MIT OpenCourseWare: New Courses

6.450 Principles of Digital Communications I (MIT)

Gallager, Robert — 2008-01-14T12:13:10-05:00

The course serves as an introduction to the theory and practice behind many of today's communications systems. 6.450 forms the first of a two-course sequence on digital communication. The second class, 6.451, is offered in the spring. Topics covered include: digital communications at the block diagram level, data compression, Lempel-Ziv algorithm, scalar and vector quantization, sampling and aliasing, the Nyquist criterion, PAM and QAM modulation, signal constellations, finite-energy waveform spaces, detection, and modeling and system design for wireless communication.

22.05 Neutron Science and Reactor Physics (MIT)

Bernard, John — 2008-01-10T11:52:14-05:00

Sources of neutrons and their interactions are explored leading to modeling of neutron transport. Introduces fundamental properties of the neutron. Applications of nuclear physics include reactor physics in the design of nuclear reactors. Covers reactions induced by neutrons, nuclear fission, slowing down of neutrons in infinite media, diffusion theory, the few-group approximation, and point kinetics. Emphasizes the nuclear physics bases of reactor design and its relationship to reactor engineering problems.

6.002 Circuits and Electronics (MIT)

Agarwal, Anant — 2008-01-04T01:10:54-05:00

Fundamentals of the lumped circuit abstraction. Resistive elements and networks; independent and dependent sources; switches and MOS devices; digital abstraction; amplifiers; and energy storage elements. Dynamics of first- and second-order networks; design in the time and frequency domains; analog and digital circuits and applications. Design exercises. Alternate week laboratory. Enrollment may be limited.

6.824 Distributed Computer Systems Engineering (MIT)

Morris, Robert — 2007-12-19T12:03:42-05:00

Abstractions and implementation techniques for design of distributed systems; server design, network programming, naming, storage systems, security, and fault tolerance. Readings from current literature. 6 Engineering Design Points.

SP.778 Toy Product Design (MIT)

Kudrowitz, Barry — 2007-12-05T05:22:26-05:00

Toy Product Design is a MIT Public Service Center learning design course offered in the Spring semester. This course is an introduction to the product design process with a focus on designing for play and entertainment. At the end of the course, students present their toy products at the Playsentations to toy designers, engineers, elementary school children and the MIT community. In this course, students work in small teams of 5-6 members to design and prototype new toys. Students work closely with a local sponsor and experienced mentors on a themed toy design project. Students will be introduced to the product development process, including: determining customer needs; brainstorming; estimation; sketching; sketch modeling; concept development; design aesthetics; detailed design; prototyping; and written, visual, and oral communication.

8.231 Physics of Solids I (MIT)

Wen, Xiao-Gang — 2007-12-04T05:59:23-05:00

Introduction to the basic concepts of the quantum theory of solids. Topics: periodic structure and symmetry of crystals; diffraction; reciprocal lattice; chemical bonding; lattice dynamics, phonons, thermal properties; free electron gas; model of metals; Bloch theorem and band structure, nearly free electron approximation; tight binding method; Fermi surface; semiconductors, electrons, holes, impurities; optical properties, excitons; and magnetism.

5.60 Thermodynamics & Kinetics (MIT)

Bawendi, Moungi — 2007-12-02T10:30:54-05:00

This subject deals primarily with equilibrium properties of macroscopic systems, basic thermodynamics, chemical equilibrium of reactions in gas and solution phase, and rates of chemical reactions.

HST.410J Projects in Microscale Engineering for the Life Sciences (MIT)

Freeman, Dennis — 2007-11-26T11:24:07-05:00

This course is a project-based introduction to manipulating and characterizing cells and biological molecules using microfabricated tools. It is designed for first year undergraduate students. In the first half of the term, students perform laboratory exercises designed to introduce (1) the design, manufacture, and use of microfluidic channels, (2) techniques for sorting and manipulating cells and biomolecules, and (3) making quantitative measurements using optical detection and fluorescent labeling In the second half of the term, students work in small groups to design and test a microfluidic device to solve a real-world problem of their choosing. Includes exercises in written and oral communication and team building.

14.129 Advanced Contract Theory (MIT)

Izmalkov, Sergei — 2007-11-26T11:15:52-05:00

Recent developments in contract theory. Includes advanced models of moral hazard, adverse selection, mechanism design and incomplete contracts with applications to theory of the firm, organizational design, and financial structure.

21L.016 Learning from the Past: Drama, Science, Performance (MIT)

Henderson, Diana — 2007-11-26T11:15:06-05:00

history, art and science, art vs. science, history of science, religion, natural philosophy, mathematics, literature, cosmology,physics, astronomy, alchemy, chemistry, plays, theater history, cultural studies, Shakespeare, Ford, Tate, Behn, Francis Bacon, Burton, Hobbes, Boyle, 17th century, England, english history, Charles I, Charles II, Cromwell,

24.963 Linguistic Phonetics (MIT)

Flemming, Edward — 2007-11-26T11:14:38-05:00

The study of speech sounds: how we produce and perceive them and their acoustic properties. The influence of the production and perception systems on phonological patterns and sound change. Acoustic analysis and experimental techniques.

12.759 Marine Chemistry Seminar (MIT)

Mooy, Benjamin Van — 2007-11-26T11:14:18-05:00

12.746 Marine Organic Geochemistry (MIT)

Eglinton, Timothy — 2007-11-26T11:14:03-05:00

Provides an understanding of the distribution of organic carbon (OC) in marine sediments from a global and molecular-level perspective. Surveys the mineralization and preservation of OC in the water column and within anoxic and oxic marine sediments. Topics include: OC composition, reactivity and budgets within, and fluxes through, major reservoirs; microbial recycling pathways for OC; models for OC degradation and preservation; role of anoxia in OC burial; relationships between dissolved and particulate (sinking and suspended) OC; methods for characterization of sedimentary organic matter; application of biological markers as tools in oceanography. Both structural and isotopic aspects are covered.

14.11 Special Topics in Economics: The Challenge of World Poverty (MIT)

Banerjee, Abhijit — 2007-11-26T11:12:18-05:00

This is a course for those who are interested in the challenge posed by massive and persistent world poverty, have some economics, and believe that economists might have something useful to say about this question. The questions we will take up include: Is extreme poverty a thing of the past? Why do some countries grow fast and others fall further behind? Does growth help the poor? Does foreign aid help? What can we do about corruption? Should we leave it all to the markets? Should we leave it to the NGOs? Where is the best place to intervene? How do we deal with the disease burden? How do we improve schools? And many others.

24.910 Topics in Linguistic Theory: Laboratory Phonology (MIT)

Flemming, Edward — 2007-11-26T11:12:02-05:00

The goal of this course is to prepare you to engage in experimental investigations of questions related to linguistic theory, focusing on phonetics and phonology.

14.04 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory (MIT)

Izmalkov, Sergei — 2007-11-26T11:11:07-05:00

Basic theory of consumer behavior, production and costs, partial equilibrium analysis of pricing in competitive and monopolistic markets, general equilibrium, welfare, and externalities. Credit not given for both 14.03 and 14.04. May not count toward HASS Requirement. Recommended for students planning to apply to graduate school in economics, accounting, or finance.

