workingipodnano6

TechTalkServingTheMITCommunityVolume52,Number12Wednesday,December12,2007CONSERVATIONCONVERSATIONMITEI'sEnergySalonbringsenergyplayerstothetable.
Page6'TISTHESEASONGradstudentBarryKudrowitzteachesabouttoys.
Page8TOBOLDLYGOVoyager2continuestosendstartlingdata.
Page4THETWO-HEADEDWORMCONUNDRUMResearchersdiscovergeneforhead-versus-tailpolarityinregeneratingflatworms.
Page5SWEETSOUNDOFSUCCESSStudentsbuildmusicalinstrumentsintheMITHobbyShop.
Page3WELLVERSEDIAPpoetrycoursecelebrates10thyear.
Page7NEWSRESEARCHARTSMITismakingiteasierforstudents,facultyandstafftolearnaboutthehun-dredsofenergizingperformances,lec-turesandotherarteventstakingplaceattheInstitute.
Anewmessagingservicerolledoutthissemestergivesusersup-to-the-minuteinformationabouttheartsatMIT.
Forexample,userswhowanttoknowwhatishappeningintheartsonagivendaybutwhoaren'tnearacomputercantext"arts@mit"to617-785-9844andreceiveamessageoftimesandlocationsofallthearteventsoccurringthatday.
Theservice,MANGOText,wasdesignedbythreeenterprisingMITgrad-uatestudentsinresponsetothegrowthofrapid-firewirelesstextmessaging.
"Moreandmoreofwhatwewanttodoonlineisnowavailablethroughphones,"saidMANGOText'sSonyaHuang,agrad-uatestudentinurbanstudiesandplanning.
"MANGOwillletbusystudentsfindoutaboutthelatesteventswhileonthego.
"Thelistingsavailableoverthemes-sagingservicearetakenfromthenewlyrevampedandsearchableonlineartseventscalendaratartscal.
mit.
edu,whichhasadirectlinkfromtheMIThomepage.
Thecalendarhasbeenredesignedtobet-termeettheneedsoftheMITcommunity,whichareconstantlyevolvinginthisdigi-talageofmasscommunication.
Changingspotlightsonthecalendarhighlightinspir-ingperformances,lecturesandexhibitionseachweek.
Fromtheinternationallyrecognizedpublicartcollectiontothemorethan60performancegroups,theartsarealiveandbloomingatMIT.
Students,faculty,staffandvisitorsalikeareattendingevents—mostofwhicharefree—allovercampus.
InNovemberalone,thereweremorethan100eventstochoosefrom,includingthedancetroupeNappyGrooves'Perform-ingBlacknessworkshop,atalkbyartist/performerDavidRobbinsonnewstylesofentertainmentfosteredbythedigitalrevo-lution,VikramChandrareadingfromhisTheartofcommunicationMakingartsinformationatMITmoreaccessibleIMAGE/ADAMLARSONApromotionalposterlaunchedthissemestershowcasesthebroadrangeofartsatMIT.
Thankstoaseriesoftechnologicalupgrades,itisbecomingeasiertogetinformationaboutarteventsattheInstitute.
SeeARTSPage7W1,oneofMIT'soldestandmostcherishedbuildings,willbegivennewlifeunderamajorrenovationplanannouncedthismonth,andstudents,facultyandstaffwillplaykeyrolesinshapingitsfuture.
AlsoknownasAshdownHouseafterapopularformerhousemaster,W1isMIT'soldestgraduateresidencehallandargu-ablytheculturalcenteroftheInstitute'sgraduatecommunity.
ItsdiningroomhasbeenafocalpointoftheMITgraduateexperience,servingasameetingplaceforfacultyandtheirstudents.
WiththescheduledopeningofthenewNW35graduateresidencehallnextsum-mer,administratorshadbeenhopingtoturnW1intoanundergraduateresidenceasearlyasthefallof2008.
ButtheyhavecometorealizethatW1needsamajorrenovation,andtheplantobringtheresidencehallbackintoservicehasbeenpushedbackbytwoyears.
Thedelay,however,haspresentedaclassicopportunityforMITtodowhatitdoesbest:collaborateasagrouptosolveaproblem.
Tothatend,MIThasnamedSuzanneFlynn,professorofforeignlanguagesandlinguistics,andherhusband,JackCarroll,housemastersofthesoon-to-be-renovatedW1,andthepairhavebegunrecruitingstudentstojoinafoundersgroupthatwilldesignthebuilding'scommunity.
MIThasusedthefoundersgroupcon-ceptforworkonSimmons,theWarehouseandSidney-Pacific.
Inthisinstance,thegroupwillberesponsiblefordesigningaconstitutionandbylaws,aformofhousegovernmentandcommitteestructure,anddiningoptions,amongotherthings.
ChancellorPhillipClay,wholivedinW1asagraduatestudent,recalleditasanimportantmeetingplaceforfacultyandstudentsatlunchanddinner.
"Ashdownwasadestination—alltheroomswerefilled.
ItwasthegraduateStudentstoplayroleinshapingfutureofW1W1,showninthisfileimage,willbegivennewlifeunderamajorrenovationplan,andstudents,facultyandstaffwillplaykeyrolesinshapingitsfuture.
GregFrostNewsOfficeSeeASHDOWNPage3Laserbeam'firehose'MIThasdevelopedanewsystemforsortingcellsthatinvolvesspecial"traps"inasiliconelayerbondedtoamicroscopeslide.
Cellswithspecificpropertiesarethenlevitatedoutoftheirtrapsusingthepressureofalaserbeam"firehose.
"Formore,seepage5.
IMAGE/JOSEPHKOVACPAGE2December12,2007MITTechTalkNEWSPrintedonrecycledpaperEditorGregFrostPhotojournalistDonnaCoveneyProductionCarolDemersNewsOfficeStaffWriter.
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SarahWrightHOWTOREACHUSNewsOfficeTelephone:617-253-2700E-mail:newsoffice@mit.
eduweb.
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AWARDSANDHONORSMIT'sSchoolofArchitectureandPlanningisthesecond-bestU.
S.
graduateschoolofarchitecture,accordingtoArchi-tectmagazine's2008rankings.
Therankingswerecompiledfrom130architecturefirms,46architecturedeansand740architecturestudentswhorespondedtoanationalsurvey.
MIT'spositionintheArchitectrank-ingswasitshighestinatleastfiveyears.
In2007and2005,MITwasrankedfourth;in2006,eighth;andin2004,fifthinthenation.
HarvardUniversity'sGraduateSchoolofDesigntoppedthelistthisyear.
JoAnneStubbe,theNovartisProfes-sorofChemistryandprofessorofbiol-ogy,willbepresentedwiththe2008EmilThomasKaiserAwardforheroutstandingcontributionstotheunderstandingofribo-nucleotidereductases,enzymesthatplayacentralroleinnucleicacidmetabolism.
Theaward,sponsoredbytheProteinSoci-ety,recognizesarecent,highlysignificantcontributioninapplyingchemistrytothestudyofproteins.
DanielNocera,theHenryDreyfusProfessorofEnergyandprofessorofchemistry,hasbeennamedthe2008recipientoftheHarrisonHoweAward.
PresentedbytheRochesterSectionoftheAmericanChemicalSociety,theawardwasestablishedtorecognizeascientistwhohasmadeoutstandingcontributionstochemistryorcloselyrelatedfieldsandwhoshowsgreatpotentialforfurtherachievement.
RamSasisekharan,professorofbio-logicalengineeringandhealthsciencesandtechnology,isoneoffourrecipientsofthe2007PrincessChulabhornGoldMedal.
Thisawardhonorsworld-renownedindi-vidualsororganizationsthathaveprovid-edoutstandingsupportfortheactivitiesoftheThailand-basedChulabhornResearchInstitute,aswellasimportantsupportfortheadvancementofscienceindevelopingcountries.
RichardHynes,DanielK.
LudwigProfessorforCancerResearch,hasbeenawardedtheAmericanSocietyforCellBiology(ASCB)E.
B.
WilsonMedal,thesociety'shighesthonorforscience,whichhewillsharewithZenaWeboftheUniver-sityofCalifornia,SanFrancisco.
Hynesisrecognizedforhisseminalcontributionstocellbiology,includinghisresearchontheroleofextracellularmatrixpro-teinsandtheirreceptorsinnormalcellulargrowthanddevelopmentandinthepro-cessofoncogenesis.
AlongwithWerb,hepresentedtheE.
B.
WilsonLectureattherecentASCBannualmeeting.
TheAmericanPhysi-calSociety(APS)hasannouncedthe2007APSFellows,includingsevenMITfacultymembers.
APSfellowshipisadistincthonorsignifyingrecognitionbyone'sprofessionalpeers.
