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Tech Connection - A monthly e-newsletter for MIT Alumni

July 2007

	SPOTLIGHTS
		First Robotic Ankle MITAA Credit Cards Spark-Free Motoring

In This Issue:

Biosuit Boosts Space Safety and Mobility

Dava Newman models the new biosuit, alongside a photo, left, of the current bulky space suit. Photo credit: Donna Coveney

MIT researchers have created a prototype for a sleek, advanced space suit designed to allow superior mobility and quick repair in case of punctures. The biosuit's design, developed by Professor Dava Newman SM '89, PhD '92, and colleagues, revolutionizes the stiff, bulky current model weighing 300 pounds. The lightweight, skintight biosuit relies on mechanical counter-pressure, which involves wrapping tight layers of stretchy material around the body. Earth-bound applications include athletic training and helping people with disabilities walk.

RESEARCH & DISCOVERY

• Team Discovers Throttle for Solar Wind
  Helium may act as a throttle for the solar wind, setting its minimum speed, according to new results from an MIT-led team using NASA's Wind spacecraft. Space weather impacts Earth when turbulent solar winds cause storms that overload power lines and disrupt spacecraft.

• MIT Architects Design Digital Water Walls
  MIT architects and engineers have designed a building with liquid curtains for walls that can display information and part to admit people. This Digital Water design, created through new combinations of sensor technology, embedded intelligence, and computer-controlled pumps and valves, opens new options of large-scale, highly interactive water.

• MIT Identifies Fear Molecule
  MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory researchers have uncovered a molecular mechanism that governs the formation of fears stemming from harrowing events?a discovery that could lead to new post-traumatic stress disorder treatments.

Quick Take: Summer Reading

Discover the MIT community's diverse approaches to reading--from scanning the physical world through improved radar and x-rays, to browsing blogs and articles about the impact of text messaging, to perusing the MIT Press all-time best seller list. Check out alumni summer reading recommendations—and add your own.

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS

• David Miliband SM '90 Named British Foreign Secretary
  David Miliband, an Oxford graduate who earned a master's in political science at MIT as a Kennedy Scholar, is Britain's youngest foreign secretary in 30 years, and, in true MIT spirit, the first cabinet member to have his own blog and to launch a wiki.

• Cosmologist Arlie Petters PhD '91 Profiled on NOVA
  Arlie Petters' personal journey--from rural Belize to Duke faculty expert on how light travels through the space--has given him perspective on both the deep cosmos and the divide between rich and poor countries. Check out the multimedia profile and video on gravitational lensing at home.

• Alum Named a Finalist on ABC's American Inventor
  Craig Forest SM '03, PhD '07, and his business partner were selected as regional finalists on the TV show and were given $50k to develop their ceiling-mounted bicycle rack called the Claw.

Race Initiative Issues Preliminary Report

A faculty team representing MIT's five schools has submitted a preliminary report (PDF) on the Institute's new initiative on faculty race issues. The report provides detailed recommendations on how MIT can undertake a comprehensive study and recommended specific, near-term administrative actions.

Three Awarded Nation's Highest Technology and Science Honors

President Emeritus Charles Vest HM received the National Medal of Technology and pioneering faculty--biomedical engineer Robert S. Langer PhD '74 and atomic physicist Daniel Kleppner--received National Medals of Science July 27.

MIT on iTunes U Hits Top Ten

Physics, psychology, math, and architecture lectures by MIT faculty are among the most popular offerings this summer on Apple's iTunes U, a Web site offering university content. Professor of Physics Walter H.G. Lewin's lectures on electricity and magnetism even beat Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' Stanford commencement address. Check out MIT on iTunes U for more.

Student Blogs Portray MIT's International Projects

MIT students currently working internationally on sustainable solutions for health access, computer literacy, and wheelchair accessibility are maintaining blogs to keep friends, family, and the wider Institute community up-to-date on their experiences. Sample their experiences online.

LEADERSHIP NEWS

• "Where is MIT?" Interview with New Association President
  Harbo Jensen PhD '74 believes MIT can be re-created anywhere alumni get together. Find out how the new MIT Alumni Association president has used his MIT connections in his international career and how he plans to engage alumni this year. Other new leaders have joined the Association Board of Directors and National Selection Committee.

• Alumni Generosity Hits New High
  A record-breaking number of alumni donors—more than 33k—plus parents, friends, and corporate matches produced the highest-ever MIT Alumni Fund total: $41,993,372. Gifts from the undergraduate MIT10, members of the classes of 1997 to 2006, exceeded the 3,000 donor goal, earning $100,000 in challenge funds from outgoing Association President Martin Tang SM '72.

• Business, Education Leaders Join MIT Corporation
  Fidelity executive Abigail P. Johnson, Sanderling Ventures founder Frederick A. Middleton Jr. '71, Kurzweil-Technologies Chair Raymond C. Kurzweil '70, and five other distinguished leaders in education, science, engineering, and industry have joined the Institute's 70-member governing board.

Enterprise Forum Podcast Focuses on Mobility Challenges

Download the latest MIT Enterprise Forum video podcast and learn about business opportunities, which can transform life for people facing aging and disability challenges, from NBC's John Hockenberry, MIT professor and robotic ankle developer Hugh Herr SM '93, and inventor Dean Kamen. Watch on an iPod or a computer via iTunes or QuickTime.

EVENTS

• Behind the Scenes Orchestra Preview, San Diego, Aug. 13
  Join MIT alumni and IvyHour peers for an exclusive pre-season reception, violin performance, and talk with Jung-Ho Pak, the San Diego Chamber Orchestra conductor.

• Chemistry Department Reception: Boston, Aug. 19
  Join chemistry department head Timothy M. Swager at an alumni reception at the American Chemical Society 2007 Annual Meeting in Boston.

• MIT Pan-Hellenic Women?s Professional Day: Cambridge, Sept. 30
  Alumnae will share insights from their professional lives through career round tables, a key note address, and networking.

Travel: Jewels of the South Pacific: Feb. 12-22, 2008

Discover the culture and natural beauty of Tahiti and two distinct island chains: the Tuamotus--a collection of low-lying atolls--and the Marquesas--high volcanic islands with sharp peaks and deep valleys. Traveling by small ship, Zodiacs, and a charter flight, alumni and guests will visit more remote islands than comparable programs. A post-tour extension to Easter Island is also available.

About Tech Connection

Tech Connection, a monthly e-newsletter for alumni and friends of MIT, is available in HTML and text-only formats. Please email mitalum@mit.edu to request the text-only format or to subscribe.

Please email comments to:
Nancy DuVergne Smith
Editorial Director
MIT Alumni Association