12.003 Physics of Atmospheres and Oceans (MIT)

Marshall, John — 2007-11-21T11:39:13-05:00

The laws of classical mechanics and thermodynamics are used to explore how the properties of fluids on a rotating Earth manifest themselves in, and help shape, the global patterns of atmospheric winds, ocean currents, and the climate of the Earth. Theoretical discussion focuses on the physical processes involved. Underlying mechanisms are illustrated through laboratory demonstrations, using a rotating table, and through analysis of atmospheric and oceanic data.

21F.225 Advanced Workshop in Writing for Science and Engineering (ELS) (MIT)

Dunphy, Jane — 2007-11-21T11:38:06-05:00

Analysis and practice of various forms of scientific and technical writing, from memos to journal articles. Strategies for conveying technical information to specialist and non-specialist audiences. Comparable to 21W.780 but methods designed to deal with special problems of advanced ELS or bilingual students. The goal of the workshop is to develop effective writing skills for academic and professional contexts. Models, materials, topics and assignments vary from semester to semester.

4.001J CityScope: New Orleans (MIT)

Thompson, J. Phillip — 2007-11-21T11:37:17-05:00

Do you want to think about ways to help solve New Orleans’ problems? Cityscope is a project-based introduction to the contemporary city. "Problem solving in complex (urban) environments" is different than "solving complex problems." As a member of a team, you will learn to assess scenarios for the purpose of formulating social, economic and design strategies to provide humane and sustainable solutions. A visit to New Orleans is planned for spring break 2007.

10.37 Chemical and Biological Reaction Engineering (MIT)

Green, William Jr. — 2007-11-20T11:33:48-05:00

Introduces the design of chemical reactors via synthesis of chemical kinetics, transport phenomena, and mass and energy balances. Topics: reaction mechanisms and chemical/biochemical pathways; transition-state theory; batch, plug flow and well-stirred reactors; heterogeneous and enzymatic catalysis; heat and mass transport in reactors, including diffusion to and within catalyst particles and cells or immoblized enzymes.

21F.232 Advanced Speaking and Critical Listening Skills (ELS) (MIT)

Dunphy, Jane — 2007-11-20T11:31:51-05:00

For advanced students who wish to build confidence and skills in spoken English. Focuses on the appropriate oral presentation of material in a variety of professional contexts: group discussions, classroom explanations and interactions, and theses/research proposals. Valuable for those who intend to teach or lecture in English. Includes language laboratory assignments. The goal of the workshop is to develop effective speaking and listening skills for academic and professional contexts.

24.921 Special Topics in Linguistics: Genericity (MIT)

Menéndez-Benito, Paula — 2007-11-20T11:31:30-05:00

Open to qualified graduate students in linguistics who wish to pursue special studies or projects.

SP.776 Design for Demining (MIT)

Heafitz, Andrew — 2007-11-20T12:04:44-05:00

Humanitarian Demining is the process of detecting, removing and disposing of landmines. Millions of landmines are buried in more than 80 countries resulting in 20,000 civilian victims every year. MIT Design for Demining is a design course that spans the entire product design and development process from identification of needs and idea generation to prototyping and blast testing to manufacture and deployment. Technical, business and customer aspects are addressed. Students learn about demining while they design, develop and deliver devices to aid the demining community. Past students have invented or improved hand tools, protective gear, safety equipment, educational graphics and teaching materials. Some tools designed in previous years are in use worldwide in the thousands. Course work is informed by a class field trip to a US Army base for demining training and guest expert speakers.

5.92 Energy, Environment, and Society (MIT)

Graham, Amanda — 2007-11-16T02:41:46-05:00

A seminar which addresses technical, economic, political, and environmental issues of chemistry and society. Seminar is intended to give trainees participating in individual research groups that address widely different aspects of chemistry some common ground for thinking about environmental issues, and to develop a wide range of views about how society should deal with the interactions between chemical technology and the environment.

9.04 Neural Basis of Vision and Audition (MIT)

Schiller, Peter — 2007-11-15T04:40:26-05:00

Examines the neural bases of visual and auditory processing for perception and sensorimotor control. Focuses on physiological and anatomical studies of the mammalian nervous system as well as behavioral studies of animals and humans. Studies visual pattern, color and depth perception, auditory responses and speech coding, and spatial localization. Offered alternate years.

15.980J Organizing for Innovative Product Development (MIT)

Allen, Tom — 2007-11-15T04:39:17-05:00

This class introduces the subject of innovative new product development. Topics including technology transfer, science and technology, and the innovation process are covered. Students are expected to write a 15-20 page final paper as part of the assignments for the class.

4.406 Ecologies of Construction (MIT)

Fernandez, John — 2007-11-15T04:33:27-05:00

Ecologies of Construction examines the resource requirements for the making and maintenance of the contemporary built environment. This course introduces the field of industrial ecology as a primary source of concepts and methods in the mapping of material and energy expenditures dedicated to construction activities.

15.978 Leadership Tools and Teams: A Product Development Lab (MIT)

Ancona, Deborah — 2007-11-15T04:32:19-05:00

Provides students opportunities to meet senior executives of private and public institutions, and to discuss key management issues from the perspective of top management. Students prepare detailed briefings identifying and analyzing important management issues facing these organizations. Seminar concludes with a one-week field trip to New York City. Restricted to Sloan Fellows.

4.430 Daylighting (MIT)

Andersen, Marilyne — 2007-11-14T11:46:10-05:00

This class provides the tools necessary for an efficient integration of daylighting issues in the overall design of a building. The fundamentals of daylighting and electric lighting are introduced and their relevance to design decisions emphasized: benefits and availability of daylight, solar radiation and sun course, photometry, vision and color perception, daylighting metrics, visual and thermal comfort, electric lighting. More advanced topics are presented and practiced through the design project and homework assignments, such as primary and advanced lighting design strategies, and design and assessment tools for lighting management.

SP.784 Wheelchair Design in Developing Countries (MIT)

Winter V, Amos — 2007-11-13T07:55:29-05:00

12.753 Geodynamics Seminar (MIT)

Bice, Karen — 2007-11-09T04:31:15-05:00

In this year's Geodynamics Seminar, we will explore the depth and breadth of scientific research related to Earth's present and past ice-sheets, glaciers and sea-ice, as well as extraterrestrial planetary ice. Invited speakers have been chosen from experts in the current frontiers in ice-related research, including planetary ice, climate records from polar and tropical ice cores, the Snowball Earth, subglacial volcanoes, ice rheology, ice sheet modeling, ice microkinetics, glacial erosion and tectonics, subglacial life and polar remote sensing. A field trip to Iceland in Summer 2006 will allow us to view some of the island's ice caps and glacial geology, the exposed mid Atlantic Ridge and evidence of ice-volcano interactions.

4.401 Introduction to Building Technology (MIT)

Andersen, Marilyne — 2007-11-09T04:30:39-05:00

Explores the application of building technology to architecture through considerations of building construction -- materials and methods -- and systems -- structure, enclosure, climate and utility services, light, acoustics, fire safety, and accessibility. Includes lectures, laboratory exercises, site visits, problem sets, and a semester-long student investigation of a precedent building. Required of Course IV majors.