Thefellowsare:GeoffreyForden,researchassociateinthePrograminScience,TechnologyandSociety,forinnovativeandimportantcontributionstoarmscontrolandinterna-C4FCMnamesresearchdirectorMIT'snewCenterforFutureCivicMedia(C4FCM)hasannouncedthatEllenHumehasbeennamedresearchdirector,effectiveJan.
28.
AjointeffortbetweentheMIT'sMediaLabandComparativeMediaStud-iesProgram,C4FCM,foundedearlierthisyearwitha$5milliongrantfromtheKnightFoundation,developsnewtechniquesandtechnologiestopromoteandenhancecivicengagementinlocalcommunities,providingpeoplewithnewmeanstoshare,prioritize,organizeandactoninformationrelevanttotheircom-munities.
Asresearchdirector,Humewillcol-laboratecloselywithC4FCMprincipalinvestigatorsChrisCsikszentmihályi,associateprofessorofmediaartsandsci-ences,HenryJenkins,thePeterdeFlorezProfessorofHumanitiesandco-directoroftheMITComparativeMediaStudiesProgram,andMitchelResnick,theLEGOPapertProfessorofLearningResearchandheadofthePrograminMediaArtsandSciences,todefinetheprioritiesandplansforthenewcenter.
HumeiscurrentlyfoundingdirectoroftheCenteronMediaandSocietyattheUniversityofMassachusettsBoston.
Pre-viously,sheservedasexecutivedirectorandseniorfellowatHarvardUniversity'sShorensteinCenteronthePress,PoliticsandPublicPolicy,andasexecutivedirec-torofPBS'sDemocracyProject.
NextfacultymeetingDec.
19Thenextfacultymeetingwillbeginat3:30p.
m.
Dec.
19in32-141.
Anagendawasnotavailableasofpresstime.
BepartoftheCambridgeScienceFestivalProposalsthatcelebratescienceandtechnologyinwaysthatcombinespirit,interactivityandaudienceappealarebeingacceptedforallaspectsoftheCambridgeScienceFestival(April26-May4),includ-ingopeningandclosingceremonies,dailyevents,eveningcelebrations,perfor-mances,andindoorandoutdooractivities.
Venuesmayincludeauditoriums,outdoorpublicspaces,theaters,storefronts,privatebusinessesandcitystreets.
Communityorganizations,performinggroups,schools,youthgroupsandindivid-ualsareencouragedtoapply.
ThedeadlineforproposalsisDec.
15.
Formoreinforma-tion,pleasevisitcambridgesciencefestival.
org.
MITEndicottHouseholidaydinnerbuffetMITEndicottHousewillofferaspecialseasonaldinnerbuffetDec.
18tocelebratetheholidayseason.
Thecostis$35perpersoninclusiveofservice.
Theeveningwillstartat5:00p.
m.
withacashbarandcomplimentaryhorsd'oeuvres,followedbythebuffetdinnerat6:00p.
m.
Coffee,teaanddessertwillendtheevening.
Getreadyforgetfit@mitLookingforwaystobeatthewinterbluesduringanotherlongNewEnglandwinterTeamsoffivetoeightpeopleareinvitedtotakepartinthefourthannualgetfit@mitfitnesschallenge,presentedbyMITMedical.
Participantslogtheirexerciseminutesintoanonlinedatabaseduringthe12-weekcompetition.
Allteamsandindividualswhomeettheexercisegoalsareeligibletowinprizes.
Regis-trationopensJan.
2andcontinuesuntilJan.
23.
Inaddition,aniPodnanoisupforgrabsinthegetfit@mitT-shirtdesigncontest.
Visitgetfit.
mit.
eduformoreinfor-mation.
Quitsmokingin2008TheCenterforHealthPromotionandWellnesswillofferaneveninggroupforindividualsseekinghelpquittingsmok-ing.
TheclassstartsJan.
9andwillrunforsevenconsecutiveWednesdaysfrom5:15p.
m.
to6:15p.
m.
atMITMedical(BuildingE-23).
Thesessionswillcoverpreparationforquitting,copingskillsandstressman-agementtechniques,andtipsforprevent-ingweightgainandlivingwithouttobac-co.
Advancedregistrationisrequired.
Formoreinformation,visitweb.
mit.
edu/medical/a-center.
htmlorcall617-258-5363.
Fees:$110/$88forMITHealthPlanmem-bersandMITretirees,and$55forMITstudents.
NEWSYOUCANUSENeilGershenfeldRichardHynesRamSasisekharanDanielNoceraJoAnneStubbeMiklosPorkolabSethLloydtionalsecurity.
NeilGershenfeld,directoroftheCenterforBitsandAtoms,forsignifi-cantcontributionsrangingfromquantumcomputingtoadvancedtechnologiesforglobaldevelopment.
MehranKardar,profes-sorofphysics,forpioneer-ingworkinabroadrangeoftopicsinstatisticalphys-ics,includingthedynamicsofgrowinginterfacesandbiophysicalsystems.
SethLloyd,professorofmechanicalengineering,forseminalcon-tributionstothetheoryofquantumcom-putationandquantumcommunicationandtheirphysicalimplementations.
GarethMcKinley,ProfessorofTeach-ingInnovationintheDepartmentofMechanicalEngineering,forthedevelop-mentofmethodsforcharacterizationoftherheologyofcomplexliquidsandimprovedunderstandingofelasticeffectsandinsta-bilities.
RichardMilner,professorofphys-icsanddirectoroftheLaboratoryforNuclearScience,forhisleadershipintheHERMES/DESYandBLAST/Batesexper-iments.
JamesTerry,principalresearchsci-entistatthePlasmaScienceandFusionCenter,forsignificantcontributionsintheareasofvolumerecombinationinplasmas,plasmaimpuritytransport,wall-condition-ingwithlithium,plasmatransport,andplasmaturbulenceinmagneticfusioncon-finementdevices.
TheHungarianNuclearSocietyawardeditsfirstannualKarolySimonyMemorialPlaqueandPrizetoMik-losPorkolab,professorofphysicsandDirectorofthePlasmaScienceandFusionCenter.
Theprize,namedinmem-oryofKarolySimony,thefirstHungari-anfusionresearchscientist,wasawardedinrecognitionofPorkolab's"outstandingachievementsandcontributionstoplas-maphysicsandfusionresearch.
"Spring2008TechTalkscheduleThisweek'sTechTalkisthefinalissueof2007.
Duringspringsemester,TechTalkwillbepublishedonthefol-lowingdates:Jan.
16Jan.
30Feb.
6Feb.
13Feb.
27March5March12March19April2April9April16April30May7May14May21June4June11December12,2007PAGE3MITTechTalkNEWSWhensomeMITstudentswanttohearthesoundsofsuccess,theygorighttothesourceandbuildtheirowninstruments.
Andwhatevernotesemerge,theresultisalwaysthesame:Hands-onworkisitsownreward.
AdamLeeb(S.
B.
2007)estimatesthathespentabouteightmonthsresearchingandabout300hoursdesigningandbuild-inghisownelectricguitar.
Thesoundsofsuccesswereapparentinthefirstnotesheheardfromitsstrings.
"Itwasn'tuntiltheverylastmoments,whenIpluggeditin.
ThenIwasabletoseeallofmylaborhadbeenworthit,"saysLeeb,amechanicalengineeringmajorwhofinishedhisguitaraftergraduatinginJune.
"Ithasaverycleansound.
"CodyEdwards(S.
B.
2007),anavidhunterwhogrewuponafarm,heardthesoundofsuccessfromadifferentinstru-ment—anacrylicduckcallthatmimicsaMallardhen.
"WhenImadethefirstsqueaksonmyfirstattemptatasoundboard,Iwasveryhappy.
Butitsoundedterrible,"hesays.
"Makingitsoundcorrectinvolvedlonghourswithafile.
"AllsixofEdwards'duckcallsareinuse;theysoundgreat.
"Seeingaflockofmigratingducksrespondtoyourcallisoneofthemostsat-isfyingaspectsofaduckhunt,"hesays.
ForRaphaelPeterson,asophomoreinmechanicalengineeringwhospentninemonthsbuildingabassguitar,thelong,sometimesfrustratingprocesswassorewardingthatheplanstobuildanother.
Currently,ZacharyBjornson,sopho-moreinbiologicalengineering,ishalfwaythroughhissecondyearofbuildingaharpsichord.
"Historicalbuilders,attheirprime,wereproducinganinstrumentaweek.
Iconsolemyselfbyhopingthattheyhadastaffof50workingforthem,"hesays.
It'salongwalkfrommindtohandtothesweetsoundsofsuccess,thebuildersadmit,butthecreativesatisfactionhasout-weighedtheirfrustrations.
"AguitarofferedeverythingIwaslook-ingforinaproject:utility,relativelyfewparts,lotsofspaceforcreativity,"Leebsays.
