MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2016 Activities by Category - Miscellaneous

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(Safely) Observe the Sun

Zach Berta-Thompson, Torres Postdoctoral Fellow, MKI, Michael Person, Research Scientist, EAPS

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: none

Join us for daytime stargazing! We will have solar telescopes set up so you can safely observe our closest star, the Sun. Swing on by for a quick look, and feel free to stay and chat with MIT astronomers over cups of cocoa.

This activity is being co-sponsored with EAPS.

weather permitting

A complete listing of all IAP activities being offered by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research is available here.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


(Canceled) (Safely) Observe the Sun

Jan/19 Tue 01:00PM-03:00PM North Court

First of three solar observing days -- weather permitting.

Zach Berta-Thompson - Torres Postdoctoral Fellow, MKI, Michael Person - Research Scientist, EAPS


(Safely) Observe the Sun

Jan/22 Fri 12:00PM-02:00PM Student Center

Second day of solar observing -- weather permitting.  Look for us on the upper plaza area outside of the Student Center.

Zach Berta-Thompson - Torres Postdoctoral Fellow, MKI, Michael Person - Research Scientist, EAPS


(Safely) Observe the Sun

Jan/27 Wed 12:00PM-02:00PM North Court

Final day of solar observing -- weather permitting.

Zach Berta-Thompson - Torres Postdoctoral Fellow, MKI, Michael Person - Research Scientist, EAPS


[AT CAPACITY] Tour of MIT's Nuclear Research Reactor

Taylor Tracy, Administrative Assistant II

Jan/26 Tue 01:00PM-02:30PM NW12, first floor, Ring doorbell for entry, may arrive early

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/25
Limited to 15 participants
Prereq: none

The tour of MIT's Nuclear Research Reactor on January 26th at 1pm is currently at capacity. 

For those who have already registered: Please make sure to bring your MIT ID with you to the tour for the sign-in process. Cameras, mobile phones, bags, backpacks, open toed shoes/sandals (including flip flops) etc., are permitted in the administrative building but are not permitted on the tour. There is a secure office that you will be able to leave your belongings in. 15 person maximum. Tour will begin promptly at 1pm, please arrive on time or a few minutes early.

Sponsor(s): Nuclear Reactor Lab
Contact: Taylor Tracy, NW12-108b, 617 253-4211, TTRACY@MIT.EDU


[AT CAPACITY] Tour of MIT's Nuclear Research Reactor

Taylor Tracy, Administrative Assistant II

Jan/13 Wed 01:00PM-02:30PM NW12, first floor, Ring doorbell for entry, may arrive early

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/12
Limited to 15 participants
Prereq: none

The tour of MIT's Nuclear Research Reactor on January 13th at 1pm is currently at capacity. 

For those who have already registered: Please make sure to bring your MIT ID with you to the tour for the sign-in process. Cameras, mobile phones, bags, backpacks, open toed shoes/sandals (including flip flops) etc., are permitted in the administrative building but are not permitted on the tour. There is a secure office that you will be able to leave your belongings in. 15 person maximum. Tour will begin promptly at 1pm, please arrive on time or a few minutes early.

Sponsor(s): Nuclear Reactor Lab
Contact: Taylor Tracy, NW12-108b, 617 253-4211, TTRACY@MIT.EDU


[AT CAPACITY] Tour of MIT's Nuclear Research Reactor

Taylor Tracy, Administrative Assistant II

Jan/11 Mon 10:00AM-11:30AM NW12, first floor, Ring doorbell for entry, may arrive early

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/10
Limited to 15 participants
Prereq: None

The tour of MIT's Nuclear Research Reactor on January 11th at 10:00am is currently at capacity. 

For those who have already registered: Please make sure to bring your MIT ID with you to the tour for the sign-in process. Cameras, mobile phones, bags, backpacks, open toed shoes/sandals (including flip flops) etc., are permitted in the administrative building but are not permitted on the tour. There is a secure office that you will be able to leave your belongings in. 15 person maximum. Tour will begin promptly at 1pm, please arrive on time or a few minutes early.

Sponsor(s): Nuclear Reactor Lab
Contact: Taylor Tracy, NW12-108b, 617 253-4211, TTRACY@MIT.EDU


[AT CAPACITY] Tour of MIT's Nuclear Research Reactor

Taylor Tracy, Administrative Assistant II

Jan/20 Wed 09:30AM-11:00AM NW12, first floor, Ring doorbell for entry, may arrive early

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/19
Limited to 15 participants
Prereq: none

The tour of MIT's Nuclear Research Reactor on January 20th at 9:30am is currently at capacity. 

For those who have already registered: Please make sure to bring your MIT ID with you to the tour for the sign-in process. Cameras, mobile phones, bags, backpacks, open toed shoes/sandals (including flip flops) etc., are permitted in the administrative building but are not permitted on the tour. There is a secure office that you will be able to leave your belongings in. 15 person maximum. Tour will begin promptly at 1pm, please arrive on time or a few minutes early.

Sponsor(s): Nuclear Reactor Lab
Contact: Taylor Tracy, NW12-108b, 617 253-4211, TTRACY@MIT.EDU


Aikido

Dave Comi, instructor

Jan/04 Mon 07:30PM-09:00PM W32 wrestling room
Jan/06 Wed 07:30PM-09:00PM W32 wrestling room
Jan/08 Fri 07:30PM-09:00PM W32 wrestling room
Jan/11 Mon 07:30PM-09:00PM W32 wrestling room
Jan/13 Wed 07:30PM-09:00PM W32 wrestling room
Jan/20 Wed 07:30PM-09:00PM W32 wrestling room
Jan/22 Fri 07:30PM-09:00PM W32 wrestling room
Jan/25 Mon 07:30PM-09:00PM W32 wrestling room
Jan/27 Wed 07:30PM-09:00PM W32 wrestling room
Jan/29 Fri 07:30PM-09:00PM W32 wrestling room

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Aikido is the modern Japanese martial art in which cheating is technique. Think outside the box and get out of the way.

Some of our students come once a week; some come every time. Some come for self-defense, some for exercise, and some for stress relief.

Classes are open to all MIT affiliates. Beginners (to the club, to aikido, to martial arts, or to general fitness) are welcome at any class.

Wear something roomy or stretchy, e.g. sweat pants.

Please sign a club-sports waiver ahead of time and bring your MIT ID card.

MWF 7:30 - 9 pm in the Wrestling Room in W32 DuPont Athletic Center (enter through Zesiger Center). Note that a DAPER membership or day pass is required to access these facilities. MIT students receive free membership, which can be activated at the Z Center main desk.

http://web.mit.edu/kokikai

kokikai-officers@mit.edu

 

Sponsor(s): Kokikai Aikido Club
Contact: Dave Comi, davecomi@mit.edu


Astronomers Hack IAP

Lia Corrales, Postdoctoral Associate

Jan/14 Thu 11:00AM-04:00PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Advanced sign up required by 3pm 1/13/2016 by completing google form above
Sign-up by 01/13
Limited to 40 participants
Prereq: C++, python, php, or web design

We've rescheduled the hack day to accommodate for the fact that many people are still returning from vacation.  It will now be Thursday, Jan 14 from 11 am - 4 pm in Marlar Lounge 37-252.