12.753 Geodynamics Seminar (MIT)

Sohn, Robert — 2007-11-09T04:27:38-05:00

The Earth's crust is primarily composed of melting products from mantle plumes and mid-ocean ridges - both presently and over the course of Earth history. While both systems represent upwelling features in a convective mantle, they can be viewed as end-member systems in that plumes represent buoyant flow whereas mid-ocean ridges represent passive corner flow. This paradigm is not strict - flow beneath ridges may be buoyant in some places, for example, but it does provide a reasonable framework for enquiry. Plumes and ridges can be studied independently, but in many places across the globe the systems interact, often in intriguing fashion. The nature of these interactions provides an opportunity to improve our understanding of both systems, and provides new perspectives on the mantle, crustal, and water column processes associated converting heat from the Earth's interior into new crust, hydrothermal flow, and biological communities on the seafloor. The approach taken for the 2001 Plume-Ridge Interactions Seminar series was to start with basic ideas about mantle convection and tectonics, and an overview of the global hotspot and ridge systems. We then addressed three case studies of plume-ridge interactions in detail. Our first case was the interaction of the. Each of these systems provides a different perspective on the nature of plume-ridge interactions, and by comparison and contrast we are able to distill the fundamental aspects out of the complex array of geophysical and geochemical data associated with plume-ridge systems.

1.040 Project Management (MIT)

Moavenzadeh, Fred — 2007-11-09T01:10:21-05:00

As technological integration and construction complexity increase, so does construction lead times. To stay competitive companies have sought to shorten the construction times of new infrastructure by managing construction development efforts effectively by using different project management tools. In this course, three important aspects of construction project management are taught: (1) the theory, methods and quantitative tools used to effectively plan, organize, and control construction projects; (2) efficient management methods revealed through practice and research; (3) hands-on, practical project management knowledge from on-site situations. To achieve this, we will use a basic project management framework in which the project life-cycle is broken into organizing, planning, monitoring, controlling and learning from old and current construction projects. Within the framework, you will learn the methodologies and tools necessary for each aspect of the process as well as the theories upon which these are built. By the end of the term you will be able to adapt and apply the framework to effectively manage a construction project in an Architecture/Engineering/Construction (A/E/C) organization.

11.434J Advanced Topics in Real Estate Finance (MIT)

Geltner, David — 2007-11-09T01:07:39-05:00

This half-semester course introduces and surveys a selection of cutting-edge topics in the field of real estate finance and investments. The course follows an informal “seminar” format to the maximum degree possible, with students expected to take considerable initiative. Lectures and discussions led by the instructors will be supplemented by several guest speakers from the real estate investment industry, who will present perspectives on current trends and important developments in the industry.

11.432J Real Estate Capital Markets (MIT)

Geltner, David — 2007-11-07T11:37:28-05:00

This half-semester course introduces and surveys the major public capital market real estate vehicles, REITs and MBS (with primary emphasis on CMBS). Some background is also included in basic modern portfolio theory and equilibrium asset pricing. This course is primarily designed to provide MSRED students with a basic introduction to the public capital market sources of financial capital for real estate, and how those markets value such capital investments.

11.233 Research Design for Policy Analysis and Planning (MIT)

Carmin, JoAnn — 2007-11-07T11:36:57-05:00

This course develops skills in research design for policy analysis and planning. The emphasis is on the logic of the research process and its constituent elements. The course relies on a seminar format so students are expected to read all of the assigned materials and come to class prepared to discuss key themes, ideas, and controversies. Since the materials draw broadly on the social sciences, and since students have diverse interests and methodological preferences, ongoing themes in our discussions will be linking concepts to planning scholarship in general and considering how different epistemological orientations and methodological techniques map on to planning specializations.

12.110 Sedimentary Geology (MIT)

Southard, John — 2007-11-07T11:36:40-05:00

Survey of the important aspects of modern sediments and ancient sedimentary rocks. Emphasis is on fundamental materials, features, and processes. Textures of siliciclastic sediments and sedimentary rocks: particle size, particle shape, and particle packing. Mechanics of sediment transport. Survey of siliciclastic sedimentary rocks: sandstones, conglomerates, and shales. Carbonate sediments and sedimentary rocks; cherts; evaporites. Siliciclastic and carbonate diagenesis. Paleontology, with special reference to fossils in sedimentary rocks. Modern and ancient depositional environments. Stratigraphy. Sedimentary basins. Fossil fuels: coal, petroleum.

11.431J Real Estate Finance and Investment (MIT)

Geltner, David — 2007-11-07T11:31:01-05:00

This course is an introduction to the most fundamental concepts, principles, analytical methods and tools useful for making investment and finance decisions regarding commercial real estate assets. As the first of a two-course sequence, this course will focus on the basic building blocks and the "micro" level, which pertains to individual properties and deals.

1.020 Ecology II: Engineering for Sustainability (MIT)

McLaughlin, Dennis — 2007-11-07T11:29:43-05:00

This course covers the use of ecological and thermodynamic principles to examine interactions between humans and the natural environment.. Topics include conservation and constitutive laws, box models, feedback, thermodynamic concepts, energy in natural and engineered systems, basic transport concepts, life cycle analysis and related economic methods. Topics such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, green buildings, and mitigation of climate change are illustrated with quantitative case studies. Case studies are team-oriented and may include numerical simulations and design exercises. Some programming experience is desirable but not a prerequisite. Instruction and practice in oral and written communication are provided.

12.753 Geodynamics Seminar (MIT)

Montesi, Laurent — 2007-11-07T01:00:45-05:00

In this year's seminar, we will embark on a scientific journey through some of the most controversial topics about the origin and formation of our home planet. This journey will take us to other planetary bodies - even to other solar systems - as we immerse ourselves in observations and theories from the microscopic to the universe scale.

11.479J Water and Sanitation Infrastructure in Developing Countries (MIT)

Murcott, Susan — 2007-11-07T01:00:08-05:00

An introduction to chemical oceanography. Reservoir models and residence time. Major ion composition of seawater. Inputs to and outputs from the ocean via rivers, the atmosphere, and the sea floor. Biogeochemical cycling within the oceanic water column and sediments, emphasizing the roles played by the formation, transport, and alteration of oceanic particles and the effects that these processes have on seawater composition. Cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and sulfur. Uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide by the ocean. Material presented through lectures and student-led presentation and discussion of recent papers.

12.090 Special Topics in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences: The Environment of the Earth's Surface (MIT)

Southard, John — 2007-11-06T11:31:11-05:00

2.29 Numerical Fluid Mechanics (MIT)

Schmidt, Henrik — 2007-11-06T12:02:18-05:00

This course introduces students to MATLAB. Numerical methods include number representation and errors, interpolation, differentiation, integration, systems of linear equations, and Fourier interpolation and transforms. Students will study partial and ordinary differential equations as well as elliptic and parabolic differential equations, and solutions by numerical integration, finite difference methods, finite element methods, boundary element methods, and panel methods.

24.954 Pragmatics in Linguistic Theory (MIT)

Fox, Daniel — 2007-11-05T11:30:00-05:00

Formal theories of context-dependency, presupposition, implicature, context-change, focus and topic. Special emphasis on the division of labor between semantics and pragmatics. Applications to the analysis of quantification, definiteness, presupposition projection, conditionals and modality, anaphora, questions and answers.