Thatmeanshecouldgowayoutsidetheguitar-buildingboxinhisdesign:Fur-niturelegsinspiredhisguitar'sball-and-clawshapesonthecutaways.
Awatch-makingtechniquegivesitsmetalplatestheirstippledsurface.
AndtheMITHobbyShop'swater-jetmachinetaperedhisgui-tar'smetalinlays.
Asinanyworkofart,there'saleapoffaith,Leebnotes.
"Readingbooksandlookingatotherguitarshelped.
SodiddesigningonSolid-works[asoftwaredesignprogram].
ButintheendIhadtotaketheplungeonthingsIdidn'tknowwouldworkuntileverythingwasfinished,"hesays.
Thetrueartinduck-callmakingisshapingthesoundboardandreed,Edwardssays.
Masteringthatconsumedmorethan20hoursofcomputer-aideddesign,plusfourhoursofmachiningandpolishing—andthoselonghourswithafiletomaketheduckcallcallducks.
Alongtheway,manyofhiseffortsendedinfailure.
"Therewasabiglearningcurve.
Butlookingback,thelearningpro-cesswasthebiggestreward,"henotes.
AsBjornsonisdiscovering,rewardsoccurevenintheearlystagesoflong-termprojects:Newconnectionsopenup—someleadingrightbacktoMIT.
"Ihearfromotherharpsichordbuildersaroundtheworld.
AndR.
K.
Lee,whodrewuptheplansfortheharpsichordI'mmak-ing,notonlyapprenticedtoFrankHub-bard,whobuilttheoneattheMFA,butalsowenttoMIT!
"Bjornsonsays.
BothLeebandEdwardshaveencour-agingwordsforMITstudentsnowbuild-inginstrumentsbyhand—andbychoice.
Forambitiousguitar-builders,Leeburgesthemtojustdoit.
"Everyprojectisanadventure,"hesays,recommendinganinvestmentinqualityparts.
"Thereisnopointinputtingalotoftimeintoaprojectonlytohaveitbehamperedbycrappyhardware.
"Healsourgesenthusiaststoreadasmuchaspossibleabouttheprocess,togettheirhandsonasetofplans,andespe-ciallytotalkwithKenStoneandHayamiArakawaintheMITHobbyShop.
Edwardsfocusesonpersistence.
Forhim,everystageoftheduck-callprojectwasachallenge.
"Ihadneverusedthesoftware,oraCNClathe.
Ispentatleast20hoursofsolidworkbeforeIproducedmyfirstsuccessfulprototype,"hesays.
"Don'tgetdisappointedinwhateveryourfinaloutcomeis.
Ifoundgreatenjoy-mentinsettingatoughgoalformyself,andovercomingunforeseenchallenges,"headds.
Bjornson,whohasalreadyputin300hoursofresearchondesigninghisharpsi-chord,expectstospendabout1,000hoursbuildingit.
Forhim,previousMITgenera-tionsareinspiring.
Plus,hecanalreadyhearthesoundofsuccessfromhisharpsichord.
"OnceI'mdone,Iwouldliketoperformonitinasmallconcert:Forasolopiece,oneofScarlatti'slatersonatas;foranensemblepiece,anyofVivaldi'sbrighterconcertos,likehisoneinGmajor,"hesays.
SarahH.
WrightNewsOfficeMakingtheirownmusicFromduckcallstoharpsichords,MITstudentscrafttheirowninstrumentsPHOTO/DONNACOVENEYmeetingplace,"hesaid,notingthatthebuildingoriginallyservedasahotel.
Claysaidthebuilding'slocationandsizemakeitacornerstoneofcampuslife.
Headdedthatthenewplanmeansthatafterabriefdelay,a"first-class"commu-nitywillonceagaintakerootinW1.
"Weareveryexcitedbytheinterestthathasalreadybeenshownintheproj-ectandwelookforwardtothecontinuedsupportofourgenerousalumniwhocaredeeplyaboutcampuslife,"Claysaid.
LarryBenedict,deanforstudentlife,saidW1'srenovationwillbeamajorenhancementtotheMITcommunity.
"ThisbuildingisalandmarkforMITbutitneedstobebroughtintothiscen-tury,"Benedictsaid.
"ThecreationofafoundersgroupispartofarichtraditionatMITofallowingstudents,facultyandstafftodesigntheirownlivingcommunities.
"Flynn,thefuturehousemaster,invit-edanystudentsinterestedinjoiningthefoundersgrouptocontactheratsflynn@mit.
edu.
"JackandIarethrilledaboutthisproj-ectandthepossibilitiesitpresents,"Flynnsaid.
"Weverymuchlookforwardtomeet-ingwithundergraduatestobeginthepro-cessofbuildinganewcommunityatMIT.
"ASHDOWNContinuedfromPage1Gameon!
HackershungthisMIT-centricgameofScrabbleonthesideofWiesnerBuilding(E15)thisweek.
Versionsofothergames,includingchessandCranium,alsoappearedatvariousspotsaroundcampus.
PHOTO/DONNACOVENEYPHOTOCOURTESY/ADAMLEEBOneofseveralstudentstocraftmusicalinstrumentsintheMITHobbyShop,sophomoreZacharyBjornsonisshownabovepainstakinglyshapingthebodyofhisharpsichord.
Below,recentgraduateAdamLeebstrumsafewchordsonhisHobbyShop-madeelectricguitar.
PAGE4December12,2007MITTechTalkRESEARCHTheVoyager2spacecraft'sPlasmaScienceinstrument,developedatMITinthe1970s,hasturnedupsurprisingrevelationsabouttheboundaryzonethatmarkstheedgeofthesun'sinfluenceinspace.
Theunexpectedfindingsemergedinthelastfewweeksasthespacecrafttraversedtheterminationshockwaveformedwhentheflowofparticlesconstantlystreamingoutfromthesun—thesolarwind—slamsintothesur-roundingthingasthatfillsthespacebetweenstars.
Thefirstsurpriseisthatthereisanunexpectedlystrongmagneticfieldinthatsurroundinginterstellarregion,generatedbycurrentsinthatincrediblytenuousgas.
Thismagneticfieldsquashesthebubbleofoutflowinggasfromthesun,distortingitfromtheuniformsphericalshapespacephysicistshadexpectedtofind.
AsecondsurprisealsoemergedfromVoyager2'spas-sagethroughthesolarsystem'souteredge:Justoutsidethatboundary,thetemperature,althoughhotterthaninside,was10timescoolerthanexpected.
Theoristshadtoscrambletocomeupwithanexplanationfortheunan-ticipatedchillingeffect.
"It'sadifferentkindofshockwavethanwe'veseenanywhereelse,"saidJohnRichardson,principalinvesti-gatorforthePlasmaPhysicsinstrumentandaprincipalresearchscientistatMIT'sKavliInstituteforAstrophysicsandSpaceScience.
Theunexpectedcoolness,theoristsnowthink,iscausedbyenergygoingintoparticlesthatarehotterthanthosethatcanbemeasuredbytheMITplasmainstrument.
TheVoyager1and2spacecraftweredesignedprimari-lytostudytheplanetsJupiterandSaturnandtheirmoons.
Afterlaunch,Voyager2'spathwasadjustedtotakeitpastUranusandNeptuneaswell.
Althoughthecraftwerebuiltonlyforafive-yearmission,botharestillworkingwellthreedecadeslater.
"Wewereincrediblyluckytohaveitlast30years,"saidJohnBelcher,Classof1922ProfessorofPhysicsatMITandformerprincipalinvestigatorfortheVoyagerPlasmaScienceinstrument.
Thecraftisnowexpectedtokeepworkinguntilabout2020,andstillhasimportantscientificobjectivesahead.
Itisnowpassingthroughaboundaryzonecalledtheheliosheath,aregionwherethesolarwindinteractswiththesurroundinginterstellarmedium.
Sometimeinthenextdecade,itwillcrossafinaledge,calledthehelio-pause,wherethesun'soutflowofparticlesends.
Atthatpoint,itwillbeabletomeasurecharacteristicsoftheinter-stellarmedium,forthefirsttime,inaregionunaffectedbythesolarwindandthesun'smagnetism.
AlthoughVoyager1hadalreadycrossedthetermina-tionshockwavethreeyearsago,theMITPlasmaScienceinstrumentonthatspacecrafthadbythenstoppedwork-ing,sothespacecraftcouldonlyindirectlydetecttheendofthesun'sinfluence.
ButwithVoyager2,thePlasmaScienceinstrumentnotonlydetectedtheboundary,makingdetailedmeasure-mentsofthesolarwind'stemperature,speedanddensityasthespacecraftcrossedthroughit,butactuallyencoun-teredtheshockwaverepeatedly.
Becausetheoutflowofthesolarwindvarieswithchangesinthesun'sactivitylevel,buildingupduringlargesolarflaresandquietingduringlullsinsunspotactivity,theboundaryitselfpulsatesinandout.