This is the perfect time to work on a small project that you've been meaning to get to, or to learn new coding tools and tricks! 

Nothing says "hacking" like throwing together a last minute group coding session!  Inspired by the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Hack Day, taking place as part of their annual winter meeting, Code Coffee will host a hack day at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research.  What is a hack day, you ask? It's about getting together to write code or work on some other project, *fast*.  It could be for science or just for fun!  You don't need to bring an idea to participate, and a range of expertise is appreciated (be it C++, python, php, or web design).  So grab a friend and come to Marlar for some snacks and coding!

Maximum: 40 people

To attend, please sign up (by 3pm Jan 13) using the Google form

(https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lEZ6wh82_3Ln5inDOxB1cks1fl6vDs9wBSoTP0Xdx5U/viewform)



For more about the AAS Hack Day session (http://astrobetter.com/wiki/AASHackDay)

Some examples of hacks:
http://dotastronomy.com/blog/2014/12/astro-6-live-blog-day-3/
https://arxiver.wordpress.com/

 

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Ballroom Dance Club 2016 IAP Workshops and Social

Yivan Jiang

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: None

MIT Ballroom Dance Club will hold two workshops and one dance party in 2016 IAP.  The schedule is as follows:

Sunday, January 10, 2016, 2:30pm to 4:30pm, at Lobby 13 (map: http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=13), International Cha Cha

Sunday, January 24, 2016, 2:30pm to 4:30pm, at Lobdell (map: http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=W20), Samba

Both workshops will be taught by Alan Stamper and Taylor Chau, dance instructors from the Champions Dance Studio.

Entrance fees for the workshops: MIT student, Free; Other student, $6; MIT affiliate, $6; General Public, $10

Saturday, January 16, 2016, 8pm to 12 midnight, Dance Party at La Sala (map: http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=W20), there will be a Cha-Cha lesson at beginning.

Entrance fees for the Dance Party: MIT student, free; Other student, $6; MIT affiliate, $8; General Public, $10

Sponsor(s): Ballroom Dance Club
Contact: Ballroom Dance Club Officers, bdc-officers@mit.edu


Budgeting 101

Jan/14 Thu 12:00PM-01:00PM 56-114

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/13
Limited to 63 participants

By choosing to educate yourself about money matters, you are already on the path to independence and financial success!

Effective planning and budgeting are essential activities you must master in order to remain financially healthy.

Join us for our Budgeting 101 seminar as part of MIT's Independent Activities Period (IAP) to find out what a budget is, including a step-by-step guide and the budgeting tools available to keep you on track.

January 14th | 12:00pm-1:00pm | Building 56, Room 114

To register, click here.

Sponsor(s): MIT Federal Credit Union
Contact: Meghan Brown, NE48, 617 715-4703, MBROWNCU@MIT.EDU


CITY OF THORNS: Nine Lives in the World's Largest Refugee Camp

Ben Rawlence, author

Jan/09 Sat 11:00AM-12:00PM MIT Coop Bookstore, 325 Main St., Cambridge

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Book talk and signing

Sponsor(s): Center for International Studies
Contact: Laura Kerwin, 253-8306, lkerwin@mit.edu


Cocktails 201: Rum, Ron, Rhum

Jared Sadoian '10

Jan/25 Mon 06:00PM-07:00PM 500A Commonwealth Av

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Prereq: Participants must be 21 or older by 01/25/16 w/ a valid ID
Fee: $65.00 for supplies

More than nearly any other spirit category, rum has grown explosively over the past decade. Not only does it represent a great value compared to Scotch, Brandy, and American whiskey, Rum also is one of the only spirits that can cater to a wide audience of spirits enthusiasts and cocktail-centric bartenders alike. This seminar will cover the history of rum from its origins in the Caribbean to its spread throughout the world, and include a flight of rums demonstrating the variety of styles and flavors in this fantastically delicious spirit.

This seminar will be led by Jared Sadoian '10, Bar Manager at The Hawthorne and Rob Ficks, Head Bartender at Craigie on Main. The seminars will meet at The Hawthorne, a craft cocktail lounge located inside the Hotel Commonwealth in Boston's Kenmore Square.

Register today! Password "cocktails 201"

Other opportunties:
Cocktails 101: Section C -- from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, February 1 and 8. $150.00
2/1 Tequila $65
2/8 Vermouth $70
PSW: "cocktails 201"

Sponsor(s): Alumni Association
Contact: Elena Byrne, W98-206C, 617 252-1143, EBYRNE@MIT.EDU


Copy, create, hack, and distribute: An introduction to intellectual property rights on the Internet

Kate Darling, Stacey Dogan

Jan/14 Thu 01:00PM-04:00PM Media Lab, E14-244

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/13
Prereq: None

Whether you’re a programmer, entrepreneur, or just into making cool things for the interwebz, you’re likely to interact with copyright and other intellectual property (IP) laws in the course of your work. In this class, we'll talk through cases where IP law has impacted online platforms and device hacks, examine the ideas behind those laws, and discuss where they sometimes go wrong.

Topics include copyright infringement, DMCA safe harbor, trademark infringement, and DMCA anti circumvention law.

Stacey Dogan is a law professor at Boston University, a leading intellectual property scholar, and an MIT alum.
Kate Darling is the IP advisor to the MIT Media Lab and a fellow at the Harvard Berkman Center for Internet and Society.

Email Kate to join this session!

Contact: Kate Darling, KDARLING@MIT.EDU


Creativity: The lucky 7: Discover Your Superpower

Ruth Levitsky, Toastmasters@MIT

Jan/30 Sat 10:00AM-12:15PM E51-149

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/30
Prereq: none

An experiential workshop correlated to creativity and the 7 Intelligences (first presented in Dr. Howard Gardner’s book Frames of Mind). This workshop will give you an understanding of the 7 intelligences. It will help you discover which intelligence your superpower fits. We will also provide creative practices that involve all seven intelligences. It is educational, fun and highly experiential.

 

By participating you will learn useful information about yourself and others that you can use to empower your life journey.

 

 

Presented by Creativity Integrators: Cherylle Garnes, and Janet Johnson, 

with Guest speaker: Ruth Levitsky

 

Come prepared to speak, think, interact with others, move, learn and have fun!

 

To sign up: go to

http://tinyurl.com/creativity2016

 

or email levitsky@mit.edu

 

 

 

 

Contact: Ruth Levitsky, E52-415, 617 253-3399, LEVITSKY@MIT.EDU


Cybersecurity - Reducing Your Attack Surface

Roy Wattanasin

Jan/22 Fri 12:00PM-01:00PM 3-133, All are welcome to attend!