21M.051 Fundamentals of Music (MIT)

Wood, Pamela — 2007-11-05T11:21:59-05:00

Introduces students to the basics of musical structure and proficiencies expected of musicians through participation in three integrated hands-on approaches. Lectures introduce students to the basics of music--pitch, rhythm, and its combinations--in a variety of musical settings, including analysis and discussion of students' compositions and of related larger works. Sight-singing lab focuses on developing practical musical skills through oral, aural, and written experiences with rhythms, melodies, intervals, scales, chords, and music notation. Piano lab introduces and continues development of fundamental music skills through keyboard practice.

21M.410 Vocal Repertoire and Performance (MIT)

Wood, Pamela — 2007-11-05T11:21:46-05:00

For the singer and/or pianist interested in collaborative study of solo vocal performance. Historical study of the repertoire includes listening assignments of representative French, German, Italian, and English works as sung by noted vocal artists of the genre. Topics include diction as facilitated by the study of the International Phonetic Alphabet; performance and audition techniques; and study of body awareness and alignment through the Alexander Technique and yoga. Admission by audition. Required for all Emerson Vocal Scholars. See description under subject *UNKNOWN*.

22.A09 Career Options for Biomedical Research (MIT)

Yip, Sidney — 2007-11-05T11:21:10-05:00

This course has been designed as a seminar to give students an understanding of how scientists with medical or scientific degrees conduct research in both hospital and academic settings. There will be interactive discussions with research clinicians and scientists about the career opportunities and research challenges in the biomedical field, which an MIT student might prepare for by obtaining an MD, PhD, or combined degrees. The seminar will be held in a case presentation format, with topics chosen from the radiological sciences, including current research in magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography and other nuclear imaging techniques, and advances in radiation therapy. With the lectures as background, we will also examine alternative and related options such as biomedical engineering, medical physics, and medical engineering. We'll use as examples and points of comparisons the curriculum paths available through MIT's Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering. In past years we have given very modest assignments such as readings in advance of or after a seminar, and a short term project.

11.947 History and Theory of Historic Preservation (MIT)

Page, Max — 2007-11-02T04:08:33-04:00

This class examines the history and theory of historic preservation, focusing on the United States, but with reference to traditions and practices in other countries. The class is designed to examine the largely untold history of the historic preservation movement in this country, and explore what laws, public policies and cultural attitudes shape how we preserve or do not preserve the built environment. The class will give students a grounding in the history, theory and practice of historic preservation, but is not an applied, technical course.

2.14 Analysis and Design of Feedback Control Systems (MIT)

Trumper, David — 2007-11-02T04:06:32-04:00

This course develops the fundamentals of feedback control using linear transfer function system models. It covers analysis in time and frequency domains; design in the s-plane (root locus) and in the frequency domain (loop shaping); describing functions for stability of certain non-linear systems; extension to state variable systems and multivariable control with observers; discrete and digital hybrid systems and the use of z-plane design. Assignments include extended design case studies and capstone group projects. Graduate students are expected to complete additional assignments.

24.09 Minds and Machines (MIT)

Byrne, Alex — 2007-11-02T04:04:55-04:00

This class is an introduction to many of the central issues in a branch of philosophy called philosophy of mind. Some of the questions we will discuss include the following. Can computers think? Is the mind an immaterial thing? Or is the mind the brain? Or does the mind stand to the brain as a computer program stands to the hardware? How can creatures like ourselves think thoughts that are "about" things? (For example, we can all think that Aristotle is a philosopher, and in that sense think "about" Aristotle, but what is the explanation of this quite remarkable ability?) Can I know whether your experiences and my experiences when we look at raspberries, fire trucks and stop lights are the same? Can consciousness be given a scientific explanation?

PE.210 SCUBA (MIT)

Taylor, Halston — 2007-11-02T03:00:52-04:00

This course will thoroughly educate the successful student with the knowledge and skills necessary to be a certified beginning SCUBA diver. The prerequisite for the course is passing the MIT SCUBA swim test and demonstrating a "comfort level" in the water. At the end of the class, students will attempt to pass the certification exam to become certified divers. The class is taught in two parts each week: a classroom session and a pool session. The classroom sessions along with the reading material will provide the student with the knowledge necessary to pass the written exam. At the pool, the water skills are taught in progressions that build on the previous skills, making the difficult skills seem easy.

12.820 Turbulence in the Ocean and Atmosphere (MIT)

Ferrari, Raffaele — 2007-11-02T03:00:39-04:00

This course presents the phenomena, theory, and modeling of turbulence in the Earth's oceans and atmosphere. The scope ranges from centimeter to planetary scale motions. The regimes of turbulence include homogeneous isotropic three dimensional turbulence, convection, boundary layer turbulence, internal waves, two dimensional turbulence, quasi-geostrophic turbulence, and macroturbulence in the ocean and atmosphere.

12.820 Turbulence in the Ocean and Atmosphere (MIT)

Ferrari, Raffaele — 2007-11-02T02:59:43-04:00

This course presents the phenomena, theory, and modeling of turbulence in the Earth's oceans and atmosphere. The scope ranges from centimeter to planetary scale motions. The regimes of turbulence include homogeneous isotropic three dimensional turbulence, convection, quasi-geotropic turbulence, shallow water turbulence, baroclinic turbulence, macro turbulence in the ocean and atmosphere.

HST.921 Information Technology in the Health Care System of the Future (MIT)

Locke, Steven — 2007-11-02T02:58:27-04:00

This course will show how information technologies (IT) shape and redefine the health care marketplace. Students will learn how IT enhances medical care through: 1) improved economies of scale, 2) greater technical efficiencies in the delivery of care, 3) advanced tools for patient education and self-care, 4) network-integrated decision support tools for clinicians, and 5) opportunities for e-health delivery over the internet. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams to design an innovative solution to a current or future health care problem. Students' proposed solutions will draw upon understanding of tools and principles acquired and will be presented as an application design during the final days of the course.

21M.785 Playwrights' Workshop (MIT)

Brody, Alan — 2007-11-02T02:57:34-04:00

Continued work in the development of playscripts for the theater. Writers work on sustained pieces in weekly workshop meetings, individual consultation with the instructor, and in collaboration with student actors, directors, and designers from the Dramashop and Shakespeare Ensemble. Fully developed scripts eligible for inclusion in the Playwrights' Workshop Production.

5.46 Organic Structure Determination (MIT)

Jamison, Timothy — 2007-11-02T02:56:56-04:00

This course covers modern and advanced methods of elucidation of the structures of organic molecules, including NMR, MS, and IR (among others). The fundamental physical and chemical principles of each method will be discussed. The major emphasis of this course is on structure determination by way of interpreting the data (generally in the form of a spectrum or spectra) that each method provides.

3.052 Nanomechanics of Materials and Biomaterials (MIT)

Ortiz, Christine — 2007-11-02T02:56:06-04:00

This course focuses on the latest scientific developments and discoveries in the field of nanomechanics, the study of forces and motion on extremely tiny (10-9 m) areas of synthetic and biological materials and structures. At this level, mechanical properties are intimately related to chemistry, physics, and quantum mechanics. Most lectures will consist of a theoretical component that will then be compared to recent experimental data (case studies) in the literature. The course begins with a series of introductory lectures that describes the normal and lateral forces acting at the atomic scale. The following discussions include experimental techniques in high resolution force spectroscopy, atomistic aspects of adhesion, nanoindentation, molecular details of fracture, chemical force microscopy, elasticity of single macromolecular chains, intermolecular interactions in polymers, dynamic force spectroscopy, biomolecular bond strength measurements, and molecular motors.

