a drawing for a getfit canvas boat tote bag at the end of the getfit challenge. The more walks you attend, the more entries you get. Winner will be drawn and notified at the end of April. Winner does not need to be a getfit participant.Disclaimer: Tunnel walks are led by volunteers. In the rare occasion when a volunteer isn’t able to make it, we will do our best to notify participants. In the event we are unable to notify participants and a walk leader does not show up, we encourage you to walk as much as you feel comfortable doing so. We recommend checking this calendar just before you head out.Getfit is a 12-week fitness challenge for the entire MIT community. These tunnel walks are open to the entire MIT community and you do not need to be a current getfit participant to join.
- 2:30 PM1h 30mDevelopment SeminarNavigating Multiple Frictions: Experimental evidence for impacting voucher take-up at scale | Abhijeet Singh
- 2:45 PM15mMIT@2:50 - Ten Minutes for Your MindTen 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
- 3:00 PM2h 15mRichard P. Stanley Seminar in Combinatorics - thesis defenseTime: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PMSpeaker: Grant Barkley (Harvard)Title: Infinite root systems in algebra and geometryAbstract: We describe how biclosed sets of roots in a positive root system simultaneously give a natural completion of the weak order on a Coxeter group and a combinatorial skeleton for Calabi-Yau categories. In particular, for affine root systems, we show that biclosed sets form a profinite semidistributive lattice, strengthening the lattice property conjectured by Dyer. We also show that each torsion class in the category of modules for an affine type A preprojective algebra has an associated biclosed set of roots, which uniquely determines the spherical modules in the torsion class; in this way biclosed sets behave like stability conditions on the category. We apply biclosed sets to give a new proof that Bruhat intervals have EL-labelings and to prove an extension of the Gelfand-Serganova theorem on Coxeter matroids to infinite Coxeter groups. We also prove new cases of the combinatorial invariance conjecture for Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials.____________________________________________________________________________________________________Time: 4:15 PM - 5:15 PMSpeaker: Yuhan Jiang (Harvard)Title: Enumeration in stochastic processes and polyhedral geometryAbstract: This dissertation explores the combinatorics of Markov chains and polyhedral geometry, with a focus on the asymmetric simple exclusion process (ASEP) and the Ehrhart theory of polytopes. The first part addresses the stationary distribution of stochastic models, including the open ASEP, the Arndt-Heinzel-Rittenberg (AHR) model and the doubly ASEP (DASEP).We give a two-layer simple random walk interpretation for the open ASEP model, a tableaux formula for the AJR model, and show that the DASEP exhibits homomesy phenomenon.The second part of the dissertation studies the Ehrhart theory of positroid polytopes and alcoved polytopes. We present combinatorial formulas for the $h^*$-polynomials of positroid polytopes and alcoved polytopes.
- 4:00 PM1hGeometric Analysis SeminarSpeaker: Zhihan Wang (Cornell)Title: Shape of Mean Curvature Flow Passing Through a Non-degenerate SingularityAbstract:A central question in geometric flow is to understand the change of geometry and topology after passing through singularities. In this talk, I will focus on mean curvature flow, the negative gradient flow of area functional, and explain how the local dynamics influence the shape of the flow near a singularity, as well as how the geometry and topology of the flow change after passing through a singularity with generic dynamics. This talk is based on the joint work with Ao Sun and Jinxin Xue.
- 4:00 PM1hLie Groups SeminarSpeaker: Thomas Hameister (Boston College)Title: Relative Duality for Hitchin SystemsAbstract: The Hitchin fibration for a reductive group G is a certain generalized abelian fibration, which admits remarkable duality properties. Namely, the "semi-classical limit" of geometric Langlands asserts that the Hitchin fibrations for G and for its Langlands dual Gv are generically dual abelian fibrations. In this talk, we will explore a relative form of this duality, in the sense of Ben-Zvi, Sakellaridis, and Venkatesh. We associate to a spherical variety or symplectic representation particular sheaves on the Hitchin moduli spaces for G and Gv which we conjecture to be Fourier-Mukai dual, generalizing a conjecture of Hitchin. We will show how this duality reduces to simple calculations in invariant theory, which are confirmed in many examples in our work and which have been proved in the strongly tempered case in the forthcoming work of Ben-Zvi, Sakellaridis, and Venkatesh. This is based on joint work with Zhilin Luo and Benedict Morrissey.
- 4:00 PM1hProfessor Bernadette Broderick, University of MissouriTitle: TBD
- 4:00 PM2hStudent Seminars in Inorganic Chemistry with Molly Warndorf (Swager Group)Talk Title: When worlds collide: porous polymer synthesis and simulation
- 5:00 PM1hSoftball vs. Brandeis UniversityTime: 4:00 PMLocation: Cambridge, MA
- 5:00 PM2h2025 MIT Research Slam ShowcaseGet ready to be blown away by the latest and greatest research projects coming out of MIT! Join us at the MIT Wong Auditorium for an exciting showcase of innovative ideas, cutting-edge technology, and mind-blowing discoveries. Hear in-person engaging presentations from the brilliant minds of MIT PhDs & postdocs. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about scientific discoveries unfolding right here in Cambridge, MA!Get your free tickets here.