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Prereq: None, Open To All, Invite your friends & colleagues!

Whether you realize it or not, end user cybersecurity plays a major role in everyones' lives: from your siblings to your grandparents. It affects your family, friends and even your colleagues. It is critical for all to understand how to be safer with today's online threats.

Come to this 1-hour conversation (new for 2016) to understand and learn more. Bring your questions to this information security open-ended general session for all. Hear from Roy and Frank Quinn (both security professionals) to hear about their thoughts and recommendations regarding the topics below.

(This is designed to be a session for the MIT community in order to reduce your attack surface. Feel free to invite your friends and colleagues!)

A. Backing Your Data

B. Administrative Access

C. Operating System (OS) Patching

D. Third-party patching

E. Defenses For You

F. Passwords

G. Wireless Connectivity / Internet-VPN Usage

H. Social Networking, "What People Know About you?"

I. Maintaining Your Privacy and "Being Aware"

J. Hack the world

K. Any other security/privacy questions to ask us

Contact: Roy Wattanasin, roywatt@mit.edu


Designing Addiction

Satayan Mahajan '96

Jan/28 Thu 04:00PM-06:00PM 10-250

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required

Have you ever wondered why some products succeed and others fail? How is Facebook able to get their average user to check their accounts 12 times a day? Why have Apple’s products been so wildly successful?
 
You may not realize it, but we’re all addicted. Many of the greatest product innovators have a deep intuition allowing them to build exactly what people want. Unfortunately, for the rest of us, it's often hit or miss. In this course, we’ll discuss a new framework and principles in product design and innovation focused on how to engage consumers and build truly addictive products.
 
We’ll use examples from real world products, but more importantly we encourage you to bring your own projects and ideas to work on.

Satayan Mahajan '96 is an American entrepreneur and inventor focusing on consumer centered products in the fields of video games, healthcare, and sports.

Register for this free event today!

Sponsor(s): Alumni Association
Contact: Elena Byrne, W98-206C, 617 252-1143, EBYRNE@MIT.EDU


Determining iron abundances in cool stars: The role of hydrogen collisions

Dr. Rana Ezzeddine, Postdoctoral Associate

Jan/20 Wed 02:30PM-03:00PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

Determination of high precision abundances is an important goal of all spectroscopic studies. Accurate modelling of stellar spectra is therefore essential to determine these abundances and stellar parameters. I will explain in this talk the non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (non-LTE) approach to modelling stellar spectra of cool stars, highlighting the important role that Hydrogen collisions play.

 

View a complete listing of MKI's IAP 2016 offerings here.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Dying to Forget: Oil, Power, Palestine, and the Foundations of US Policy in the Middle East

Irene L. Gendzier, author

Jan/21 Thu 04:30PM-06:00PM E40-496, Lucian Pye Conference Room

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

BOOK TALK AND SIGNING: Dying to Forget: Oil, Power, Palestine, and the Foundations of US Policy in the Middle East

with author Irene L. Gendzier.

Contact: Laura Kerwin, E40-444D, 253-8306, lkerwin@mit.edu


EHS-MS: Building a toolbox for the EHS Coordinator

Pam Greenley, Michael Labosky, Mitch Galanek

Jan/12 Tue 01:00PM-02:30PM EHS: N52-496 A

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/05

The DLC-EHS Coordinator plays a key role in the EHS-MS (Environment, Health and Safety Management System) and receives authority from the DLC Head to manage the EHS-MS functions within the DLC. This course will examine the specific requirements of the Coordinator position, review the web based Pi/Space registration, training, and level 2 inspection programs including reports, and a discussion with current EHS Coordinators of the skills and techniques ( rep meetings, web page, auto emails) that have proven valuable in meeting the expectation of this role. Participants will be encouraged to share experiences, discuss strengths and examine opportunities to improve delivery of EHS-MS requirements to the DLC.

Register at: http://ehs.mit.edu/site/content/iap-course-registration

Sponsor(s): Environment, Health and Safety Office
Contact: Jessica Van, N52-496, 617 452-3233, JVAN@MIT.EDU


Exploring the Universe from Near to Far with the Chandra X-ray Observatory (talk + 2 tours)

Dr. Michael Nowak, Research Scientist

Jan/26 Tue 02:00PM-02:30PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: attend 2pm talk to take two tours that follow

In the summer of 1999, NASA launched the third of its great observatories--the Chandra X-ray telescope. Like the Hubble Space telescope which preceded it, Chandra is designed to have an unprecedented ability to create images and spectra of astrophysical objects, except working with high energy X-rays instead of optical light. This means that Chandra views some of the universe's most exotic and energetic phenomena: supernovae, neutron stars, black holes, jets traveling at nearly the speed of light emanating from near the center of clusters of galaxies. In this talk, we'll take a tour of the discoveries made by the Chandra X-ray telescope, starting with studies of our own solar system, moving outward to nearby stars, to the center of our own Galaxy where a black hole 40 millions times the mass of our Sun lurks, to distant clusters of Galaxies where the most massive black holes, billions of times the mass of our Sun, reside.

Two tours will follow this talk.  See separate listing for each tour and visit the MKI website for complete details.

Tour #1: Operations Control Center, Chandra X-ray Observatory (Dr. Schulz, 2:45 - 3:30pm; Tour departs 37-252 @ 2:30pm). Signup deadline: 12noon Thurs, Jan 21.  Email meinbres@mit.edu your first & last name (as it appears on your ID) & the country of your citizenship.

Tour #2: Tour of the X-ray Polarimetry Lab (Drs. Schulz and Marshall, 3:45 - 4:15pm)

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


(CANCELED) Gravitational Mirages

Paul Schechter, William A M Burden Professor of Astrophysics

Jan/25 Mon 01:30PM-02:00PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

According to Einstein's theory, gravity produces what is, in effect, an index of refraction.  Light passing in the vicinity of an astronomical object will be delayed, deflected and distorted by the variations in this index of refraction, in a manner exactly analogous to terrestrial mirages.  Such cosmic mirages are a major tool for the study of dark matter in galaxies and clusters of galaxies.

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up.

A listing of all IAP activities being offered by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research is available here.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Harry Potter Movie Mash

Katherine Stone, President

Jan/21 Thu 07:00PM-10:00PM 32-082

Enrollment: No limits

Hello Witches and Wizards!  Come join us at the Annual Quidditch Team Movie Mash!  We will be featuring all 8 of the Harry Potter films on 8 different screens simultaneously.  Come and watch your favorite scenes, catch up on the movie you missed, or sit back and laugh at all the fun scene mixes.  Fun fact: In the first movie, where Sean Seamus blows up his water is about the same time as when he blows up the bridge in the final movie!