Thesepulsationscanwashacrossthecraftmultipletimes.
WhileVoyager1apparentlymadeasinglecrossing,Voyager2crossedtheboundaryfivetimes,producingawealthofnewdata.
It'sevenpossiblethatiftherearelargevariationsinthatsolaroutflow,theshocklayer"couldpushpastVoyageragain,"saidRichardson.
"Thatwouldgiveussomeideaofhowelastictheshockis"—thatis,howfaroutthesepulsationsmaystretch.
Untilandunlesssuchdetectionsaremade,"weonlyhavemodels"ofhowgreatsuchvariationsmightbe,hesaid.
Voyager2isnow7.
879billionmilesfromEarth,trav-elingawayatalmost35,000milesperhour.
Voyager1is9.
797billionmilesaway,goingmorethan38,000milesperhour.
ThePlasmaScienceinstrumentwasdevelopedbythelateProfessorHerbertBridgeandAlanLazarus,aseniorresearchscientistintheDepartmentofPhysicsandMIT'sKavliInstituteforAstrophysicsandSpaceScience.
NASAhassponsoredthework.
MITinstrumentfindssurprisesatsolarsystem'sedgeDavidChandlerNewsOfficeIMAGECOURTESY/MARKBESSETTEMorethan30yearsafteritslaunch,Voyager2continuestoproducesurprisingrevelations.
MITengineershavedesignedaclassofmaterialstructuresthatcanrepeloils,anoveldiscoverythatcouldhaveapplicationsinaviation,spacetravelandhaz-ardouswastecleanup.
Suchmaterialscouldbeusedtohelpprotectpartsofairplanesorrocketsthatarevulner-abletodamagefrombeingsoakedinfuel,likerubbergasketsando-rings.
"Thesearevulnerablepointsinmanyaerospaceappli-cations,"saidRobertCohen,theSt.
LaurentProfessorofChemicalEngineeringandanauthorofapaperontheworkthatappearedintheDec.
7issueofScience.
"Itwouldbeniceifyoucouldspillgasolineonafab-ricoragasketorothersurfaceandfindthatinsteadofspreading,itjustrolledoff,"Cohensaid.
Creatingastronglyoil-repelling,or"oleophobic,"mate-rialhasbeenchallengingforscientists,andtherearenonaturalexamplesofsuchamaterial.
"Naturehasdevelopedalotofmethodsforwaterproof-ing,butnotsomuchoil-proofing,"saidGarethMcKinley,MITSchoolofEngineeringProfessorofTeachingInnova-tionintheDepartmentofMechanicalEngineeringandamemberoftheresearchteam.
"Theconventionalwisdomwasthatitcouldn'tbedoneonalargescalewithoutveryspeciallithographicprocesses.
"Thetendencyofoilsandotherhydrocarbonstospreadoutoversurfacesisduetotheirverylowsurfacetension(ameasureoftheattractionbetweenmoleculesofthesamesubstance).
Water,ontheotherhand,hasaveryhighsurfaceten-sionandtendstoformdroplets.
Forexample,beadsofwaterappearonafreshlywaxedcar(however,overaperi-odoftime,oilandgreasecontaminatethesurfaceandtherepellencyfades).
Thatdifferenceinsurfacetensionalsoexplainswhywaterwillrolloffthefeathersofaduck,butaduckcoatedinoilmustbewashedwithsoaptoremoveit.
TheMITteamovercamethesurface-tensionproblembydesigningatypeofmaterialcomposedofspeciallypre-paredmicrofibersthatessentiallycushiondropletsofliq-uid,allowingthemtosit,intact,justabovethematerial'ssurface.
Whenoildropletslandonthematerial,whichresemblesathinfabricortissuepaper,theyrestatopthefibersandpocketsofairtrappedbetweenthefibers.
Thelargecontactanglebetweenthedropletandthefiberspreventstheliq-uidfromtouchingthebottomofthesurfaceandwettingit.
Themicrofibersareablendofaspe-ciallysynthesizedmoleculecalledfluo-roPOSS,whichhasanextremelylowsurfaceenergy,andacom-monpolymer.
Theycanbereadilydepos-itedontomanytypesofsurfaces,includingmetal,glass,plasticandevenbiologicalsurfacessuchasplantleaves,usingaprocessknownaselectrospinning.
Theresearchershavealsodevelopedsomedimension-lessdesignparametersthatcanpredicthowstabletheoleophobicity,oroil-resistance,betweenaparticularliquidandasurfacewillbe.
Thesedesignequationsarebasedonstructuralconsiderations,particularlythere-entrantnature(orconcavity)ofthesurfaceroughness,andonthreeotherfactors:theliquid'ssurfacetension,thespac-ingofthefibersandthecontactanglebetweentheliquidandaflatsurface.
Usingtheserelationships,theresearcherscandesignfibermatsthatareoptimizedtorepeldifferenthydro-carbons.
Theyhavealreadycreatedanonwovenfabricthatcanseparatewaterandoctane(jetfuel),whichtheybelievecouldbeusefulforhazardouswastecleanup.
TheAirForce,whichfundedtheresearchanddevel-opedthefluoroPOSSmolecules,isinterestedinusingthenewmaterialstoprotectcomponentsofairplanesandrocketsfromjetfuel.
LeadauthorisAnishTuteja,apostdoctoralassociateinMIT'sDepartmentofChemicalEngineering.
OtherMITauthorsareWonjaeChoiandMinglinMa,graduatestudentsinchemicalengineering,andGregoryRutledge,professorofchemicalengineering.
JosephMabryandSarahMazzellaoftheAirForceResearchLaboratoryatEdwardsAirForceBasearealsoauthorsonthepaper.
AnneTraftonNewsOfficeMITcreatesoil-repellingmaterialsManyapplicationsinaviation,morePHOTO/DONNACOVENEYFromleft,GarethMcKinley,ProfessorofTeachingInnovationintheDepartmentofMechanicalEngineering,RobertCohen,St.
LaurentProfessorofChemicalEngineering,AnishTuteja,postdocinchemicalengineering,andWonjaeChoi,mechanicalengineeringgraduatestudent.
Seenhereinthelabwithlotusleaves,whichnaturallyrepelwater,theyhavedevelopedaclassofmaterialstructuresthatrepeloilandhydrocarbons.
PHOTOCOURTESY/SCIENCEAsteelmeshcoatedwithapoly-mercontainingalowconcentra-tionofasynthesizedmoleculecalledfluoroPOSScanrepelwater(dyedblue)butattractstheflammablefuelhexadecane(dyedred),allowingittobeusedtoseparatethetwosubstances.
Amissingbrainproteinmaybeoneoftheculpritsbehindautismandotherbraindisorders,accordingtoresearchersatMIT'sPicowerInstituteforLearningandMemory.
Theprotein,calledCASK,helpsinthedevelopmentofsynapses,whichneuronsusetocommunicatewithoneanotherandwhichunderlieourabilitytolearnandremember.
Improperlyformedsynapsescouldleadtomentalretardation,andmutationsingenesencodingcer-tainsynapticproteinsareassociatedwithautism.
InworkpublishedintheDec.
6issueofNeuron,Li-HueiTsai,PicowerProfessorofNeuroscienceatMIT,reportedthatshehasuncoveredanenzymethatiskeytotheactivityofCASK.
Tsaistudiesakinase(kinasesareenzymesthatchangeproteins)calledCdk5.
WhileCdk5'sbest-knownroleistohelpnewneuronsformandmigratetotheircorrectposi-tionsduringbraindevelopment,"emergingevidencesup-portsanimportantroleforCdk5atthesynapse,"shesaid.
TogainabetterunderstandingofhowCdk5promotessynapseformation,Tsai'slablookedintohowCdk5inter-actswithsynapse-inducingproteinslikeCASK.
Akeyscaf-foldingprotein,CASKisoneofthefirstproteinsonthesceneofadevelopingsynapse.
ScaffoldingproteinssuchasCASKarelikesitemanag-ers,supportingprotein-to-proteininteractionstoensurethattheresultingarchitectureissound.
MutationsinthegenesresponsibleforCdk5andCASKhavebeenfoundinmentalretardationpatients.
"WefoundthatCdk5iscriticalforrecruitingCASKtodoitsjobfordevelopingsynapses,"Tsaisaid.
"With-outCdk5,CASKwasnotintherightplaceattherighttimeandfailedtointeractwithessentialpresynapticcomponents.
This,inturn,ledtoproblemswithcalciuminflux.
"Theflowofcalciuminandoutofneuronsaffectsprocessescentraltonervoussystemdevelopmentandplasticity—itsabilitytochangeinresponsetoexperience.