15.389 Global Entrepreneurship Lab (MIT)

Locke, Richard — 2007-11-02T02:51:36-04:00

Enables teams of engineering, science, and management students to work with the top management of international high-tech start-ups and gain hands-on experience in starting and running a new enterprise outside the United States. Lectures expose students to the issues and policies that affect the climate for innovation and start-up success around the world. Subject begins in the second half of the fall semester. Continues for 2-3 weeks during IAP, when students spend time at company sites. Subject concludes in the first half of the spring semester. Students must complete all three components to receive credit.

17.878 Qualitative Research: Design and Methods (MIT)

Locke, Richard — 2007-11-02T02:51:16-04:00

Seminar explores the development and application of qualitative research designs and methods in political analysis. Considers a broad array of approaches, from exploratory narratives to focused-comparison case studies, for investigating plausible alternative hypotheses. The focus is on analysis, not data collection.

15.905 Technology Strategy (MIT)

Davies, Michael — 2007-11-01T12:56:36-04:00

This course provides a strategic framework for managing high-technology businesses. The emphasis throughout is on the development and application of ways of thinking or mental models that bring clarity to the complex co-evolution of technological innovation, the demand opportunity, business ecosystems, and decision-making and execution within the business.

22.615 MHD Theory of Fusion Systems (MIT)

Freidberg, Jeffrey — 2007-11-01T12:55:59-04:00

Derivation of the basic MHD model from the Boltzmann equation. Discussion of MHD equilibria in cylindrical, toroidal, and noncircular tokamaks. Use of MHD equilibrium theory in poloidal field design. MHD stability theory including the Energy Principle, interchange instability, ballooning modes, second region of stability, and external kink modes. Emphasis on discovering configurations capable of achieving good confinement at high beta.

21A.235 American Dream: Exploring Class in the U.S. (MIT)

Walley, Christine — 2007-11-01T12:55:08-04:00

STS.471J Engineering Apollo: The Moon Project as a Complex System (MIT)

Mindell, David — 2007-11-01T12:54:45-04:00

This course is a detailed technical and historical exploration of the Apollo project to "fly humans to the moon and return them safely to earth" as an example of a complex engineering system. Emphasis is on how the systems worked, the technical and social processes that produced them, mission operations, and historical significance. Guest lectures are featured by MIT-affiliated engineers who contributed to and participated in the Apollo missions. Students work in teams on a final project analyzing an aspect of the historical project to articulate and synthesize ideas in engineering systems.

11.950 Citizen Participation, Community Development, and Urban Governance in the Developing World (MIT)

Baiocchi, Gianpaolo — 2007-10-31T01:15:01-04:00

Citizen participation is everywhere. Invoking it has become de rigueur when discussing cities and regions in the developing world. From the World Bank to the World Social Forum, the virtues of participation are extolled: from its capacity to “deepen democracy” to its ability to improve governance, there is no shortage to the benefits it can bring. While it is clear that participation cannot possibly “do” all that is claimed, it is also clear that citizen participation cannot be dismissed, and that there must be something to it. Figuring out what that something is – whether it is identifying the types of participation or the contexts in which it happens that bring about desirable outcomes is the goal of the class.

16.72 Air Traffic Control (MIT)

Hansman, John — 2007-10-31T01:01:32-04:00

Introduces the various aspects of present and future Air Traffic Control systems. Descriptions of the present system: systems-analysis approach to problems of capacity and safety; surveillance, including NAS and ARTS; navigation subsystem technology; aircraft guidance and control; communications; collision avoidance systems; sequencing and spacing in terminal areas; future directions and development; critical discussion of past proposals and of probable future problem areas. Requires term paper.

24.952 Advanced Syntax (MIT)

Fox, Daniel — 2007-10-31T12:56:36-04:00

This course is a continuation of 24.951. This semester the course topics of interest include movement, phrase structure, and the architecture of the grammar.

21A.218J Identity and Difference (MIT)

Paxson, Heather — 2007-10-31T12:55:49-04:00

Subject examines several theoretical perspectives on human identity and focuses on processes of creating categories of acceptable and deviant identities; how identities are formed, how behaviors are labelled, and how people enter deviant roles and worlds; and responses to differences and strategies for coping with these responses. Subject material describes how identity and difference are inescapably linked.

ESD.34 System Architecture (MIT)

Crawley, Edward — 2007-10-31T12:46:26-04:00

Covers principles and methods for technical System Architecture. Presents a synthetic view including: the resolution of ambiguity to identify system goals and boundaries; the creative process of mapping form to function; the analysis of complexity and methods of decomposition and re-integration. Industrial speakers and faculty present examples from various industries. Heuristic and formal methods are presented. Restricted to SDM students.

CMS.998 New Media Literacies (MIT)

Robison, Alice — 2007-10-30T01:16:50-04:00

Supplementary work on individual or group basis. Registration subject to prior arrangement for subject matter and supervision by staff. Also, students may petition for elective credit for participation (with additional assignments) in an undergraduate subject, with permission of instructor.

3.014 Materials Laboratory (MIT)

Stellacci, Francesco — 2007-10-30T12:56:09-04:00

This course is a required sophomore subject in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, designed to be taken in conjunction with the core lecture subject 3.012 Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering <**link to course>. The laboratory subject combines experiments illustrating the principles of quantum mechanics, thermodynamics and structure with intensive oral and written technical communication practice. Specific topics include: experimental exploration of the connections between energetics, bonding and structure of materials, and application of these principles in instruments for materials characterization; demonstration of the wave-like nature of electrons; hands-on experience with techniques to quantify energy (DSC), bonding (XPS, AES, FTIR, UV/vis and force spectroscopy), and degree of order (x-ray scattering) in condensed matter; and investigation of structural transitions and structure-property relationships through practical materials examples.

2.611 Marine Power and Propulsion (MIT)

Burke, David — 2007-10-30T12:53:05-04:00

This course discusses the selection and evaluation of commercial and naval ship power and propulsion systems. It will cover the analysis of propulsors, prime mover thermodynamic cycles, propeller-engine matching, propeller selection, waterjet analysis, and reviews alternative propulsors. The course also investigates thermodynamic analyses of Rankine, Brayton, Diesel, and Combined cycles, reduction gears and integrated electric drive. Battery operated vehicles and fuel cells are also discussed. The term project requires analysis of alternatives in propulsion plant design for given physical, performance, and economic constraints. Graduate students complete different assignments and exams.

22.611J Introduction to Plasma Physics I (MIT)

Parker, Ron — 2007-10-26T12:49:56-04:00

See description under subject 8.613J.

ESD.72 Engineering Risk-Benefit Analysis (MIT)

Apostolakis, George — 2007-10-26T12:47:48-04:00

Engineering School-Wide Elective Subject. Description given at end of this chapter in SWE section.

5.S16 Advanced Kitchen Chemistry (MIT)

Christie, Patricia — 2007-10-26T12:47:10-04:00

This seminar will be a scientific exploration of the food we eat and enjoy. Each week we shall have a scientific edible experiment that will explore a specific food topic. This will be a hands-on seminar with mandatory attendance of at least 85%. Topics include, but are not limited to, what makes a good experiment, cheese making, joys of tofu, food biochemistry, the science of spice, what is taste?