Sponsor(s): MIT Quidditch
Contact: Katherine Stone, katstone@mit.edu


Harry Potter Trivia Night

Katherine Stone

Jan/08 Fri 07:00PM-09:00PM 1-132

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Do you know what would happen if you added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?  The difference between a hippogriff and a griffin?  Show off your magical knowledge at the Quidditch Teams Trivia Fest!  

Sponsor(s): MIT Quidditch
Contact: Katherine Stone, katstone@mit.edu


Historic Letterlocking: The Art and Security of Letterwriting

Jana Dambrogio, Thomas F. Peterson Jr. (1957) Conservator

Jan/06 Wed 10:00AM-12:00PM 14-0513

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/05
Limited to 10 participants
Prereq: NA

Queen Elizabeth the First did it. Marie Antoinette did it, too. And so did William Barton Rogers.

Come spend a morning in the MIT Libraries Wunsch Conservation lab with Jana Dambrogio, the Thomas F. Peterson Jr. (1957) conservator and letterlocker-in-residence, learning about the 4,000-year-old tradition of writing a letter on papyrus, parchment, or paper and folding it to function as its own envelope.

Participants will make several types of locked letters with varying levels of built-in security based on historic examples. They will view historic manuscripts and learn how conservators preserve them.

If you identify yourself as an origami maker, paper engineer, letter-writer, secret keeper, or anti-tamper device master, this is the course for you.

Register here.

Course size: 10

10:00 am-12:00 pm

 Offered: one morning session.

 When: Wednesday, January 6

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Jana Dambrogio, 14-0513, 617 452-4064, JLD@MIT.EDU


Homebuying 101

Jan/06 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM 32-141

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/05
Limited to 60 participants

Whether it's your first time or you're in the market again, learn what's involved in buying a house at this free, informative session as part of MIT's Independent Activities Period (IAP).

Come meet the experts from MIT Federal Credit Union and Members Mortgage Company to talk about:

- Effective property search tips
- Current area market housing trends
- Financing options
- And much more

Wednesday, January 6th | 12:00pm-1:00pm | Stata Center, Room 141

Helping make home ownership yours is a higher degree of banking.

To register, click here.

Sponsor(s): MIT Federal Credit Union
Contact: Meghan Brown, NE48, 617 715-4703, MBROWNCU@MIT.EDU


How To Stand-Up (Comedy)

Mehran Khaghani, Comedian

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/31
Limited to 15 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: None

Have you ever wanted to try stand-up comedy?  This IAP, the MIT Stand-Up Comedy Club welcomes Mehran Khaghani, a comedian who has appeared on MTV and Comedy Central, and recently starred on the reality show Last Comic Standing on NBC, to teach a six-week stand-up class to MIT students.  This is an incredible opportunity to learn from a wildly successful comedian, who has also been a fantastic teacher and mentor to previous students.  At the end of the course, students will perform a stand-up show for the MIT community.  Last year's show was attended by ~200 students!  

The class will be offered Tuesdays 7-10pm with an optional writing session 6-7pm.  Participants are expected to attend all sessions.  The class will run six Tuesdays, from 1/5-2/8, with the final show on Thursday 2/10.  This class is limited to undergraduate and graduate students at MIT.

No prior comedy experience is required, but any amount of comedy experience is acceptable!

In order for each participant to receive adequte attention, the class is limited to 15 students.  If you would like to participate, please fill out the application form here by 12/31 and we will get back to you shortly thereafter to let you know if you got a spot:

http://goo.gl/forms/i3HZAeNA5F

The MIT DeFlorez Fund for Humor has very graciousy funded this class.  Without them, this class would not happen. 

Sponsor(s): MIT Standup Comedy Club
Contact: MIT Stand-Up Comedy Club, succ-officers@mit.edu


How To Stand Up (Comedy)

Jan/05 Tue 07:00PM-10:00PM TBD

Session 1 of 6

Mehran Khaghani - Comedian


How To Stand Up (Comedy)

Jan/12 Tue 07:00PM-10:00PM TBD

Session 2 of 6

Mehran Khaghani - Comedian


How To Stand Up (Comedy)

Jan/19 Tue 07:00PM-10:00PM TBD

Session 3 of 6

Mehran Khaghani - Comedian


How To Stand Up (Comedy)

Jan/26 Tue 07:00PM-10:00PM TBD

Session 4 of 6

Mehran Khaghani - Comedian


IAP math + knitting

Teal Guidici

Enrollment: complete form: http://goo.gl/forms/mQCbk61E0w
Limited to 8 participants
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Looking to spread your love of mathematics through the soft power of hand knits? Wish you had squishy, approachable models of mathematical objects for classroom purposes? Or perhaps regular knitting patterns just aren’t…..mathy enough for you.

Whatever the case, these classes in mathematical knitting will help you achieve your mathy and/or knitterly dreams.

Session 1 will cover the construction of hyperbolic planes and Moebius strips, while in Session 2 we will discuss knitting patterns based on fractals, numerical sequences and, time permitting, space-filling curves.

These classes will be suitable for all levels of knitting experience, provided experience >0.

Update: Class is at capacity, but you can sign up to be included in email list for course materials

Please fill out the following form to register for the class or to be put on the wait list: http://goo.gl/forms/mQCbk61E0w . An email confirmation of enrollment or waitlist status will be sent in a moderately timely manner, as will a materials list. Instructor can be reached at teal_morgan@alum.mit.edu if you have questions about either session.

 

Sponsor(s): Mathematics
Contact: Teal Guidici, teal_morgan@alum.mit.edu


Things that won't lay flat

Jan/26 Tue 04:00PM-07:00PM 4-253

Things that won't lay flat: Moebius strips and hyperbolic planes. Tired of knitting scarves with two sides? Longing for your knitting to break free from Euclidean constraints? Or just ready for a knitting challenge?
Then this knitting class is for you! We'll cover the basics of knitting Moebius strips and hyperbolic planes. Additionally we'll discuss how stitch patterns can be adapted to yield a non-Euclidean surface.


Color and nothingness

Jan/28 Thu 04:00PM-07:00PM 4-253

Color and nothingness: Mandelbrot, Fibonacci, Peano. Have a passion for lace, but bored with knitting feathers, fans or flowers? Is your color work lacking self-similarity? In this class we'll look at patterns based on the Fibonacci sequence and Sierpinski's triangle. We'll also discuss how to use color work and lace knitting techniques to
create a pattern based on a fractal, numerical series or space filling curve.


IAP PopShop

Elizabeth Lee

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Attendance: Participants must attend the first session.
Prereq: None

Interested in learning more about the popping dance style? Wanna tap into your inner dancer?

Look no further! MIT Constructs will be hosting weekly classes on the 2nd floor elevator lounge in building 36 on Mondays and Thursdays at 7pm, with session following. We're here to spread popping knowledge with a bit of freestyle! No experience necessary, and beginners are welcome!

