Neural nets + future of democracy + maker Halloween

MIT Weekly November 5, 2022 Greetings! Here’s a roundup of the latest from the MIT community.  Want a daily dose of MIT in your inbox? [Subscribe to the MIT Daily](. Neural Nets v. The Brain # Neuroscientists often use artificial intelligence systems to model tasks the brain performs, but some researchers are urging caution. A new study suggests [neural networks]( do not necessarily generate useful predictions of how the brain works. [Full story via MIT News →]( Top Headlines Why the 2022 elections might determine the future of democracy in the US 🇺🇸 In a recent discussion, individuals from around MIT describe why every vote in state and local elections matters. [Full story via MIT News →]( Community members greet MIT’s 18th president With donuts and cider in hand, students, faculty, and staff gathered on Hockfield Court to speak with President-elect Sally Kornbluth and celebrate her appointment. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( Geophysicist Leigh Royden looks at Earth from the top down The MIT professor combines geophysics and geology to understand what’s happening beneath the crust. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( Exploring education from all angles Senior David Spicer advocates for students at MIT and beyond as he cultivates his interest in education policy. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( Ashton Carter, former U.S. secretary of defense who served in leadership roles at the MIT Corporation and Lincoln Laboratory, dies at 68 A trained theoretical physicist, Carter devoted his wide-ranging knowledge to government service. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( #ThisisMIT # [Follow @chorallariesofmit on Instagram→]( In the Media “Elites are making choices that are not good news” // The New York Times Professors Daron Acemoglu and David Autor discuss the forces driving working-class voters toward the Republican Party. “Elites are making choices that are not good news for non-college workers,” Acemoglu says. “In fact, they are bad news for most workers.” Autor adds: “The class and cultural resentments that were inflamed by the China trade shock (alongside other technological, cultural, and political forces) are now so burned-in that I strongly suspect that they are self-perpetuating.” [Full story via The New York Times→]( People wearing masks are less likely to indulge in antisocial behavior // Forbes A study co-authored by MIT researchers finds that in China, “masks might function as a ‘moral symbol’ and decrease the likelihood of an individual engaging in any form of deviant behavior.” [Full story via Forbes→]( Opinion: “FemTech” and a moonshot for menstruation science // The Boston Globe Professor Linda Griffith underscores the pressing need to invest in studying women’s health and menstruation science. “These were the attitudes society had about breast cancer decades ago; we didn’t talk about it. But then we finally focused on the science, and overcame the squeamishness about mentioning ‘breasts’ by creating a technical language that could be spoken without hesitation by anyone,” writes Griffith. “We need a similar scientific push for menstruation science, and a comfort level with the language that goes with it. It’s time.” [Full story via The Boston Globe →]( Animals dream too – here’s what we know // National Geographic Professor Matthew Wilson discusses his research exploring whether animals have dreams. “We have this idea of dreams being a confabulatory narrative with kind of crazy, vivid elements to it,” Wilson says. “But when we look into animal models, we’re simply trying to understand what goes on during sleep that might influence learning, memory, and behavior.” [Full story via National Geographic→]( [“] [T]he broken jobs and broken media environments stem from similar sources, creating a vicious cycle that encourages mis/disinformation, obscuring issues most relevant to working-class voters, and leading to political outcomes potentially contrary to what some imagine they are voting for. Connecting the dots is critical, not only for the 2022 midterm elections, but for the future viability of U.S. democracy. —Christine Walley, professor of anthropology, in a new “Election Insights” essay [Full story via MIT SHASS→]( Maker Halloween 🎃 # Among MIT Halloween activities this year, [Project Manus]( hosted a maker social in the Metropolis makerspace (Room 6C-006B). In addition to pumpkin carving with hand tools and power drills, students and staff laser-cut pumpkins and experimented with plasma-torched pumpkin designs. [Watch the video→]( This edition of the MIT Weekly was brought to you by [keeping your Halloween pumpkins out of a landfill](. 🎃 Have feedback to share? Email mitdailyeditor@mit.edu. Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to turn your clocks back this weekend! —MIT News Office [Forward This Email]( [Subscribe]( [MIT Logo] Massachusetts Institute of Technology This email was sent to {EMAIL} because of your affiliation with MIT, or because you signed up for our newsletters. [subscribe]( [update preferences]( [unsubscribe]( [view in browser]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( MIT News Office · 77 Massachusetts Avenue · Cambridge, MA 02139 · USA