3.91 Mechanical Behavior of Plastics (MIT)

Roylance, David — 2007-10-25T12:54:28-04:00

This course is aimed at presenting the concepts underlying the response of polymeric materials to applied loads. These will include both the molecular mechanisms involved and the mathematical description of the relevant continuum mechanics. It is dominantly an "engineering" subject, but with an atomistic flavor. It covers the influence of processing and structure on mechanical properties of synthetic and natural polymers: Hookean and entropic elastic deformation, linear viscoelasticity, composite materials and laminates, yield and fracture.

SP.235 Chemistry of Sports (MIT)

Christie, Patricia — 2007-10-25T12:53:49-04:00

In this new seminar, we will be focusing on three sports, swimming, cycling and running. There will be two components to the seminar, a classroom and a laboratory. The classroom component will introduce the students to the chemistry of their own biological system. Since we are looking at swimming, running and cycling as our sample sports, we will apply the classroom knowledge to complete a triathlon.

11.469 Urban Sociology in Theory and Practice (MIT)

Davis, Diane — 2007-10-25T12:53:21-04:00

This course is intended to introduce graduate students to a set of core writings in the field of urban sociology. Topics include the changing nature of community, social inequality, political power, socio-spatial change, technological change, and the relationship between the built environment and human behavior. We examine the key theoretical paradigms that have constituted the field since its founding, assess how and why they have changed over time, and discuss the implications of these paradigmatic shifts for urban scholarship, social policy and the planning practice.

20.330J Fields, Forces and Flows in Biological Systems (MIT)

Han, Jongyoon ("Jay") — 2007-10-25T12:52:44-04:00

This course introduces the basic driving forces for electric current, fluid flow, and mass transport, plus their application to a variety of biological systems. Basic mathematical and engineering tools will be introduced, in the context of biology and physiology. Various electrokinetic phenomena are also considered as an example of coupled nature of chemical-electro-mechanical driving forces. Applications include transport in biological tissues and across membranes, manipulation of cells and biomolecules, and microfluidics.

20.106J Systems Microbiology (MIT)

Schauer, David — 2007-10-25T12:51:49-04:00

24.500 Topics in Philosophy of Mind: Perceptual Experience (MIT)

Byrne, Alex — 2007-10-24T01:21:02-04:00

This course examines the recent philosophy of perception. Topics considered include transparency of experience, consciousness, sensory awareness, content of visual experience, thought ownership, thought disorders, schizophrenia, introspection, and sound. Questions raised by these topics include "Is there a perceptual relation?" and "What is a sound?". We explore these topics through reading, writing, and presentations by the instructors and guests.

1.963 A Sustainable Transportation Plan for MIT (MIT)

Attanucci, John — 2007-10-24T01:19:59-04:00

This seminar-style class will focus on evaluating and recommending alternative commuter and business-related transportation policies for the MIT campus. Emphasis will be placed on reducing transportation-related energy usage in a sustainable manner in response to President Hockfield's "Walk the Talk" energy initiative. Students will explore the relative roles of MIT and the MBTA as transportation providers, as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of related subsidy policies currently in place for all modes of transportation.

21L.315 Prizewinners (MIT)

Fuller, Mary — 2007-10-23T12:26:12-04:00

This 6-unit subject gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the poetry of two living Nobel Laureates: the Caribbean poet, Derek Walcott, and the Northern-Irish poet, Seamus Heaney. We will begin and end the semester with their magnificent epic works: Heaney's translation of the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, and Walcott's Omeros (a modern epic set in the West Indies). Between these major narrative poems, we will read a rich selection of their shorter poems, as well as some of their reflections in prose on what poetry does, on what other poets do, and what it means to write in English from the historical and political situation of Northern Ireland (for Heaney) or the Caribbean (for Walcott).

15.301 Managerial Psychology (MIT)

Carroll, John — 2007-10-19T01:33:13-04:00

Core subject for students majoring in management science. Surveys individual and social psychology and organization theory interpreted in the context of the managerial environment. Laboratory involves projects of an applied nature in behavioral science. Emphasizes use of behavioral science research methods to test hypotheses concerning organizational behavior. Instruction and practice in communication include report writing, team decision-making, and oral and visual presentation. Twelve units may be applied to the General Institute Laboratory Requirement.

14.662 Labor Economics II (MIT)

Piore, Michael — 2007-10-19T01:32:45-04:00

The development and evolution of labor market structures and institutions. Particular focus on competing explanations of recent developments in the distribution of wage and salary income and in key institutions and organizational structures. Special attention to theories of worker motivation and behavior, the determination of wages, technology, and social stratification.

4.301 Introduction to the Visual Arts (MIT)

Zane, Joe — 2007-10-19T01:32:13-04:00

Introduction to artistic practice and aesthetic analysis through studio work and lectures. Students communicate ideas and experiences through various media such as sculpture, installation, performance, and video. Projects evolve through stages of conceptual and material development to final presentation. Lectures, visiting artist presentations, field trips, and readings supplement studio practice, providing an index to the historical, cultural, and environmental forces that affect both development of artistic vision and reception of works of art. Lab fee.

14.386 New Econometric Methods (MIT)

Newey, Whitney — 2007-10-18T12:36:08-04:00

Focuses on recent developments in econometrics. Topics include empirical processes and asymptotic theory, nonparametric and semiparametric estimation, estimation of auction and other structural models, unit roots and cointegration, and continuous time econometrics. Results illustrated with economic applications.

21M.271 Symphony and Concerto (MIT)

Lindgren, Lowell — 2007-10-17T01:07:07-04:00

A chronological survey of masterpieces of the symphonic literature, ranging from the mid-eighteenth to the early twenty-first century. Includes one work by each major figure. As a participatory subject, students give oral presentations concerning composers and their symphonies. Prior musical score-reading experience is helpful. Students attend two or three symphonic concerts during the term.

21H.575J Women in South Asia from 1800 to Present (MIT)

Roy, Haimanti — 2007-10-17T01:06:34-04:00

Exploration of the changes and continuities in the lives of South Asian women. Using gender as a lens, examine how politics of race, class, caste, and religion have affected women in South Asian countries, primarily in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Current debates within South Asian women's history illustrate the issues and problems that arise in re-writing the past from a gendered perspective. Primary documents, secondary readings, films, newspaper articles, and the Internet.

21H.571 The Making of Modern South Asia (MIT)

Roy, Haimanti — 2007-10-17T12:42:55-04:00

From the course home page: Course Description Survey of Indian civilization from 2500 BC to present-day. Traces major political events as well as economic, social, ecological, and cultural developments. Primary and secondary readings enhance understanding of this unique civilization, and shape and improve understanding in analyzing and interpreting historical data. Examines major thematic debates in Indian history through class discussion.

14.581 International Economics I (MIT)

Antras, Pol — 2007-10-17T12:42:41-04:00

Theory of international trade and foreign investment with applications in commercial policy.

14.54 International Trade (MIT)

Lorenzoni, Guido — 2007-10-16T01:04:43-04:00

Introduction to the theory of international trade and finance with applications to current policy issues.