If you're interested, please email the contact below. Hope to see you there! :D

Contact: Elizabeth Lee, 510 364-8581, ESL1@MIT.EDU


PopShop

Jan/04 Mon 07:00PM-08:30PM Building 36, Floor 2
Jan/07 Thu 07:00PM-08:30PM Building 36, Floor 2
Jan/11 Mon 07:00PM-08:30PM Building 36, Floor 2
Jan/14 Thu 07:00PM-08:30PM Building 36, Floor 2
Jan/21 Thu 07:00PM-08:30PM Building 36, Floor 2
Jan/25 Mon 07:00PM-08:30PM Building 36, Floor 2
Jan/28 Thu 07:00PM-08:30PM Building 36, Floor 2

Elizabeth Lee


Illuminating the Dark Ages and the Cosmic Dawn with Radio Interferometers

Aaron Ewall-Wice, MKI Graduate Student

Jan/20 Wed 02:00PM-02:30PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

A critical chapter in the Universe’s history, known as the Dark Ages, remains nearly entirely unobserved. During this time period, our universe underwent a dramatic transformation from a relatively uniform mixture of hydrogen, helium, and dark matter filaments, into the luminescent and chemically complex realm of stars and galaxies that we live in today. The time period over which the first luminous sources turned on is known as the cosmic dawn.

In this talk, I will discuss how the observational technique known as 21cm tomography which will allow us to observe the dark ages and the cosmic dawn, allowing for us to learn about the formation and evolution of the first galaxies.

To see all of MKI's IAP 2016 listings, view the website.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Kyudo (Archery) Instruction and Practice

Sam Kanner, Jim Boorstein, Joyce Wu

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Limited to 15 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Fee: $20.00 for instruction

Kyudo, or Japanese archery, means the "way of the bow" and was considered the highest discipline of ancient Japanese samurai. Kyudo is based on standing Zen meditation used by Zen Buddhist monks as a means of cultivating self-awareness. Beginners will receive instruction in the basic form of kyudo, the Seven Coordinations or "shichi-do," and shoot at a short-range target.  Day 1: Training; Day 2: actual shooting.  Must take part in both days. 

RESERVE YOUR SPOT BY EMAIL NOW AND CONFIRM PARTICIPATION BY SUBMITTING THE $20 FEE.

Sponsor(s): MIT Japan Program, Center for International Studies
Contact: Christine Pilcavage, E40-431, x8-8208, csp18@mit.edu


Training

Jan/09 Sat 10:00AM-03:00PM MAC Court

Kyudo training


Shooting

Jan/10 Sun 09:00AM-01:00PM Rockwell Cage, North Court

Kyudo shooting


Listening to the universe with gravitational waves

Scott Hughes, Professor of Physics

Jan/12 Tue 01:15PM-02:00PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

Advanced LIGO is on the cusp of using gravitational waves as a tool for observing the universe.  What are gravitational waves, and how do we use them to observe the universe?  I will describe how gravitational waves are produced by violent and interesting astronomical events, and why they are especially useful for teaching us about those events.  I will emphasize that these waves are analogous to sound, and will illustrate how we learn from them with some examples of what theory tells us certain interesting example gravitational waves “sound like” to the “ears” of a detector like LIGO.
 

Please note: two related activities will follow Professor Hughes' presentation.

Searching for Gravitational Waves with LIGO (Dr. Adam Libson, 2:00 - 2:30pm in 37-252
Tour of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) Lab (Dr. Adam Libson, 2:30 - 4:00pm departing from 37-252).

***Note***
10 people maximum for the LIGO Lab tour. You must attend both talks preceding the tour (Scott Hughes' talk at 1:15pm and Adam Libson's talk at 2:00pm). Advance sign-up required for the tour, starting at 1:05pm immediately before Professor Hughes' talk in 37-252. Attendance of talks is required in order to take tour of LIGO lab. Tour will leave from 37-252 at 2:30pm, and last until about 4:00pm.

 

See all of MKI's IAP offerings here

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Math mini-talk

Eva Belmont

Jan/14 Thu 12:00PM-01:00PM 4-145

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required

Give a five-minute talk about your favorite theorem, and hear about other people's favorite theorems. The primary audience is graduate students in math, but others are welcome too. Feel free to come without giving a mini-talk, but if you want to speak, please contact ebelmont@mit.edu.

Sponsor(s): Mathematics
Contact: Eva Belmont, ebelmont@mit.edu


Michelson Interferometer Demonstration

Maggie Tse, Clare Boothe Luce Graduate Fellow

Jan/27 Wed 01:30PM-02:30PM NW22-258

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

How do you measure distances smaller than one-thousandth the diameter of a proton? Why do we care? Come find out in this hands-on interactive demo, where you will learn about Michelson interferometery, the basic principle behind how LIGO measures explosions in outer space using giant lasers. Real lasers included!

If you stay with us after 2:30pm, you can apply your new knowledge and operate a real suspended interferometer with Dr. Kontos in the LIGO lab!  (For a description of this activity, see TOUR: Lock a Suspended Interferometer)


Directions to NW22-258: Enter through the loading dock entrance in the parking lot between NW22 and NW17. The door will be propped open for the event. Once inside, follow the signs and take the elevator to the second floor.

 

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Mystery Hunt 2016

Megan Russell

Jan/15 Fri 12:00PM-11:59PM all around campus
Jan/16 Sat 12:00AM-11:59PM all around campus
Jan/17 Sun 12:00AM-11:59PM all around campus

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/15
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session

The MIT Mystery Hunt is an annual puzzle hunt competition occurring over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. The hunt challenges each participating team to solve a large number of puzzles which lead to an object (a "coin") hidden somewhere on campus. The winning team gets to write the subsequent year's hunt. Kickoff will be January 15th, more details about the time, location and registration will be released later. We are supported by the UA Finboard.

More information can be found at web.mit.edu/puzzle.

Happy Hunting!

Sponsor(s): Mystery Hunt
Contact: MIT Mystery Hunt, puzzle@mit.edu


NICER to the Space Station in 2016: Astrophysics of Neutron Stars and Black Holes via X-ray Astronomy

Ronald Remillard, Principal Research Scientist

Jan/25 Mon 02:00PM-02:30PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

NASA's Neutron star Interior Composition ExploreR ("NICER"), will be launched to the International Space Station in August 2016. The NICER detector team at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics has delivered Si drift detectors and signal processing electronics for the 56 cameras that constitute the Instrument.  The cameras are sensitive to X-ray photons in the range 0.2-12 keV, and each event will be time-tagged with an instrument clock that ticks at 40 ns.  This talk will review the science goals, the instrument technology, and the calibration equipment that allows us to accomplish requirements, including the achievement of timing accuracy to 100 ns in the Solar System barycenter.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


NIH Public Access Compliance Hands-on Working Session

Courtney Crummett, Biosciences Librarian

Jan/27 Wed 11:00AM-12:00PM 14N-132 (DIRC)

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required

Missing a PMCID? Can't figure out why a paper isn't in compliance? Lost in NIH manuscript system? Join us for a problem solving session. 