Genemutationsanddeletionsinsynapticcellsurfaceproteinsandmoleculescalledneurexinsandneuroliginshavebeenassociatedwithautism.
TheproblemwithCASKrecruitmentinvestigatedbytheTsailaboratorycre-atesthesameresultasthesegeneticchanges.
ThePicowerstudyalsoprovidesthefirstmolecularexplanationofhowCdk5,whichalsomaygoawryinneu-rodegenerativediseasessuchasAlzheimer's,promotessynapsedevelopment.
"Therearestillalotofunknowns,"saidTsai,whoisalsoaHowardHughesMedicalInstituteinvestigator.
"Causesforpsychiatricdisordersarestillveryunclear,butaccumulatingevidencestronglysuggeststhatalterationsinthesynaptogenesisprogramcanleadtotheseseriousdiseases.
"InadditiontoTsaiandPicowerresearcherBenjaminA.
Samuels,co-authorsareassociatedwithHarvardMedi-calSchool,JohnsHopkinsUniversitySchoolofMedicine,McLeanHospitalinBelmont,Mass.
,andAcademiaSinicainTaiwan.
ThisworkissupportedbytheNationalInstituteofNeurologicalDisordersandStroke.
DeborahHalberNewsOfficeCorrespondentMissingproteinmaybekeytoautismDecember12,2007PAGE5MITTechTalkRESEARCHMITresearchershavesuccessfullytreatedmicewithsickle-cellanemiainaprocessthatbeginsbydirectlyreprogrammingtheirowncellstoanembryonic-stem-cell-likestate,withouttheuseofeggs.
Thisisthefirstproof-of-principleoftherapeuticappli-cationinmiceofdirectlyreprogrammedinducedpluripo-tentstem(iPS)cells,whichrecentlyhavebeenderivedinmiceaswellashumans.
"ThisdemonstratesthatiPScellshavethesamepoten-tialfortherapyasembryonicstemcells,withouttheethicalandpracticalissuesraisedincreatingembryonicstemcells,"saidMITbiologyprofessorRudolfJaenisch,amemberoftheWhiteheadInstituteforBiomedicalResearch.
Theresearch,reportedDec.
6inScienceonline,wascarriedoutinJaenisch'slaboratory.
TheiPScellswerederivedusingmodificationsoftheapproachoriginallydis-coveredin2006bytheShinyaYamanakalaboratoryatKyotoUniversity.
Adiseaseofthebloodmarrowcausedbyadefectinasinglegene,sickle-cellanemiaisthemostcommoninher-itedblooddisorderintheUnitedStates,affectingmorethan70,000Americansandonein500African-Americans,accordingtotheNationalInstitutesofHealth.
ThescientistsinJaenisch'slabstudiedatherapeuticapplicationofiPScellswiththesickle-cellanemiamodelmousedevelopedbythelaboratoryofTimTownesoftheUniversityofAlabamaatBirmingham.
Themousemodelhadbeendesignedtoincluderelevanthumangenesinvolvedinbloodproduction,includingthedefectivever-sionofthatgene.
TocreatetheiPScells,thescientistsstartedwithcellsfromtheskinofthediseasedmice,explainedleadauthorJacobHanna,apostdoctoralresearcherintheJaenischlab.
Thesecellsweremodifiedbyastandardlabtech-niqueemployingretrovirusescustomizedtoinsertgenesintothecell'sDNA.
TheinsertedgeneswereOct4,Sox2,Lif4andc-Myc,knowntoacttogetherasmasterregula-torstokeepcellsinanembryonic-stem-cell-likestate.
iPScellswereselectedbasedontheirmorphologyandthenverifiedtoexpressgenemarkersspecifictoembryonicstemcells.
Todecreaseoreliminatepossiblecancerinthetreatedmice,thec-MycgenewasremovedbygeneticmanipulationfromtheiPScells.
Next,theresearchersfollowedawell-establishedpro-tocolfordifferentiatingembryonicstemcellsintoprecur-sorsofbonemarrowadultstemcells,whichcanbetrans-plantedintomicetogeneratenormalbloodcells.
ThescientistscreatedsuchprecursorcellsfromtheiPScells,replacedthedefectiveblood-productiongeneinthepre-cursorcellswithanormalgeneandinjectedtheresultingcellsbackintothediseasedmice.
Thebloodoftreatedmicewastestedwithstandardanalysesemployedforhumanpatients.
Theanalysesshowedthatthediseasewascorrected,withmeasure-mentsofbloodandkidneyfunctionssimilartothoseofnormalmice.
WhileiPScellsoffertremendouspromiseforregen-erativemedicine,scientistscautionthatmajorchallengesmustbeovercomebeforemedicalapplicationscanbeconsidered.
Firstamongtheseistofindabetterdeliverysystem,sinceretrovirusesbringotherchangestothegenomethatarefartoorandomtoletlooseinhumans.
"Weneedadeliverysystemthatdoesn'tintegrateitselfintothegenome,"saidHanna.
"Retrovirusescandisruptgenesthatshouldnotbedisruptedoractivategenesthatshouldnotbeactivated.
"Potentialalternativesincludeotherformsofviruses,synthesizedversionsoftheproteinscreatedbythefourmasterregulatorgenesthataremodifiedtoenterthecellnucleus,andsmallmolecules,Hannasays.
DespitetherapidprogressbeingmadewithiPScells,Jaenischemphasizedthatthisfieldisveryyoungandthatit'scriticaltocontinuefullresearchonembryonicstemcellsaswell.
"Wewouldn'thaveknownanythingaboutiPScellsifwehadn'tworkedwithembryonicstemcells,"saidJaenisch.
"Fortheforeseeablefuture,therewillremainacontinuedneedforembryonicstemcellsasthecrucialassessmenttoolformeasuringthetherapeuticpotentialofiPScells.
"ThisworkwasfundedinparttheNationalInstitutesofHealth.
MITcorrectssickle-cellanemiainmiceResearchinvolvesreprogrammingadultcellsILLUSTRATION/TOMDiCESAREThecyclebywhichMIT/Whiteheadscientistssuccessfullytreatedmicewithahumansickle-cellanemiadiseasetrait,usingaprocessthatbeginsbydirectlyreprogram-mingthemice'sowncellstoanembryonic-stem-cell-likestate.
EricBenderWhiteheadInstituteSeparatingparticularkindsofcellsfromasamplecouldbecomefaster,cheaperandeasierthankstoanewsystemdevelopedbyMITresearchersthatinvolvespushingupthecellswithalaserbeam"firehose.
"Thesystem,whichcansortupto10,000cellsonaconventionalglassmicroscopeslide,couldenableavarietyofbiologicalresearchprojectsthatmightnothavebeenfeasiblebefore,itsinventorssay.
Itcouldalsofindapplicationsinclinicaltestinganddiagnosis,geneticscreeningandcloningresearch,allofwhichrequiretheselectionofcellswithparticularcharacteristicsforfurthertesting.
JoelVoldman,anassociateprofessorinMIT'sDepartmentofElectricalEngineer-ingandComputerScience,andJosephKovac,agraduatestudentinthedepart-ment,developedthenewsystem,whichisfeaturedasthecoverstoryintheDec.
15issueofthejournalAnalyticalChemistry.
Presentmethodsallowcellstobesort-edbasedonwhetherornottheyemitfluo-rescentlightwhenmixedwithamarkerthatrespondstoaparticularproteinorothercompound.
Thenewsystemallowsmoreprecisesorting,separatingoutcellsbasednotjustontheoverallaveragefluo-rescentresponseofthewholecellbutonresponsesthatoccurinspecificpartsofthecell,suchasthenucleus.
Thesystemcanalsopickupresponsesthatvaryinhowfasttheybeginorhowlongtheylast.
"We'vebeeninterestedinlookingatthingsinsidethecellthateitherchangeovertimeorareinspecificplaces,"Vold-mansaid.
Separatingoutcellswithsuchcharacteristics"can'tbedonewithtradi-tionalcellsorting.
"Forexample,ifcellsdifferinhowquick-lytheyrespondtoaparticularcompoundusedinthefluorescentlabeling,thenewsystemwouldmakeitpossibleto"selectouttheonesthatarefasterorslower,andseewhat'sdifferent,"saidVoldman,whoalsohasappointmentsinMIT'sResearchLaboratoryofElectronicsandtheMicro-systemsTechnologyLaboratories.
"Itseemslikethatshouldbeeasy,butitisn't,"hesaid.
Thereareotherwaysofaccomplishingthesamekindofcellseparation,buttheyrequirecomplexandexpensiveequipmentorarelimitedinthenumberofcellstheycanprocess.
Thenewsystemusesasimpletrans-parentsiliconelayerbondedtoaconven-tionalglassmicroscopeslide.
Fabricatedinthelayerareaseriesoftinycavities,ortraps,inwhichcellssettleoutafterbeingaddedtotheslideinasolution.