- 5:00 PM3hNew England I-Corps: For Researchers Considering a Technology-based StartupFor Researchers Interested in Commercializing their New TechnologyExplore taking your new technology to the marketplace Get entrepreneurial training, support to identify customers Learn how to apply for $50,000 from the NSFIncrease your chances of receiving an SBIR/STTR awardClick here for more details
- 5:15 PM2h 45mThe Table - Lutheran Episcopal MinistryEvery Wednesday night you are invited to come to The Table for peaceful Christian worship in the Chapel at 5:15 pm and dinner in the Main Dining Room of W11 at 6:30 pm.We worship with beautiful songs, open conversation about the Scriptures, prayers and a simple sharing of communion around the altar. Then we enjoy dinner together and good company together. Whether you come every week or just drop by once in a while, there is a caring community for you at the Table.You are truly welcome to come as you are: undergrad, grad, or post-doc; sure of your faith or wondering what it is all about; gay, straight, bi, trans*, questioning. Please join us for no-pressure worship and fellowship.Hosted by the Lutheran Epsicopal Ministry @ MIT. For more information, or to verify gathering times during holiday and vacation periods, please contact chaplains Andrew Heisen (heisen@mit.edu) and Kevin Vetiac (kvet246@mit.edu).
- 5:30 PM1hActive Gentle Yoga - Virtual ClassMany people think gentle yoga is too easy and not an effective form of fitness. Think again! You can practice yoga in ways that are both active and gentle at the same time.Come enjoy the many known benefits of yoga through:the practice of active yet gentle, rhythmic movementheld yoga poses and vinyasa flow (moving from pose to pose via the breath)pranayam (breath work)relaxation and meditationIn this well-rounded class, Celeste LeMieux, 500 hr certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor, provides clear instructions and modifications, making it accessible and beneficial to practitioners of all ages and stages of yoga practice and life.You will leave class feeling both stretched and strengthened while also feeling more calm and relaxed. This class is the perfect mid-week reset for body and mind. Come see how less really can be more!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.
- 5:30 PM1h 25mRefuge @ MIT: weekly worship, prayer & Bible Study.Refuge @ MIT. Join our weekly gathering for Christian students and seekers as we have worship, prayer and Bible study each Wednesday evening. We share some food and enjoy an in depth Bible study, open to all students at MIT.
- 5:30 PM2hSolvable: Lecture and Book Signing with Susan SolomonIn honor of Earth Week, please join us for a thought-provoking evening with Professor Susan Solomon to celebrate her recent book, Solvable: How we healed the Earth, and how we can do it again.5:30 p.m. | 54-100 — the Dixie Lee Bryant (1891) Lecture Hall Author's talk and Q+A, moderated by Professor John Fernández, Director of the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative6:30 p.m. | 55-Atrium – Tina and Hamid Moghadam Building Book signing and reception in the Fred A. Middleton (1971) Atrium, Building 55. Limited copies of Professor Solomon's book will be available for purchase.Pre-registration is closed, but you are still welcome to join us in person or via live-stream!Questions? Contact Allison DrovairosAbout the Book: We solved planet-threatening problems before, Susan Solomon argues, and we can do it again. Solomon knows firsthand what those solutions entail. She first gained international fame as the leader of an expedition to Antarctica in 1986, making discoveries that were key to healing the damaged ozone layer. She saw a path—from scientific and public awareness to political engagement, international agreement, industry involvement, and effective action. Solomon, an atmospheric scientist and award-winning author, connects this career-defining triumph to the inside stories of other past environmental victories—against ozone depletion, smog, pesticides, and lead in gasoline—to extract the essential elements of what makes change possible.About the Author: Susan Solomon is the Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and is the current Chair of the Program in Oceans, Atmospheres and Climate in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. Prior to coming to MIT and joining the EAPS faculty in 2012, she was a scientist at NOAA in Boulder, Colorado and an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado from 1982-2011 where she first theorized about the cause behind the Antarctic ozone hole. In 1986 and 1987, she served as the Head Project Scientist of the National Ozone Expedition at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, making some of the first measurements that confirmed chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as the culprit. This pioneering work is among the foundations for the Montreal Protocol—the landmark treaty limiting global CFC emissions—which, 30 years its signing, became a resounding environmental success story, with Solomon documenting evidence of the ozone hole’s healing in response in work carried out at MIT. In March of 2000, Solomon received the National Medal of Science, the United States’ highest scientific award. A member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, Solomon has also earned the highest awards of the American Geophysical Union (the Bowie Medal), the American Meteorological Society (the Rossby Medal), and the Geochemical Society (the Goldschmidt Medal). She also received the Grande Medaille of the Academy of Sciences in Paris for her leadership in ozone and climate science in 2008 and the Crafoord Prize of the Swedish Academy of Sciences in 2018. She served as co-chair of the Fourth Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007) climate science report, which went on to be recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2008, she was named one of the year’s 100 most influential people in Time magazine.
- 6:00 PM2hSpring Bike Light EventSpring is here and cycling is fun again! Come to The Bike Lab for free bike lights and reflective materials to improve your visibility and safety on the road. We have bike lights, reflective vests, and reflective snap bracelets, and can also help with bike repair if your bike needs any adjustments. Ride safe!Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/r6oC91L1SstX63fPASponsors: GSC Funding Board
- 7:00 PM2hJazz AMP ConcertJazz Advanced Music Performance (AMP) ConcertFeaturing student performers Matthew Michalek, Alex Jin and Andrea Marcano-Delgado!Livestream: https://web.mit.edu/webcast/mta/f24/This project is presented as part of Artfinity, an Institute-sponsored event celebrating creativity and community at MIT. Artfinity is organized by the Office of the Arts.
- 8:00 PM1hWomen's Lacrosse vs. Wheaton CollegeTime: 7:00 PMLocation: Norton, MA
- 8:00 PM3h23rd of April National Sovereignty and Children's Day CelebrationTake a break from classes and join us to celebrate April 23rd Sovereignty and Children's Day with snacks at 8-11pm at 35-225. This is a public holiday in Turkey commemorating the foundation of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, on April 23rd 1920. The event is open to MIT community and sponsored by GSC Funding Board.