This session is designed to provide an opportunity for hands on problem solving in the systems that need to be navigated in the process of submitting and authorizing manuscripts and reporting progress on NIH Funded Grants (eRA Commons; NIHMS, and MyNCBI). Please bring your NIH compliance problems to this session to work through together. Registration encouraged. 

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Courtney Crummett, 14S-134, 617 324-8290, CRUMMETT@MIT.EDU


Observing Black Holes

Dr. Victoria Grinberg, Postdoctoral Associate, MIT Kavli Institute

Jan/21 Thu 02:00PM-02:45PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

Black holes are perhaps the most mind-boggling objects ever conceived by physicists and there is hardly any science fiction series today that will not feature them in some capacity. However, black holes are also very much observable and one of the major topics of today's X-ray astronomy.

In this talk I will give a very short overview of what black holes are, where we find astrophysical black holes, why we need X-ray astronomy and thus satellite-based telescopes such as Chandra to observe black holes, and  how observations of both, supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies and the "small" black holes of only a few solar masses in binary star systems, improve our understanding of the physics of our universe.

 

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


ORC IAP Seminar 2016: "Analytics in Operations Research"

Amine Anoun, Arthur Flajolet, Zach Saunders

Jan/27 Wed 10:00AM-03:00PM E25-111

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: None

The OR Center participates in MIT's Independent Activities Period (IAP) by offering informational seminars focusing on the OR Center and on current research and the practice of OR.

Date: Wednesday, January 27th
Time: 10:00am-3:00pm 
Place: E25-111

Description: There is little doubt that "Analytics" is becoming a major part of Operations Research, gaining a lot of interest in the research community as well as in a variety of industries. This year, the MIT Operations Research Center will welcome speakers from various fields to talk about the role and impact of Analytics in improving decision making. Four speakers, from both industry and academic settings, will present their work and experience on topics ranging from marketing to sharing economy.

Schedule:

9:30am - 10:00am - Intro and Continental Breakfast 

10:00am - 11:00am - John Silberholz - Lecturer in the MIT Sloan School of Management

11:00am - 12:00pm - Dean Eckles - Assistant Professor in the MIT Sloan School of Management - Marketing Groupy

12:00pm - 1:00pm - Lunch Break (lunch will not be provided)

1:00pm - 2:00pm - Jae-wook Ahn - Data Scientist at IBM Watson Life, TJ Watson Research Center

2:00pm - 3:00pm - Jon Petersen - Senior Data Scientist at Uber

More details at http://www.mit.edu/~orc/seminars/iap.html

Sponsor(s): Operations Research Center
Contact: Zachary Saunders, ZACHARYS@MIT.EDU


Overview of MIT Retirement Plans

Ken Davies, Retirement Program Manager

Jan/13 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM W20-307

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)

Learn about the features of MIT's Retirement Plans in this workshop presented by a member of the MIT Benefits Office.

Sponsor(s): MIT Human Resources
Contact: Phyllis Toegel, E19-206, 617-253-6110, ptoegel@mit.edu


Patent and Licensing Fundamentals

Everardo Ruiz SM '00, Energy Transition Partners

Jan/26 Tue 10:00AM-11:00AM E62-250

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required

Are patents still valuable?  What happened to Rockstar, Spherix, Apple and Samsung, Google/Motorola, Microsoft, and AOL?   Inventions are now bought and sold worldwide as businesses, institutes, agencies, and inventors seek to monetize their intellectual property, frequently through the sale or litigation of patents. This seminar provides a brief overview of technology intellectual property - the concepts of copyright, trade secret, and patents - and then review the patent marketplace from several perspectives, discussing high-tech / IT patent strategy along with several patent valuation approaches including key economic and legal factors. The seminar will incorporate perspectives gained from 40+ years of patent investing, venture capital, startups,  litigation, and licensing.

Register for this free event.

Sponsor(s): Alumni Association
Contact: Elena Byrne, W98-206C, 617 252-1143, EBYRNE@MIT.EDU


Preparing your Savings for Retirement

Paul Gunning, Fidelity Workplace Planning & Guidance Consultant

Jan/21 Thu 12:00PM-01:00PM W20-307

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)

Key topics to be discussed:

 

Sponsor(s): MIT Human Resources
Contact: Phyllis Toegel, E19-206, 617-253-6110, ptoegel@mit.edu


Quidditch Practice

Enrollment: Unlimited
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Ever wanted to play Quidditch, but never had the time?  This IAP, come join the Quidditch team for indoor Quidditch.  We will practice every Wednesday and Sunday from 2-4 PM in the Mac Courts.

Sponsor(s): MIT Quidditch
Contact: Katherine Stone, (580) 374-0660, katstone@mit.edu


Practice

Jan/08 Fri 02:00PM-04:00PM MacCourts in Zcenter
Jan/10 Sun 02:00PM-04:00PM MacCourts in Zcenter
Jan/15 Fri 02:00PM-04:00PM MacCourts in Zcenter
Jan/17 Sun 02:00PM-04:00PM MacCourts in Zcenter
Jan/22 Fri 02:00PM-04:00PM MacCourts in Zcenter
Jan/24 Sun 02:00PM-04:00PM MacCourts in Zcenter
Jan/29 Fri 02:00PM-04:00PM MacCourts in Zcenter

Searching for Gravitational Waves with LIGO

Dr. Adam Libson, Postdoctoral Associate

Jan/12 Tue 02:00PM-02:30PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: No enrollment limit, no advance sign up.

Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts the existence of gravitational radiation. Since gravity is a weak force, it takes extreme masses and energies to produce a detectable gravitational wave signature. Indirect evidence for the existence of this radiation has been collected using pulsar measurements. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is an experiment designed to directly detect this radiation, and use it to study exotic astrophysical phenomena. To do this, LIGO must measure length changes with a precision of 10-19 meters, less than a thousandth of a proton diameter. In this talk, I will briefly discuss gravitational radiation and its sources, and I will also describe the LIGO detectors and the physics involved in their operation. Finally, I will discuss some of the quantum limits on making this type of precision measurement, and the ways in which LIGO hopes to beat these limits.

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up for this talk. 

Please Note: A tour of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) Lab will follow this talk.  To take the tour (2:45-4:00pm), you must register for the tour and attend both talks preceding the tour. 

See MKI event website and the MKI IAP website for additional information.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Seeing a World in a Point of Light

Dr. Zachory Berta-Thompson, Torres Postdoctoral Fellow

Jan/20 Wed 03:00PM-03:30PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

Astronomers can observe the sizes, orbits, masses, and atmospheres of planet orbiting distant stars, without ever seeing the planets directly. Come learn how we do this and the worlds we hope to discover soon, with the help of the TESS mission, now being built at MIT.