Asmanyas10,000cellscouldbesortedonasingleslide.
Lookingthroughthemicroscope,eitheratechnicianoracomputerizedsystemcancheckeachcelltodeterminewhetherithasfluorescenceintherightareaorattherighttimetomeettheselectioncriteria.
Ifso,itspositionisnotedbythecomputer.
Attheendoftheselectionprocess,allofthecellswhosepositionswererecordedarelevitatedoutoftheirtrapsusingthepres-sureofabeamoftargetedlightfromalow-costlaser.
Aflowingfluidthensweepstheselectedcellsofftoaseparatereservoir.
Thelaserlevitationofthecellsactslike"afirehosepushingupabeachball,"Vold-mansaid.
Butthelasermethodisgentleenoughthatthelivingcellsremainviableaftertheprocessiscomplete,allowingfur-therbiologicaltesting.
VoldmanandKovacarecontinuingtorefinethesystem,workingonmakingiteasiertouseandonimprovingitsabilitytokeepsamplessterile.
Voldmansaidthatunlikeexpensiveseparationtechniquessuchasopticaltweezers,thenewsystemcouldcostonlyafewthousanddollars.
Asaresult,itcouldbeemployedinavari-etyofbiologicalresearchlaboratoriesorclinicalsettings,notjustinbig,centralizedtestingfacilities.
TheresearchwasfundedbytheNation-alInstitutesofHealthandtheSingapore-MITAlliance;KovacissupportedbyanASEENationalDefenseScienceandEngi-neeringGraduateFellowship.
DavidChandlerNewsOfficeLaserbeam'firehose'usedtosortcellsSystemcouldenablenewkindsofbiologicalresearchPHOTO/DONNACOVENEYFromleft,graduatestudentJosephKovacandJoelVoldman,associateprofessorofelectricalengineeringandcomputerscience,havedevelopedaninexpensiveandeasymethodforsortingcellsformicroscopeexamination,usingmicrofluidicsandalaserbeam"firehose.
"Whencut,aplanarianflatwormcanregenerateanewhead,newtailorevenentireneworganismsfromatinyfragmentofitsbody—aphenomenonthathaspuz-zledresearchersformorethan100years.
Now,scientistsinthelabofPeterRed-dien,amemberoftheWhiteheadInstituteforBiomedicalResearchandanMITassis-tantprofessorofbiology,havediscoveredagenerequiredforproperdecisionsabouthead-versus-tailpolarityinregeneratingflatworms.
Theirresults,publishedintheDec.
6issueofScienceonline,couldhelpexplainhowregeneratinganimals"know"whatmissingtissuestomake.
"Evolutionhasselectedformecha-nismsthatalloworganismstoaccomplishincrediblefeatsofregeneration,"andpla-nariaofferadramaticexample,Reddiensaid.
"Bydevelopingthismodelsystemtoexplorethemolecularunderpinningsofregeneration,wenowhaveabetterunder-standingof…theprocess.
"TheresearchersusedatechniquecalledRNAinterferencetoscreenagroupofgenesknowntobeinvolvedinanimaldevelopment.
"WediscoveredthatinhibitingthegeneSmed-beta-catenin-1causedanimalstoregenerateaheadinsteadofatailatthesiteofthewound,"saidChristianPetersen,Whiteheadpostdoctoralfellowandleadauthoronthepaper.
"Thisresultedinawormthatpossessedtwooppositelyfac-ingheads.
Smed-beta-catenin-1isthefirstgenefoundtoberequiredforthisregen-erationpolarity.
"GenesverysimilartoSmed-beta-catenin-1arefoundinanimalsrangingfromjellyfishtohumans,andtheyhavebeenimplicatedinposteriortissuespec-ificationinfrogs,seaurchinsandmanyotheranimals.
HeadsortailsScientistsIDgenekeytoregeneratingflatwormsCristinCarrWhiteheadInstituteSeeGENESPage6PAGE6December12,2007MITTechTalkNEWSTheresearchersthenwentontostudytheexpressionofafamilyofgenesassociatedwithregeneration.
TheyfoundthatdifferentmembersoftheWntgenefamilywereactiveatdifferentlocationsacrosstheplanarian'shead-to-tailaxis.
TheseresultssuggestthatSmed-beta-catenin-1maybeactiveinthetailregionandinhibitedintheheadregionbytheregulatedexpressionoftheseWntgenes.
Additionally,theresearchersfoundthatSmed-beta-catenin-1playsaroleinongoingcellreplacementinpla-nariathathavenotbeenchallengedtoregenerate.
Whenthegenewasinhibited,theseanimal'stailsbeganchang-ingintoheads.
Theresearchershopethatfutureworkonregenera-tionpolarityandSmed-beta-catenin-1willyieldabetterunderstandingofthemolecularmechanismsofregenera-tion.
GENESContinuedfromPage5PoweringupMIT'sbiggestarrayofsolarpanels(left)isexpectedtogointoservicethismonth,producinganestimated50,000kWhsannuallyincleanenergy.
That'sequiva-lenttoremoving65,000poundsofcarbondioxidefromtheatmosphere,accordingtotheDepartmentofFacilities,whichoversawtheproject.
TheinstallationontheroofofBuilding57(theAlumniPool)istwiceaslargeasallofMIT'sothersolar-panelinstallations—onbuildings14,W20andN51—combined,saidMITDirectorofUtilitiesRandallPreston.
AlloftheenergyproducedbythearraywillfeedintoMIT'scentralelectricalgridandwilldisplaceenergytheInstituteotherwisewouldhavehadtopurchase.
Aboutaquarterofwhatisproducedismeanttooffsetenergyconsumedbythenew,effi-cientlightingsystemlaunchedearlierthisyearatoptheGreatDome,Prestonsaid.
Theinstallationcostapproximately$365,000,around40percentofwhichcamefromacompetitivegrantawardedbytheMassachusettsTechnologyCollaborative,astateagencythatinvestsinrenew-ableenergyprojectsinthestate.
AnMITalumwhowishestoremainanonymousalsomadeasignificantdonationtotheproject.
Severalotheralumniplayedkeyroles:James(S.
B.
1989)andAnita(S.
B.
1990)WordenofSolectriaRenewablessignificantlydiscountedthecostofthethree13kWinvertersusedintheproject,whileRichardChleboski(S.
B.
1987)ofEvergreenSolarsuppliedthe216Evergreen180Wsolarpanelsusedinconstructingthearrayatagreatlyreducedcost.
Finally,asmallamountoffundingcamefromtheUtilitiesBudgetwithintheDepartmentofFacilities.
PHOTO/RUTHT.
DAVISThechallengesrepresentedbyenergy—globalwarm-ing,pollution,supplyproblemsandsecurityissues—alsoprovideawealthofexcitingnewopportunitiesfortheUnitedStates,NewEnglandandMITstudentsandfaculty.
Thatwastheessenceoftheupbeatmessagespresentedbypanelistsatlastweek'sEnergySalon,sponsoredbytheMITEnergyInitiative(MITEI),whichbroughttogetherrepresentativesofenergy-relatedbusinesses,fromsmalllocalstartupstogiantglobalcompanies,alongwithresearchersandstudents.
Themarriageofindustryandacademiais"acriticalpieceofthesolutiontoourenergyproblems,"saidMela-nieKenderdine,MITEI'sassociatedirectorforstrategicplanning.
Suchinteractions,shesaid,willhelpcreate"thenextgenerationofenergyinnovatorsthatwearesoinneedof.
""Themostimportantresourceforsolvingourenergyproblemsisn'tcoaloroiloruranium,it'sbrainpower,"saidRichardLester,directoroftheMITIndustrialPerfor-manceCenter,whomoderatedthepaneldiscussionattheMITFacultyClub.
That'saresourcethatthisregionhasinabundance.
NewEnglandisworkingto"emergeasaglobalcenterofenergyinnovation,"Lestersaid,andiswellonitsway:Theregionhasmorethan500companiesinthefieldsofrenewableenergyandefficiency,employingmorethan14,000people.
Otherregions"wouldgivetheireyeteethforwhatwehavehere,"hesaid.
KenanSahin,CEOofthetechnologydevelopmentfirmTiaxLLC,addressedwhathesaidwerecommonmythsaboutenergy,especiallytheideathatenergyisscarce.
"Energyisabundant,it'severywhere.
It'sharnessingenergyinawaythatmakessense"thatneedswork,hesaid.
Manypeoplefocusonthebeginningoftheinnova-tionprocess,hesaid—comingupwithnewwaysofdoingthings.
Butthat'sactuallytheeasypart,hesaid.
"Theheavyliftingisontheotherside.
Anybodycansitatatableandcomeupwithanidea,and15yearslaterit'sstillnotavailable.
"Thehard,unglamorouspartistheimple-mentationandmaintenanceofsystems.
