Reflections from MIT President Reif + Mark Rober + pathways from community college

MIT Weekly December 10, 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](. Reflections of an MIT President #[L. Rafael Reif in President’s office, with hands resting on large wooden table. The wooden walls and shelves are filled with mementos and photos.]( This is an optional caption. As MIT’s president, [L. Rafael Reif]( forged new opportunities for people to learn, teach, and discover under supportive conditions. Formerly a first-generation college student, he says his desire to reach out to others from diverse backgrounds “drove almost everything I did here.” [Full story via MIT Technology Review→]( Top Headlines Mark Rober to deliver MIT’s 2023 Commencement address The popular YouTuber, engineer, and inventor works to engage young people in science and technology while encouraging curiosity and resilience. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( A faster way to preserve privacy online New research enables users to search for information without revealing their queries, based on a method that is 30 times faster than comparable prior techniques. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( School of Science appoints 10 faculty to named professorships Those selected for these positions receive additional support to pursue their research and develop their careers. [Full story via MIT News →]( From major to minor, design proves key at MIT Students see the benefits of adding a creative skillset to their repertoire. [Full story via MIT Spectrum→]( [MIT Heat Island]( A healthy wind Health benefits of using wind energy instead of fossil fuels could quadruple if the most polluting power plants are selected for dialing down, new study finds. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( #ThisisMIT #[Tweet via @itsaccool]( [Tweet via @itsaccool →]( In the Media Opinion: A neuroscientist shares the 3 exercises she does to stop stress and anxiety – in “just a few minutes” // NBC Boston Senior Lecturer Tara Swart highlights several exercises that can help reduce stress and anxiety. “While anxiety can be scary, understanding how our bodies and brains react during those moments can remove some of the pressure and help us take control of our nervous system,” writes Swart. [Full story via NBC Boston→]( The transcendent brain // The Atlantic “I call myself a spiritual materialist. As a scientist, I’m a materialist. Not in the sense of seeking happiness in cars and nice clothes, but in the literal sense of the word: the belief that everything is made out of atoms and molecules, and nothing more,” writes Professor of the practice Alan Lightman in his forthcoming book, “The Transcendent Brain: Spirituality in the Age of Science.” “Further, I believe that the material stuff of the universe is governed by a small number of fundamental laws. Yet I have had transcendent experiences.” [Full story via The Atlantic→]( She thought MIT was out of reach. Then a new transfer program for community college students changed her life. // The Boston Globe Undergraduate Evelyn De La Rosa discusses her experience with the Transfer Scholars Network, a new program aimed at providing community college students with a pathway to four-year universities. De La Rosa notes that before she was nominated for the program, “MIT wasn’t on the market for me. I wouldn’t have applied because I would have thought that it was out of reach.” Stuart Schmill, dean of admissions and student financial services, says of MIT’s participation in the program, “We want to be as accessible as we can. The education is better for our students the more diverse the population is. We want to educate the best students from everywhere, from all backgrounds.” [Full story via The Boston Globe →]( Physicists say they made a mini-wormhole in the quantum realm // Gizmodo Researchers from MIT, Caltech, and elsewhere have found that “quantum systems can imitate wormholes, theorized shortcuts in spacetime, in that the systems allow the instantaneous transit of information between remote locations.” Graduate student Alexander Zlokapa explains: “We performed a kind of quantum teleportation equivalent to a traversable wormhole in the gravity picture. To do this, we had to simplify the quantum system to the smallest example that preserves gravitational characteristics so we could implement it.” [Full story via Gizmodo→]( Scene at MIT #[Pictured is the main entrance of the MIT at 77 Massachusetts Avenue]( ’Tis the season! Enjoy this view of MIT’s front entrance by [Can Pu on Flickr](. Digit 1,000 Consecutive days, as of last Tuesday, on which MIT@2:50 has met for 10 minutes of mindfulness. Started at the beginning of the pandemic, MIT@2:50 marked this milestone Tuesday with a special event at the MIT Chapel. [Learn more via MIT@2:50→]( Did You Know # Emily Lippincott Wick PhD '51, the first female professor at MIT to earn tenure, was born on Dec. 9, 1921. Wick was a chemist, nutrition scientist, champion of women's rights on campus, and sailing aficionado. Thanks to the MIT Libraries, you can now browse some of Wick's history at the Institute through her recently [digitized papers](. Wick also described some of her influence on women at MIT in this [1997 discussion]( with Dottie Bowe and Mildred Dresselhaus. [Read Emily Wick's obituary on MIT News→]( This edition of the MIT Weekly was brought to you by [a royally good time](. 👑 Have feedback to share? Email mitdailyeditor@mit.edu. Thanks for reading, and have a great week! —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