April 27, 2019
Greetings! Here’s a roundup of the latest from the MIT community.

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Cool Tool
Mechanical engineering graduate Robert Gottlieb ’60, SM ’61 holds at least 14 patents and has made countless contributions to the U.S. space program. But his most lasting legacy will likely be an adjustable wrench that he invented in 1982.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Top Headlines
Working out makes hydrogels perform more like muscle
Mechanical “training” produces strong, fatigue-resistant, yet soft hydrogels with possible uses in medicine.
MIT Heat Island
Top collegiate inventors awarded 2019 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize 💡
Students recognized for revolutionary solutions to women’s health, food waste, transportation, and mobility and communication for people with disabilities.
Neuroscientists reverse some behavioral symptoms of Williams Syndrome
Mouse study yields insights into the rare condition, may shed light on other neurological disorders.
MIT Heat Island
Candid conversation about race
In an MIT talk, Beverly Daniel Tatum urges direct discussion about racial issues at a “polarized” moment in U.S. history.
MIT Heat Island
3Q: Setting academic parameters for the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing
Working Group on Curricula and Degrees co-chairs discuss their progress toward establishing credentials and courses for the college.
MIT Heat Island
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
#ThisIsMIT
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In the Media
The most successful people have this trait in common, according to an MIT survey of 20,000 people // Money
“Probably the most important habit is whether you are geared to accomplishing a lot rather than putting in a lot of hours,” says Senior Lecturer Robert Pozen of a survey he developed exploring the habits of highly productive people.
Long lost “Zork” source code uploaded to GitHub // Motherboard
The source code for the text adventure game “Zork,” which was developed in 1977 by members of MIT’s Laboratory for Computer Science, has been uploaded to GitHub. For a niche group of programmers, the source code “could serve as a collection of information that’ll propel their research forward.”
A men’s wedding wear maker is selling tuxedos for women // CNN
The Groomsman Suit, a company co-founded by Diana Ganz MBA ’14 that offers well-fitting tuxedos at a discount, has now created a line of tuxedos and suits tailored specifically for women.
World tiddlywinks champions look to reclaim their glory // NPR
Tiddlywinks champions Larry Kahn ’75, SM ’76 and David Lockwood ’75, who began playing on a whim during their first year at MIT, are teaming up for a shot at their sixth title together at the annual Tiddlywinks World Championships.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Watch This
In honor of Earth Week: a 1988 video featuring the late astronomer Carl Sagan at an MIT Sloan School of Management symposium, discussing climate, education, and more. Sagan and the late economist Lester Thurow — then dean of MIT Sloan — talked broadly about what management might be like in the year 2000. On the theme of climate change, Sagan opined, “There is not the slightest doubt that science and technology ... can be used in a very significant way to turn around many [climate change-related] problems and to work for human betterment. But it requires a break with the idea that everything we’ve done in the past is OK and any criticism of it is impermissible.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Meet Your MIT Neighbor
Name: Jodi Cooksey
Affiliation: Safety engineer with the Central Utilities Plant
Hometown: Blossvale, New York
Years at MIT: 4
Coolest person you've ever met: My dad
Most-used emoji: 💋
Favorite location on campus:
Stata Center amphitheater
Most influential teacher: Tim Tangeman, district safety manager at Peter Kiewit and Sons
Dream vacation spot: Tahiti
Secret superpower: Sass and attitude (neither of which are a secret)
Best thing about MIT: Commencement
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“
Respecting the planet is something that everyone has a stake in, both to preserve the natural landscape and to avoid the worst impacts of climate change by changing course before it is too late.
—Jesse Hinricher, senior in chemical engineering
Photo of Maia Weinstock
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