RobertHealy,Cambridge'scitymanagerforthelast26years,saidlocalgovernmentsplayasignificantrolebothincreatingabusinessenvironmentthatattractsnewindus-triesandinusingtheirownpurchasingpowertohelpfos-terinnovation.
Cambridge,forexample,hasbeguna$100millionprogramtoimproveenergyefficiencyinthecity.
AnnBerwick,undersecretaryofenergyforMassachu-setts,saidthestateisalsotakingtheinitiativetoenhancetheregion'sleadershipinenergyinnovations.
"Massachu-settshasthebrainpowertomaketheworldourcustomer,"shesaid.
Newlegislationbeingfinalizednowshouldhelptobringthatabout.
Amongotherthings,Gov.
DevalPat-rickhassignedexecutiveordersforvariousmeasurestoreducethecommonwealth'sgreenhouse-gasemissions,includinginstallingenergy-efficientlighting,andincreas-ingtheinstalledbaseofphotovoltaicpanelsbymorethanahundredfold.
DanReicher,directorofclimateandenergyinitiativesforGoogle,saidthecompanyhasmadeaseriouscommit-menttonotonlyimproveitsownenergyuse,butalsotofosterthedevelopmentofinnovativesolutionsthatcouldbeappliedworldwide.
Thecompanyhasjustannouncedaplantoinvestinprojectstobringthecostofrenewableenergyproductiondownbelowthecostofcomparablecoal-burningfacilities.
Thecompanywantstobuildagigawatt'sworthofrenewableenergyplantswithinthenextfewyears,Reichersaid.
"Wefaceasimpleeconomicreality:pricematters,"hesaid,sothecompanyisfocusingonmakingrenewablesolutionscompetitiveinthemarketplace.
Googlehopestohelpnewenergycompaniescrossthe"valleyofdeath"betweenaninnovativeprototypeandwide-scaleadoptionthatcanbringabouteconomiesofscale,hesaid.
Butthecompanyisnotdoingthisascharity,hestressed.
"Wethinkwecanmakemoney"bybeingapio-neerinnewindustriesinsolar-thermal,windandgeother-malenergy,hesaid.
Googlewillspendtensofmillionsofdollarsinresearchanddevelopment,andhundredsofmillionsinbuildingprojects,tobringthisabout—andthatrepresentsanenormousopportunityforpeoplewithinno-vativeideas.
"We'relookingforengineersandotherstojoinus,"Reichersaid.
"Sendusresumes!
"MITEIEnergySaloneyesopportunitiesGoogleenergyczar:'Sendusresumes!
'DavidChandlerNewsOfficeMITandChevronCorporationhaveannouncedanenergyresearchprogramtodevelopremote,ultra-deep-waterexplorationandproductiontechnology.
The$5millionChevronRemoteandUltra-deepwaterResearchProgramwillfocusondevelopingthetechnolo-giesrequiredtoaccesshydrocarbonsinwaterdepthsuptoandgreaterthan3,000metersinasafe,cost-effectiveandenvironmentallyfriendlymanner.
Theprogramincludesthesponsorshipoftwonamedfellowships—theChevronEnergyFellows—andmakesChevronaSustainingMemberoftheMITEnergyInitia-tive(MITEI),whichwascreatedtoaddressglobalenergyissues.
Thefive-yearprogramwillalsosupportMITEI'senergyresearchseedfundtopromotethedevelopmentofabroadrangeofnovel,innovativeenergytechnologiesandconceptsacrosstheInstitute.
ErnestJ.
Moniz,CecilandIdaGreenProfessorofPhysicsandEngineeringSystemsanddirectorofMITEI,said:"Theneedforaffordable,sustainableenergyisoneofthegreatestchallengesofthe21stcentury.
Conven-tionaloilandgassupplieswillplayacriticalroleinmeet-ingglobalenergydemandforatleastthenextseveraldecades,andadvancedtechnologiesareessentialforpro-ducingtheseessentialresourcesinenvironmentallysen-sitiveways.
""WelookforwardtoworkingwithMITEIbothintheresearcheffortandindevelopingengineeringtalenttodeployandoperatethenewtechnologies,"saidDonPaul,vicepresidentandchieftechnologyofficerofChevronCorporation.
MIT,ChevronannounceenergyprogramHSTfacultymemberwinsBMWScienceAwardAliKhademhosseinihaswonfirstprizeinthedoctoralthesiscategoryofthe2007BMWScienceAwardcompeti-tion.
Theawardwaspresentedtosixyoungscientists,threeinthedoctoralandthreeinthebachelor's/master'sthesiscategories,inaDec.
6ceremonyattheDeutschesMuseuminMunich.
Khademhosseini,anassistantprofessorofmedicineandhealthsciencesandtechnologyattheHarvard-MITDivisionofHealthSciencesandTechnology,wonforhis2005dissertation,writtenunderthesupervisionofInsti-tuteProfessorRobertLanger.
Hisresearchfocusedonminiaturizingtissuecultureswiththehelpofmicrotech-nologyandnanotechnology.
Drawingonknowledgefromthefieldofmicrosystemstechnology,Khademhosseinihassucceededindevelopinganewsetofmethodsthatallowsscientistsnotonlytomin-iaturizelaboratorycellcultures,butalsotocontrolthemwithahighlevelofaccuracy.
Micro-electromechanicalsystems,orMEMSforshort,isthenamegiventothetechnologydevelopedbytheelectronicsindustrythatallowsmicro-switches,sensorsandothercontrolelementstobecombinedonasiliconchip.
KhademhosseinihasappliedtheprinciplesofMEMSproductionprocessestothefieldofbiologicalresearch.
HisBioMEMSareminiaturizedlaboratoriesinmicrochipform,andenablehimtomonitorandcontrolwithgreataccuracythemicro-environmentandgrowthconditionsofcells.
"Thisapproachallowsustoresearchalargenumberoffundamentalcellbiologyissues,andespeciallythosethatconcernthecomplexconstructionofbiologicalsystemsintissuecultures,"saidKhademhosseini.
Asthistechnologyallowscell-growthconditionsinthelaboratorytobecontrolledveryprecisely,itmightbeusedonedaytoensurethatstemcellsbecomeexactlythecelltyperequiredforagiventherapeuticpurpose.
ThescientificawardoftheBMWGroupisgivenouteverytwoyearsandrewardsoutstandinggraduateworkproducedbyyoungacademicsworldwide.
Thisyear,theaward-winningentriescompetedagainstatotalof241sub-missionsfrom25countriesand22differentfieldsfora70,000europrize.
December12,2007PAGE7MITTechTalkARTSnewbook"SacredGames,"theBostonjazzsaxophonistandcomposerCharlieKohl-haseperformingwiththeFestivalJazzEnsembleandtheShakespeareEnsem-ble'sperformanceof"TitusAndronicus.
"Therearealsotheongoingpublicarttours,exhibitionsattheListVisualArtsCenterandthenewlyexpandedMITMuseum,andmanyotherculturalandartopportunities.
Inadditiontothemessagingserviceandtherevampedartscalendar,anartsblog,ARTALK,willsoonbeavailablethroughthepopularMITadmissionswebsite.
TheblogwillfocusontheactiveartssceneatMITasstudents,facultyandstaffwilldiscussexhibitionsorconcertstheyhaveattended,coursestheyareenrolledin,playstheyhaveactedinoranyotherart-relatedactivitiesorideasworthbloggingabout.
"It'saboutgettingtheMITperspectiveoutthere,"saidfreshmanKenHaggerty,studentcoordinatoroftheartsblogandeditorofRune.
"Therearesomanyarteventstogotoandclassestotake,andI'mhopingARTALKwillshownotonlyhowstrongourartcommunityisbutalsoadis-tinctivelyMITinterpretationofthearts.
"LoriGross,directorofartsinitia-tivesandadvisertotheassociatepro-vost,explainedthatthecommunicationschangesarepartofastrategicpushtoemphasizetheroleoftheartsattheInstitute.
AtthesametimeastheyadvancethecommunicationofartsinformationatMIT,AssociatePro-vostPhilipS.
Khoury,GrossandotherMITartsproponentsareexaminingtheroleoftheartsattheInsti-tute.
Anewmissionstatement,draftedthisfallbytheCreativeArtsCouncil'scommunicationssubcom-mittee,seekstopositiontheessentialroleoftheartsatMIT:TheartsatMITarerootedinrisk-takingandproblem-solving,connectingcreativityacrossboundariesandshapingalifetimeofexplorationanddiscovery.
Thelanguagesandprocessesofthearts,themindandhand,menusetmanus,areessentialtorethinkingthechallengesofthe21stcenturytobuildabettersociety.
LookfortheartsblogbeginninginJan-uary.
TolearnmoreabouttheartsatMIT,gotoweb.
mit.
edu/arts.