SP.258 Gödel, Escher, Bach (MIT)

Speer, Robert — 2007-10-16T01:02:40-04:00

12.480 Thermodynamics for Geoscientists (MIT)

Grove, Timothy — 2007-10-16T01:02:28-04:00

Principles of thermodynamics are used to infer the physical conditions of formation and modification of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Includes phase equilibria of homogeneous and heterogeneous systems and thermodynamic modelling of non-ideal crystalline solutions. Surveys the processes that lead to the formation of metamorphic and igneous rocks in the major tectonic environments in the Earth's crust and mantle.

14.462 Advanced Macroeconomics II (MIT)

Lorenzoni, Guido — 2007-10-16T01:01:42-04:00

Topics change from year to year. Most recent topics include: optimal fiscal and monetary policy; optimal capital taxation; time inconsistency and incentive incompatibility of optimal policies; redistribution and political economics; heterogeneous agents and incomplete markets; Real Business Cycle models and new-keynesian models; endogenous growth; aggregate fluctuations and propagation mechanisms; recursive methods and robust control in macro.

21M.220 Early Music (MIT)

Cuthbert, Michael — 2007-10-16T12:54:42-04:00

Studies key genres and styles of vocal and instrumental music that developed across Europe in churches, courts, and public venues prior to the age of "common practice" harmony. After a survey of the Medieval background, focuses on works by great Renaissance and early Baroque composers, including Dunstable, Dufay, Ockeghem, Josquin, Willaert, Palestrina, Lasso, Victoria, Byrd, Gibbons, Monteverdi, Gabrieli, Praetorius, and Schutz. Student assignments explore selected repertoires in depth, such as chant, madrigals, motets, species counterpoint models, Lutheran chorales, the first operas, or early styles of keyboard, wind, or string music. Minimal score-reading ability needed for papers, oral presentations, and possible performance projects. From the course home page: Course Description This class covers the history of Western music from antiquity until approximately 1680, about 2000 years worth of music. Rather than cover each topic at the same level of depth, we will focus on four topics in particular and glue them together with a broad overview of other topics. The four topics chosen for this term are (1) chant structure, performance, and development; (2) 14th century music of Italy and France; (3) Elizabethan London; and (4) Venice in the Baroque era. The class will also introduce many of the tools we use in studying music history such as manuscript study, original notation work (the musical equivalent of foreign language study), and historical performance practice.

18.966 Geometry of Manifolds (MIT)

Auroux, Denis — 2007-10-16T12:53:25-04:00

This is a second-semester graduate course on the geometry of manifolds. The main emphasis is on the geometry of symplectic manifolds, but the material also includes long digressions into complex geometry and the geometry of 4-manifolds, with special emphasis on topological considerations.

17.906 Reading Seminar in Social Science: The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Global Energy (MIT)

Leverett, Flynt — 2007-10-12T01:02:34-04:00

21L.007 World Literatures: Contact Zone (MIT)

Braithwaite, Alisa — 2007-10-11T01:35:34-04:00

World Literatures will focus on the concept of the contact zone. What happens when cultures with different ideologies and norms come into contact with each other through exploration and colonization? We will examine how the complex issues surrounding race, gender, language and power are represented in both poetry and prose from African, Caribbean and South Asian perspectives. Our discussions will focus on not only the historical situations that these texts represent, but also the literary conventions these writers use to express these unique stories.

21L.715 Media in Cultural Context (MIT)

Green, Joshua — 2007-10-11T01:34:03-04:00

Seminar designed to provide close case study examinations of specific media or media configurations and the larger social, cultural, economic, political, or technological contexts within which they operate. Subject organized around recurring themes in media history, specific genres or movements, specific media, or specific historical moments. Instruction and practice in written and oral communication. Topic: Comics, Cartoons, and Graphic Storytelling. Meets with CMS.871, but assignments differ.

2.23 Hydrofoils and Propellers (MIT)

Kimball, Richard (Rich) — 2007-10-11T01:33:52-04:00

This course develops the theory and design of hydrofoil sections, including lifting and thickness problems for sub-cavitating sections, unsteady flow problems, and computer-aided design of low drag cavitation-free sections. It also covers lifting line and lifting surface theory with applications to hydrofoil craft, rudder, control surface, propeller and wind turbine rotor design. Other topics include computer-aided design of wake adapted propellers, steady and unsteady propeller thrust and torque; performance analysis and design of wind turbine rotors in steady and stochastic wind; and numerical principles of vortex lattice and lifting surface panel methods. Projects illustrate the development of computational methods for lifting, propeller and wind turbine flows, and use of state-of-the-art simulation methods for lifting, propulsion and wind turbine applications.

15.023J Global Climate Change: Economics, Science, and Policy (MIT)

Jacoby, Henry — 2007-10-11T01:31:26-04:00

Introduces scientific, economic, and ecological issues underlying the threat of global climate change, and the institutions engaged in negotiating an international response. Develops an integrated approach to analysis of climate change processes, and assessment of proposed policy measures, drawing on research and model development within the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change.

21L.003-2 Reading Fiction (MIT)

Braithwaite, Alisa — 2007-10-11T01:30:30-04:00

Reading Fiction is designed to sharpen your skills as a critical reader. As we explore both short stories and novels focusing on the theme of "the city in literature," we will learn about the various elements that shape the way we read texts - structure, narrative voice, character development, novelistic experimentation, historical and political contexts and reader response.

8.325 Relativistic Quantum Field Theory III (MIT)

Stewart, Iain — 2007-10-11T01:30:15-04:00

A three-semester subject sequence on quantum field theory stressing the relativistic quantum field theories relevant to the physics of the Standard Model. 8.323 is a one-semester self-contained subject in quantum field theory. Concepts and basic techniques are developed through applications in elementary particle physics and condensed matter physics. Includes the basic tools of field theory required for phenomenological studies. Topics: Functional integral formulation of quantum mechanics and many-particle systems. Classical field theory, symmetries, and Noether's theorem. Quantization of scalar fields. Feynman graphs, analytic properties of amplitudes and unitarity of the S-matrix. Renormalization and renormalization group. Spinors and the Dirac equation. Quantization of Dirac fields. Supersymmetry. Quantization of abelian gauge fields. Calculations in quantum electrodynamics. Classical Yang-Mills fields. The Higgs phenomenon and a description of the Standard Model. 8.324 is the second term of the quantum field theory sequence. Develops in depth some of the topics discussed in 8.323 and introduces some advanced material. Topics: Quantization of nonabelian gauge theories. BRST symmetry. Perturbation theory anomalies. Renormalization and symmetry breaking. The renormalization group. Critical exponents and scalar field theory. Conformal field theory. 8.325 is the third and last term of the quantum field theory sequence. Its aim is the proper theoretical discussion of the physic

21L.458 The Bible (MIT)

Lipkowitz, Ina — 2007-10-11T01:30:01-04:00

An introduction to major Biblical texts including Genesis, Exodus, Job, the prophetic and historic books of the Old Testament, and the Gospels and Epistles. Stresses the place of the Bible as foundation text for central religious, ethical, and political thinking. Comparative readings in related traditions, ancient, Near Eastern, and Middle Eastern. Investigation of the Bible as influence in later narrative, philosophic, and artistic traditions.

