Fortunately, I already have a bunch of things on my closet that I could use as costumes (blame the Assassins' Guild).

Unfortunately, I'm hosed and indecisive.

Conveniently, I have a blog (and a penchant for adverbs).

This calls for crowdsourcing!

Prospective MIT students and blog readers of the world, your mission (if you choose to accept it) is to pick my Halloween costume. Voting will last until Saturday, October 31, at noon. I will actually wear whatever costume you pick, so choose wisely. :)

Your options are...

whatamiforgetting.mit.edu

Short, sweet, and simple. Now if only it could help me wake up in time for my flight....

(Also, hi! Yes, I'm alive - Sorry for my absence. Summer stories - and blog entries - to come, eventually.)

Naturally, I was no exception. In spite of my camera having trouble focusing (not to mention coming close to running out of battery!), I prevailed against all odds and secured a photo of myself at the foot of my goddess.

Athena is also the name of MIT's distributed computing environment, and her likeness has been featured on a number of Brass Rats - including my own.

Besides her sheer size, one of the most impressive aspects of the statue was the beautifully-crafted shield she bore, emblazoned with MIT's official seal. The motto, Mens et Manus, means "Mind and Hand" - representing MIT's dedication to teaching theoretical knowledge, but also focusing on hands-on learning. An appropriate axiom to keep in mind during the finals season!

Of course, the Lunar Lander could also be seen behind Athena's imposing shadow.

As recently as tonight, the statue is still standing vigil over Killian Court, guarding all those who will venture forth to battle their finals throughout the coming week. Pretty impressive stuff.

If you're so inclined, you can see more photos at Eric Schmiedl's gallery.

Also courtesy of Eric, here's a relevant factoid: "This is not the first time the goddess has been associated with Killian Court. The original architect of MIT's Cambridge campus, William Welles Bosworth, included in the plans a 50-foot tall statue of Athena that would be the centerpiece of the Court. The statue was cut from the construction plans due to an Institute budget crunch in 1913."

One of the things I love most about MIT is the history that surrounds our campus. Ever since 1861, when we were founded, MIT's had a vibrant, distinguished, and sometimes downright strange history. I love hearing the old tales about what MIT used to be like ten years ago, or more, and MIT's one of the few places I know that has so many great stories to tell.

Anyway, happy finals, everyone!

• finding a UROP for the summer (I'll be working in the Lang Lab!)
• checking out the Boston Marathon
• hanging out with prefrosh at my fraternity during CPW
• writing a live-action roleplaying game for the Assassins' Guild
• attending Burchard Scholars dinners
• editing the upcoming issue of the MIT Undergraduate Research Journal
• preparing for MIT's upcoming Spring Weekend Concert (I'm working security :D)
• playing with robots in 6.01 and writing about riboswitches in 20.111

...and probably a few other things I'm forgetting right now. Although my classes are heating up as we race towards finals, I'll do my best to blog about all these things over the coming weeks!

While I'm busy with things here at MIT, I know that many of you are currently in the midst of choosing where to spend the next four years of your life. It's a huge decision, and I hope the admissions blogs and events like Campus Preview Weekend have helped you learn more about MIT. That said, having questions or doubts at this stage is totally natural. Is there anything I can do to help clarify the admissions process? Any questions you want to have an actual MIT student answer? Just post them in the comments!

At a press briefing at the White House on Monday, MIT President Susan Hockfield joined U.S. President Barack Obama in calling for a "truly historic" new level of federal funding for clean energy research.

The event came as Congress prepares to take up the president's budget, which calls for dedicating $150 billion over 10 years for a new clean energy R&D and technology fund. This initiative represents "the largest and most important investment in science and technology" by the U.S. government since the Apollo moon-landing program in the 1960s, Hockfield said.

Read more (and see the video): Hockfield, Obama urge major push in clean energy research funding - MIT News Office

Energy has been a central, vibrant part of MIT's mission ever since President Hockfield's inauguration. In her inaugural address, President Hockfield said, "A second great opportunity, and a great obligation, is our institutional responsibility to address the challenges of energy and the environment." Today, that responsibility is embodied in the work of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI).

Founded in September 2006, the Energy Initiative helps coordinate MIT's significant research into the energy sector. It also houses a wealth of resources and opportunities for students interested in making a difference - so if you're at all interested in energy research or energy education, be sure to check out their website! In particular, the Energy Initiative has been a key player in helping establish a new inter-disciplinary Energy Minor at MIT, which is projected to be available this coming semester in Fall 2009.

With all that in mind, here's a sampling of the hundreds of energy-related opportunities that abound at MIT.

In the classroom:

• 8.21 - Physics of Energy, which has been talked about quite a bit on campus, explores how energy actually works. From a physics standpoint, the course material ranges from a mechanical and electromagnetic understanding of energy systems to talking about thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, and nuclear physics. But the class also covers some of the overlooked aspects of the energy problem, such as energy transport and conversion. Finally, the class explores some of the side effects of energy use, such as global warming and nuclear radiation hazards, that capture so much of the media's attention.
  
• 12.213 - Alternate Energy Sources - is a six-unit class that explores a number of alternative energy sources, ranging from wind and solar to geothermal and nuclear. Because it's only 6 units and has no prerequisites, it's easy to drop into your schedule! And because the class changes from year to year, you can even take it more than once.
  
• 14.44 - Energy Economics and Policy - investigates various aspects of the energy economy. The class also talks about novel ideas for the future, such as energy tax, price regulation/deregulation, CO2 emissions, and pollution controls.
  