 

Click here to see a complete listing of IAP 2016 activities being offered by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research (MKI).

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Shadow Magicians: Explore deep personal truths and overcome obstacles to success and happiness.

Ben Littauer, Dan Littauer, Adam Reynolds, Chaplain

Jan/05 Tue 02:00PM-03:30PM 26-168
Jan/07 Thu 02:00PM-03:30PM 26-168
Jan/12 Tue 02:00PM-03:30PM 26-168
Jan/14 Thu 02:00PM-03:30PM 26-168
Jan/19 Tue 02:00PM-03:30PM 26-168
Jan/21 Thu 02:00PM-03:30PM 26-168
Jan/26 Tue 02:00PM-03:30PM 26-168
Jan/28 Thu 02:00PM-03:30PM 26-168

Enrollment: Advance sign-up helpful, not required
Limited to 10 participants
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session
Prereq: None

Whether through bad habits, negative thought patterns, or counterproductive behaviors, we all have a 'shadow' that sabotages us at times.

This unique experiential course will teach key concepts and skills for exploring our shadows through analyzing emotions and addressing the impact of formative experiences on our operating beliefs and behaviors as adults. We will gain a higher level of self-awareness and begin the process of troubleshooting deep-seated obstacles to success and happiness.

Issues that can be explored include:

 

Concepts and skills taught include:

 

To Register: email shadow-magicians-staff@mit.edu with a brief description of your interest in this course. This course is specifically geared towards MIT students. Non-MIT individuals may be granted admission if space is available.

Timeliness: Due to the personal nature of the course, the doors will close at exactly 12 minutes past the hour. No one will be admitted to the day’s session after that point for any reason, although you are welcome to attend future meetings.

Sponsor(s): Blue Ocean Faith
Contact: Ben Littauer, 617-633-3881, benlittauer@gmail.com


Shifting from Saving to Spending

Paul Gunning, Fidelity Workplace Planning & Guidance Consultant

Jan/27 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM W20-307

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)

Key topics to be discussed:

 

Sponsor(s): MIT Human Resources
Contact: Phyllis Toegel, E19-206, 617-253-6110, ptoegel@mit.edu


Splash for Us!

Ahaan S. Rungta, Splash for Us Director

Jan/26 Tue 07:00PM-11:45PM Building 56 floor 1, Free food provided

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: None

Splash for Us is a one-evening IAP event where MIT students present unusual, entertaining and edifying lectures on a variety of topics. Come to teach, learn, or do both! 

Regular classes vary in length from five minutes to two hours. Multiple classes run simultaneously, so you can choose whichever sounds most interesting. Free pizza and snacks will be provided. 

Splash for Us is an event run by the Educational Studies Program (ESP) and is a hybrid of some of ESP's past programs: Splash (MIT teaches high-schoolers), Firehose (learn everything at CPW), and Firestorm (learn everything during Orientation). If you've been to any of these programs, you have an idea of what Splash for Us is like and how much fun it can be! 

Sponsor(s): Educational Studies Program
Contact: Splash for Us, splash-for-us@mit.edu


Takeoff Space introduction and discussion

Jonathan Richmond, Takeoff Space Founder

Jan/26 Tue 11:00AM-01:00PM W31-305

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Kids from lower-income backgrounds have a huge disadvantage in getting to good colleges -- and it can seem almost impossible to get to MIT, however brilliant they may be.


Brilliant students often come from uneducated and unfortunately disrupted familes where there is little or no culture of learning. Instead, they must often work long hours after school to help support their family financially.

Takeoff Space will be a highly selective program available only to academically top-performing high-school juniors from deprived backgrounds. They will visit MIT weekly to be mentored by an MIT student who will not so much advise them as do what professional parents do: lead them through the college and financial aid selection and application process to make sure it is completed correctly and optimally.

The program is planned to launch this spring with approximately a dozen students from Lowell High School. With success, it will spread throughout the Boston region and become a national model. We invite your interest.

This IAP activity will present Takeoff Space and will give MIT students a chance to get involved.

Contact: Jonathan Richmond, richmond@alum.mit.edu


The Council for the Arts at MIT Grants Program

Susan Cohen, Director, Council for the Arts at MIT

Jan/20 Wed 01:30PM-02:30PM E14-240, Please read the grants guidelines

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

An informal walk-through of the application and review process for proposals submitted to the Council for the Arts at MIT.  Please read the grant guidelines prior to attending this session. 

They can be found here: http://arts.mit.edu/welcome/camit-grants-program/

Open to all currently-registered MIT undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff.

Sponsor(s): Office of the Arts
Contact: Susan Cohen, E15-205, 617 253-4005, COHEN@MEDIA.MIT.EDU


Tour of the Operations Control Center for the Chandra Space Telescope, One of NASA's Great Observatories

Dr. Norbert Schulz, Research Scientist

Jan/26 Tue 02:30PM-03:30PM tour departs 37-252

Enrollment: Max 20 people, advance sign-up required by 12noon JAN 21
Sign-up by 01/21
Limited to 20 participants
Prereq: You must attend talk preceding tour: 2-2:30pm in 37-252

The Chandra X-ray Observatory is the world's most powerful X-ray telescope, allowing scientists to study the origin, structure and evolution of our universe in greater detail than ever before. The spacecraft and science instruments are controlled from the Operations Control Center (OCC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We will take our visitors on a tour of the OCC and show where scientists and engineers direct the flight and execute the observing plan of Chandra, and where they receive the scientific data from the observatory. during the tour the visitors will learn about the basics of X-ray astronomy and about the latest, exciting discoveries made by MIT scientists with data acquired with Chandra.

Max 20 people, advance sign-up required by 12noon on THURSDAY, JANUARY 21 by submitting full name and country of citizenship to meinbres@mit.edu 

Prerequisites: Attend talk preceding the tour (2-2:30 talk "Exploring the Universe from Near to Far with the Chandra X-ray Observatory" in 37-252).  Tour will depart from 37-252.

Following the tour of the Chandra Observations Control Center, the group will also take a tour of the Tour of the X-ray Polarimetry Lab from 3:45-4:15pm.

For a complete listing of IAP Activites offered by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, please visit our IAP website.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Tour of the X-ray Polarimetry Lab

Dr. Norbert S. Schulz, Research Scientist, Dr. Herman Marshall, Principal Research Scientist

Jan/26 Tue 03:45PM-04:15PM tour departs 37-252

Enrollment: advance sign-up required by 12noon JAN 21 (email meinbres@mit.edu)
Sign-up by 01/21
Limited to 20 participants
Prereq: attend 2pm talk to take two tours that follow

Tour of MIT’s X-ray Polarimetry Lab, where new X-ray instrumentation is currently being developed.