ARTSContinuedfromPage1CLASSIFIEDADSMembersoftheMITcommunitymaysubmitoneadeachissue.
Adsshouldbe30wordsmaximum;theywillbeedited.
Submitbye-mailtottads@mit.
eduormailtoClassifieds,Rm11-400.
DeadlineisnoonWednesdaytheweekbeforepublication.
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IAPpoetrycoursetomark10thyearPleasuresofPoetry,theIAPliteraturecoursethatofferspoetryscholarsandfansadailyhour-longreadinganddiscussionsessionthroughoutJanuary,celebratesits10thyearin2008.
MITliteratureandhumanitiesfaculty,staffandothersselectthepoemsandmod-eratetheverywide-rangingdiscussionsinaseminarsetting.
Thecoursemeetsweek-days,1:00p.
m.
to2:00p.
m.
,in14E-304fromJan.
7toFeb.
1,2008.
Allses-sionsarefreeandopentothepublic.
Asinpre-viousyears,PleasuresofPoetryoffersaneclecticmixofpoetrybyclassicandcontemporaryfiguresincludingJohnMilton,Alfred,LordTennyson,andWilliamWordsworth,aswellasBrendaMarieOsbey,VenusKhoury-GhataandGracePaley.
LiteratureProfessorDavidThor-burn,directoroftheMITCommunica-tionsForum,istheseries'founderandorganizer.
"I'malwayssurprisedandinspiredbythediversityandaestheticenergyofthepoemsourmoderatorschoose,"Thorburnsaid.
"We'reallvolunteers,andeachdis-cussionleaderselectspoemsthatareper-sonalfavorites.
ThisyearthereisagoodselectionofcanonicalEnglishpoems,aswellasseveralprovocative,unexpectedtexts.
Ouraudiencesarealwaysawonder-fulmixofstudents,facultyandstafffromallpartsoftheInstitute.
IlovethecoremessagethisactivitysendseveryJanuary:PoetrythrivesatMIT.
"Formoreinformationortoreceiveapacketofthepoems,pleasee-mailJulieSaundersatjuliec@mit.
edu.
--SarahH.
WrightDavidThorburnThisIAP,scopeoutITDuringIAP2008,IS&Twillsponsorseveralses-sionstohelpyouboostyourcomputingIQ.
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mit.
edu/iap/nsis.
html.
IS&TlauncheswikiserviceIS&TrecentlylaunchedanenterprisewikiserviceforMIT.
Wikisarewebsiteswhosecontentcanbeeditedbyanyonewhohaspermission;theyenableonlinecollaborationinaconvenient,user-friendlyandsecureway.
Wikipedia,thefreeency-clopediaatwikipedia.
org,isthemostfamousexampleofawiki.
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SonyaHuangMITgraduatestudent'WondrousLife'topscritics'fictionlists"TheBriefWondrousLifeofOscarWao,"byJunotDíaz,associateprofessorinwritingandhumanisticstudies,hasbeennamedbestnoveloftheyearbycriticsatTimeandNewYorkmagazines,toppingtheirinfluential"must-read"lists.
Timedescribedthebookasa"massive,heaving,sparkingtragicomedy,"whileNewYorkhailedits"miraculousbalance"ofcomic-bookplotsand"honest,messyrealism.
"Díaz'snovelwasalsocitedamongthebestnovelsof2007bycriticsandreview-ersatTheVillageVoice,TheWashingtonPost,theLosAngelesTimesandPublish-ers'Weekly.
Apollofmorethan100criticsandauthorsalsocited"WondrousLife"asbestfictionoftheyear.
InitiatedbytheNationalBookCriticsCircle,thepollsurveyednewreleasesinfiction,nonfictionandpoetry.
Aroundofcriticalpraisegreeted"Won-drousLife"whenitwaspublishedinSep-tember:BookcriticMichikoKakutaniofTheNewYorkTimesdescribed"Won-drousLife"asbothacomicportraitofalovesicksecond-generationDominicangeekandaharrowingmeditationonpub-licandprivatehistory.
PAGE8December12,2007MITTechTalkNEWSPHOTO/DONNACOVENEYMechanicalengineeringgraduatestudentBarryKudrowitz,whoteachesatoyproductdesigncourseatMIT,beganhisdesignlifebuildinganEpcotthemeparkoutofLEGOs.
Hereheisshownwithsomeofhismorerecentcreations.
'TisalwaystheseasonforBarryKudrowitztothinkabouttoys.
Adoctoralstudentinmechan-icalengineering,Kudrowitzspe-cializesintoys:Heplayswiththem;hedesignsthem;andhepioneeredMIT'sfirstcourseintoydesign,nowinitsthirdyear.
Kudrowitzoftengetsaskedtonamehisfavoritetoy,espe-ciallyatthistimeofyear:Whowouldn'twanttoknowwhatmighttopanMITtoyexpert'swishlist"ThetoysIloveusuallyfitintooneofthreecategories:Toysthatallowmetocreatefreely;toysthatarehumorous,weird,grossorrandom;andtoysthatareele-gantlydesignedandsimple,likemagnets,"hesaid.
Kudrowitz,whoseMITofficeislinedwithtoyprojectsandtoyparts,beganhisdesignlifebuildinganEpcotthemeparkoutofLEGOsforchildhoodfriends.
Hehasalreadyworkedwithbig-nametoycompanieslikeNerfanditsowner,Hasbro.
Hehasalsowrittenexten-sivelyontoysandplay:His2006MITmaster'sthesisexplorednewconceptsforprojectiletoys,andhisundergraduatethesis,completinghis2004bachelorofsciencedegreefromtheUniver-sityofCentralFlorida,offeredalternativeformsofextremethrillrides.
HisFloridarootsdidmuchtoinspirehim,Kudrowitzsaid:Hegrewupnear20themeparks—includingeightmajoronessuchasEpcot,MagicKingdomandUniversal—andtothisday,themeparksarehisfavoriteformofplay.
"Storytellingisanimportantelementintoydesign,andItrytoincorporateitintothetoyclass.
Sometheme-parkattrac-tionsandinteractiveshowsaretheultimateformofstorytelling.
Theyputyouinsidethestory,"hesaid.
Childrengetinsidethestorywhentheyplaywithtoys,Kud-rowitznoted,butadultsneedmoreofanudge,ifthey'velosttheabilitytoimmersethem-selvesinafantasyworld.
"Theme-parkattractionsgetustosuspendourdisbelief.
Themostseriousofadultswillflinchatthe100-footdinosaurthatswingsdowntoeatyou;they'llsquirmwhenthe'rats'crawlaroundbyyourfeetorcheerwhenyougetrescuedbythesuperhero,"hesaid.
ForKudrowitz,suspensionofdisbelief—gettinggrown-upstostopmakingsense—isatoy-andplay-specialist'sdream.
Sohisdoctoraldissertationfocusesondesignforentertainment.
"I'dliketoresearchadultplay;itseemstobeanareathatisnotverywelldeveloped.
Adultsneedsplay,too.
IwantmoreoptionsthanpokerandScrabble,"hecommented.
Kudrowitzhasworkedonimmersingpeopleinplayasa2005memberofanMITprod-uctdesignclassandina2006externshipwith5-Wits,aBos-ton-basedinteractiveentertain-mentcompany.
Intheexternship,theclassworkedon5-Wits'Bostonadven-ture,Tomb,whichimmersesadventurersinadarkEgyptianmaze.
Inthedesignclass,Kud-rowitzworkedona5-WitsshowattheInternationalSpyMuseuminWashington,D.
C.
,aninterac-tiveadventureinwhichpartici-pant-spiesracetosavetheworldfromnuclearmadness.
Kudrowitzandhisteamdevelopednewspecialeffectsandplotelementsfortheshow,OperationSpy.
TheyalsodesignedandprototypedanelevatorsimulatorthatfeaturesKudrowitz'sfavoriteinside-the-storyexperience.
Nowpartoftheexhibit,theirelevatorisastationarysteel-gratedroomwhosewalls"scroll"upanddowntomakeitappeartomoveandwhosefloorpulsates,thankstoanattachedindustrialvibrator.
"Withlightandsounditseemsveryrealis-tic,"saidKudrowitz.
Ascalemodeloftheeleva-torsitsonKudrowitz'sdesk.
"Basically,you'reinacagethatshakes,"hesays,holdingitup.
Thelittleelevatorisacaseinpoint.
Byitself,it'sgotadoll-houseappeal.
InKudrowitz'shand,it'sastoryandit'satoy.
"Agreattoyissomethingthatyoualwayshaveoutonthedesk.
It'ssomethingyoucan'twaittoshowthenextpersonwhowalksintotheroom,"hesaid.
Toysoldier:AtplaywithBarryKudrowitz,MITtoydesignerSarahH.
WrightNewsOffice