• 4.411 - Building Technology Laboratory - is an architecture project laboratory that explores how to integrate energy-saving techniques into new buildings. The class focuses on building and testing models, and pays particular attention to applications for developing countries.
  
• ...and more!

In the lab:

• Center for Excitonics explores organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and how they can be harnessed to create light-absorbing antennas, new solar cells, and other energy-efficient technologies.
  
• John M. Deutch is an Institute Professor of Chemistry with a passion for understanding fuel cells and other energy sources. With a number of other faculty, he recently completed a comprehensive, interdisciplinary study of nuclear power including technical, economic, and environmental concerns. He is currently working on a follow-up study regarding the future of fossil fuels.
  
• The Juanes Research Group (Civil and Environmental Engineering) explores CO2 storage and carbon sequestration.
  
• Professor Angela Belcher, whom I've blogged about before, unites a number of diverse fields - ranging from biochemistry to materials science to electrical engineering - to explore new approaches to energy. Her lab's research results have from improved solar cells to viral nanobatteries.
  
• ...and many, many more!
  

In student groups:

• MIT Energy Club seeks to bring together all the members of MIT's vibrant energy community. The club hosts a number of serial programs, including an Energy Lecture Series and an Energy Discussion Series, in addition to large signature events like the annual MIT EnergyNight and the MIT Energy Conference.
  
• The MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team (SEVT) works to build and race its very own solar car, as an example of an "alternately-powered vehicle" that may someday revolutionize the auto industry. Working with the famous Edgerton Center, the team frequently refines their design, drawing upon a wealth of past experiences and expertise in all of the scientific and engineering disciplines. They unveiled their latest car, Eleanor, last month and are currently preparing for the World Solar Challenge in Australia in October.
  
• Solar Decathalon is an international competition sponsored by the Department of Energy that challenges college students to design and build an energy-efficient solar-powered house. Last year, MIT's "Solar 7 Team" developed a Zero Energy Home that draws its power solely from solar energy without sacrificing any comforts of the modern era. Here's a write-up of their project.
  
• Sustainability@MIT is a student group dedicated to promoting sustainable development at MIT and around the world. They coordinate a number of events on campus, ranging from the MIT Generator - designed to serve as a starting point for students with big ideas (or small ones!) about how to make MIT a more sustainable environment - to large events like the upcoming Sustainability Summit.
  
• Biodiesel@MIT is a group of students working together to implement a campus biodiesel system. Their goal is to reprocess used vegetable oil from the dining halls on campus into a biofuel that can be used to run the MIT SafeRide.
  
• and more...!

And now, here's a cute little something to brighten your day.

Maybe I'm a little crazy, but isn't that just too cute for words? :)

The video, Challenges at the Office, was produced by a alum friend of mine from SIPB, Waseem '07. The video's been entered in the Linux Foundation's "We're Linux" contest and it's been doing quite well. If you liked the entry, I'd really appreciate it if you took a moment to vote for it online, but no big deal either way.

Any other Linux users out there, among the current students or the prefrosh? What distro do you use?

Patrick Bennett, a Berkeley grad student, submitted this video for the Nanonation Video Contest.

Relatedly, I've been getting quite a few questions about nanotechnology at MIT, so I figured I might as well take this opportunity to clear up some of the more common questions:

Is there a nanotechnology major at MIT?
Not specifically. However, many of MIT's larger departments offer courses and other opportunities to focus on nanotechnology. The primary majors connected to nanotechnology are Mechanical Engineering, Biological Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering (Courses 2, 20, and 3) - but Physics (Course 8) and Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (Course 6) are also closely related.

Can I get involved in nanotechnology at MIT?
Absolutely! In addition to taking classes, the best way to become part of the nanotechnology movement is to get a UROP at one of the many laboratories conducting nanotech research. Here's a few of the nanotech labs I'm aware of:

The Laboratory for Multiscale Regenerative Technologies, led by Professor Sangeeta Bhatia, uses nanotechnology to develop new techniques for tissue repair and regeneration. The lab has a particular emphasis on liver disease and cancer.

The BioInstrumentation Lab, which Melis '08 worked in as an undergrad, is also involved in some nanotechnology projects, including things like nanowires that could be used as intravascular neural electrodes.

Professor Matt Lang's lab, which focuses on biophysics, works with nanoscale phenomena regularly. Thanks to the magic of single molecule fluorescence and optical tweezers, researchers in the Lang Lab can manipulate molecules with nanometer precision (and with piconewtons of force!).

Professor. Angela Belcher's research group sits at the interface of materials science and biological engineering, mixing the two disciplines to create some truly amazing things - like nanobatteries!

The Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies focuses on using nanotechnology to improve military technology - everything from hi-tech battle suits to new medical treatments.

Space Nanotechnology Lab and NanoStructures Lab both work on some of the more physics-oriented applications of nanotechnology, such as nanoscale fabrication, nanomagnetics, and scanning-electron-beam lithography. The lab features a combination of professors and students from Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aero/Astro, and Physics.

Finally, Melis '08 wrote a great great entry on nanotechnology last year, and it's still quite relevant. Check it out!

What other types of research do you want to hear about?

"Today, 3/3/09, is square root day, which only occurs nine times each century. The last such day was five years ago, Feb. 2, 2004, which coincided with Groundhog Day. The next is seven years away, on April 4, 2016."

This is part of why I love MIT - people here actually appreciate this kind of joke.

(In related news, Pi Day is only eleven days away. Get pysched!)

Fortunately for me, my first class on Mondays is at noon. So the roads looked pretty good by then. :)

Happy Anti-Snow Day!

mymit.info

And, of course, where would be without a little help from our friend Randall Munroe.

I like the last panel, personally.