Prerequisite: Attendance of 2:00-2:30pm talk by Dr. Michael Nowak (Marlar Lounge, 37-252) preceding the tour. Following Dr. Nowak's talk, the group (20 individuals who have signed up in advance) will leave from 37-252 to take 2 tours.  The Chandra's Operation Control Center from 2:45-3:30, followed by the X-ray Polarimetry Lab from 3:45-4:15.

NOTE:  The two tours will take place in building NE-80 and NE-83, which are restricted areas. We will walk over as a group from Building 37, immediately following Dr. Nowak’s talk. Building NE-80 is about an 8 minute walk away, near the Cambridge Brewing Company.  To take the tour, you must sign up by 1/21/2016 (email your full name and country of citizenship to meinbres@mit.edu).  Be sure to bring your ID with you (driver’s license, state issued identification card, or passport) on the day of the event!

Here is a complete listing of MKI's IAP 2016 events

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Tour: Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) Lab

Dr. Adam Libson, Postdoctoral Associate

Jan/12 Tue 02:30PM-04:00PM tour departs 37-252

Enrollment: Max 10 people, advance sign-up required starting at 1:55 pm in 37-252
Sign-up by 01/12
Limited to 10 participants
Prereq: MUST ATTEND TWO TALKS PRECEDING TOUR

Visitors will be taken on a tour of the LIGO prototyping facilities at MIT. These include a full-scale prototype of the LIGO vacuum chambers, laser, isolation and suspension systems, and laboratories for thermal and optical noise measurements.

Max 10 people, advance sign-up required starting at 1:05 pm in 37-252

Prerequisites: Attendance of talks preceding the tour

Please see all IAP offerings by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


TOUR: Lock a Suspended Interferometer

Antonios Kontos, Postdoctoral Associate

Jan/27 Wed 02:30PM-04:00PM leaves from NW22-258

Enrollment: tour limited to 6 people who attend talk preceding tour & sign up in person
Sign-up by 01/27
Limited to 6 participants
Prereq: attending 1:30pm talk by Maggie Tse in NW22-258

Work with LIGO scientists to lock a suspended Michelson-style interferometer using real-time automated control systems.

Please note:
6 people max for tour. Advance sign-up required starting at 1:25pm in NW22-258 immediately before Ms. Tse's talk (see activity description for Michelson Interferometer Demonstration). Attendance of Ms. Tse's talk is required of tour participants.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Trip to Japan: The "Kakehashi Project"

Christine Pilcavage, Program Manager, MIT Japan Program

Jan/18 Mon 06:00AM-11:45PM Japan, Trip is Jan 18-26

Enrollment: submit application at URL listed below
Sign-up by 11/06
Limited to 23 participants
Prereq: Enrolled MIT student; US Passport or Permanent Resident Card

Are you currently enrolled as a student at MIT? Do you hold a US Passport or Permanent Resident Card? Do you want to learn more about Japan and Japanese culture? Want to go to Japan during IAP (January 18-26, 2016) for free?

MIT-Japan Program has been selected by the Japanese Government to take part in their "Kakehashi Project".

 

Go to: http://misti.mit.edu/student-programs/location/japan

And click on "2016 IAP" to find out more and how you can apply.

Hurry, deadline to apply is Friday, November 6.

Sponsor(s): MIT Japan Program, Center for International Studies
Contact: Christine Pilcavage, csp18@mit.edu


Tutorial Series in Computational Topics related to Brain and Cognitive Sciences

Emily Mackevicius

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: Geared towards BCS grad students & postdocs, others welcome

Each tutorial will consist of a short lecture, and then 'office hours' time to work through practice problems and discuss problems people want help with in their own research. The goal is to get people past the initial learning curve in particular computational topics relevant to BCS, and get people from across the department talking about common computational methods. Food will be provided.

Please sign up for tutorials here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11yK-Xqc_1UU29qWAuQLqZjtMXyidLohxGVUIO9MjUjQ/viewform

Materials will be posted here (Currently this site has material for previous BCS computational tutorials.  If you sign up, I'll email you when current materials are posted.): https://stellar.mit.edu/S/project/bcs-comp-tut/index.html

Sponsor(s): Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Contact: Emily Mackevicius, ELM@MIT.EDU


Cluster computing and OpenMind

Jan/12 Tue 04:00PM-06:00PM 46-3310

Taught by: Satrajit Ghosh and Evan Remington


Dimensionality Reduction I

Jan/19 Tue 04:00PM-06:00PM 46-3310

Taught by: Emily Mackevicius and Greg Ciccarelli


Dimensionality Reduction II

Jan/21 Thu 04:00PM-06:00PM 46-3310

Taught by: Sam Norman-Haignere


Dynamical Systems

Jan/22 Fri 02:00PM-04:00PM 46-3310

Taught by: Seth Egger


Using X-ray Spectroscopy to Measure a Binary's Relativistic Outflow

Dr. Herman Marshall, Principal Research Scientist, MIT Kavli Institute

Jan/21 Thu 02:45PM-03:30PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

The stellar binary SS 433 was once featured on Saturday Night Live as the "comin' and a-goin' star". By means that are still somewhat mysterious, the system ejects blobs of plasma in opposite directions at a speed of about a quarter of the speed of light. The compact object that is responsible for providing the impetus for this plasma is probably a black hole about 10 times the mass of the Sun. I show what we've come to understand about the system and its jets such as how their directions trace out twin cones on the sky. X-ray spectroscopy, using the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer that were built here at MIT, shows that the plasma temperature reaches at least 100 billion degrees and can be used to measure the density and location of the outflows we call jets.

 

 

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Vibration isolation and control of sensitive systems

Fabrice Matichard, Visiting Research Scientist

Jan/07 Thu 09:00AM-12:00PM Marlar Lounge 37-252

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/06
Limited to 16 participants

The presentation will give a general introduction to the problem of vibration isolation.  We'll discuss the following concepts:

- Passive isolation principles
- Static deflection
- Damping
- Transmissibility and compliance
- Multi-staging
- Active isolation principles
- Block diagrams
- Loop shaping
- Absolute versus relative control
- Inertial sensors
- Sensor Noise
- Sensor Fusion
- Noise Budgeting
- Feedforward control

We'll finish the presentation by a review of vibration isolation systems used either in the industry or in physics experiments.

Presentation 9:00-11:00 in Marlar Lounge 37-252.  A tour of the LIGO labs will follow the presentation.  Pre-requisite for taking the LIGO labs tour is attending the presentation.

Requirements: basic knowledge of Laplace/Frequency domain formalism.

Presentation and tour limited to 16 people.  Advanced sign up required by 4pm on January 6.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU


Women and Investing

Paul Gunning, Fidelity Workplace Planning & Guidance Consultant

Jan/20 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM W20-307

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)

Review some of the facts about women in today’s economy and some of the challenges women face when it comes to saving for retirement.

Sponsor(s): MIT Human Resources
Contact: Phyllis Toegel, E19-206, 617-253-6110, ptoegel@mit.edu