A head for civil engineering
MIT students adjust a model of an Easter Island head
to test a theory of how the Rapa Nui people moved the giant stone heads into
position on the island 1,500 years ago. This experiment, done Wednesday, March
15, was part of Professor Herbert Einstein's class in civil engineering design. From left,
foreground: seniors Luis Loya, Ira Simkhovitch and Sala McGuire.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on March 22, 2006 (download PDF). |
Photo / Donna Coveney
Senior Ira Simkhovitch helps move a model of an Easter Island head.
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Photo / Donna Coveney
Chile's Easter Island is famous for statues like the one portrayed by this model. Some existing statues weigh over 20 tons.
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RELATEDNew approaches to an old problem - Members of Professor Herbert Einstein's class, 1.013 Civil Engineering Design, use models to test their theories for how the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island moved the giant stone heads, known as moai, into position on the island 1,500 years ago. 3/16/2005 Course 1.013: Senior Civil and Environmental Engineering Design More: Civil engineering |