11.362 Environmental Management Practicum: Brownfield Redevelopment (MIT)

Hamilton, James — 2007-10-08T01:47:38-04:00

Studio-based subject in applied environmental planning. Instruction in client projects dealing with aspects of sustainability assessment. Workshops cover tools for planning (risk mapping, sustainability assessment, impact prediction) and professional aspects of dealing with multiple publics. Students participate in one of several groups that work on a four-month client project. Subject emphasizes both the use of environmental planning tools in real-time and learning how to interface with agencies and NGOs. Faculty and practicing planners speak on the professional side of planning practice and agency culture, and conduct project review.

5.13 Organic Chemistry II (MIT)

Jamison, Timothy — 2007-10-08T01:47:10-04:00

Intermediate organic chemistry. Synthesis, structure determination, mechanism, and the relationships between structure and reactivity emphasized. Special topics in organic chemistry included to illustrate the role of organic chemistry in biological systems and in the chemical industry.

MAS.622J Pattern Recognition and Analysis (MIT)

Picard, Rosalind — 2007-10-05T02:20:22-04:00

Fundamentals of characterizing and recognizing patterns and features of interest in numerical data. Basic tools and theory for signal understanding problems with applications to user modeling, affect recognition, speech recognition and understanding, computer vision, physiological analysis, and more. Decision theory, statistical classification, maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimation, non-parametric methods, unsupervised learning and clustering. Additional topics on machine and human learning from active research.

CMS.997 Topics in Comparative Media: American Pro Wrestling (MIT)

Ford, Samuel — 2007-10-05T02:19:12-04:00

This class will explore the cultural history and media industry surrounding the masculine drama of professional wrestling. Beginning with wrestling's roots in sport and carnival, the class examines how new technologies and changes in the television industry led to evolution for pro wrestling style and promotion and how shifts in wrestling characters demonstrate changes in the depiction of American masculinity. The class will move chronologically in an examination of how wrestling characters and performances have changed, focusing particularly on the 1950s to the present. Students may have previous knowledge of wrestling but are not required to, nor are they required to be a fan (although it is certainly not discouraged, either). Special thanks to the WWE for allowing us to use various materials and for their participation and help with the course.

ESD.86 Models, Data and Inference for Socio-Technical Systems (MIT)

Frey, Daniel — 2007-10-05T02:18:31-04:00

In this class, students use data and systems knowledge to build models of complex socio-technical systems for improved system design and decision-making. Students will enhance their model-building skills, through review and extension of functions of random variables, Poisson processes, and Markov processes; move from applied probability to statistics via Chi-squared t and f tests, derived as functions of random variables; and review classical statistics, hypothesis tests, regression, correlation and causation, simple data mining techniques, and Bayesian vs. classical statistics. A class project is required.

10.391J Sustainable Energy (MIT)

Tester, Jefferson — 2007-10-03T04:34:28-04:00

Assessment of current and potential future energy systems, covering resources, extraction, conversion, and end-use, with emphasis on meeting regional and global energy needs in the 21st century in a sustainable manner. Different renewable and conventional energy technologies will be presented including biomass energy, fossil fuels, geothermal energy, nuclear power, wind power, solar energy, hydrogen fuel, and fusion energy and their attributes described within a framework that aids in evaluation and analysis of energy technology systems in the context of political, social, economic, and environmental goals.

11.914 Planning Communication (MIT)

Briggs, Xavier de Souza — 2007-10-03T04:32:47-04:00

This three-week module, centered on a focal case, represents the second part of the Department’s introduction to the challenges of reflection and action in professional planning practice. As such, it builds on the concepts and tools in 11.201 and 11.202 in the Fall semester. Working in teams, students will deliver a 20-minute oral briefing, with an additional 10 minutes for questions and comments, in the last week of the class (as detailed on the assignment and posted course schedule). The teams will brief invited guests (“briefees”) taking the roles of decisionmakers. DUSP faculty and fellow students may also be in attendance.

11.800 Doctoral Research Seminar: Knowledge in the Public Arena (MIT)

de Souza, Xavier — 2007-10-03T04:27:16-04:00

This is a course about how research knowledge and other types of knowledge come to be actionable and influential in the world—or not. The course explores ways to make research knowledge more accessible, credible, and useful in the realm of public policy and practice—a project in which the course faculty collectively bring decades of professional experience, in both academic and non-academic roles. The course addresses the politics of the policymaking process, the power of framing and agenda-setting, fads and paradigms in the design professions and society in general, how knowledge diffuses along knowledge and influence networks, and how varied types of knowledge (rational, craft, other) and deliberation shape decision-making and action. The course engages a number of guests to present case studies of research in use (and abuse) in varied fields, highlighting rich areas for potential research contribution, along with major conflicts in public values, political interests, ethical obligations, and more. The resulting dilemmas confront scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and others as they look to research—sometimes—for useful guidance, influence, or both.

21L.325 Small Wonders: Staying Alive (MIT)

Hildebidle, John — 2007-10-03T04:26:53-04:00

This course closely examines a coherent set of short texts and/or visual works. The selections may be the shorter works of one or more authors (poems, short stories or novellas), or short films and other visual media. Additionally, we will focus on formal issues and thematic meditations around the title of the course "Staying Alive." Content varies from semester to semester.

21L.471 Major English Novels (MIT)

Lipkowitz, Ina — 2007-10-03T04:26:38-04:00

Subject studies important examples of the literary form that, between the beginning of the eighteenth century and the end of the nineteenth century, became an indispensable instrument for representing modern life, in the hands of such writers as Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, Sterne, Burney, Austen, Scott, Dickens, the Bront%s, Eliot, Hardy, and Conrad. The class alternates between eighteenth and nineteenth century topics, and may be repeated for credit with instructor's permission.

21L.501 The American Novel (MIT)

Alexandre, Sandy — 2007-10-03T04:26:27-04:00

This course explores the metaphorical, historical, social, and psychological value of ghosts in the American novel. Using the theme of "haunting" as a flashpoint for class discussion and a thematic center for our readerly attention, this course examines the American novel in the context of the various histories which might be said to haunt fictional characters in the American novel, to haunt the American novel itself, and ultimately to haunt us: America's colonial past, its slave past, and other memorable and painful chapters in its past.

21L.504J Race and Identity in American Literature: Keepin' it Real Fake (MIT)

Alexandre, Sandy — 2007-10-03T04:26:10-04:00

This course explores the ways in which various American artists view race and class as performed or performable identities. Discussions will focus on some of the following questions: What does it mean to act black, white, privileged, or underprivileged? What do these artists suggest are the implications of performing (indeed playing at or with) racial identity, ethnicity, gender, and class status? How and why are race and class status often conflated in these performances?

21L.003-1 Reading Fiction: Dysfunctional Families (MIT)

Alexandre, Sandy — 2007-10-03T04:25:59-04:00

This course explores the form, content, and historical context of various works of fiction specifically through the thematic lens of "dysfunctional families." We will focus primarily on questions pertaining to the structure, language, story, and characters of these fictional works.

2.003J Dynamics and Control I (MIT)

Peacock, Thomas — 2007-10-02T04:59:51-04:00

Introduction to the dynamics and vibrations of lumped-parameter models of mechanical systems. Kinematics. Force-momentum formulation for systems of particles and rigid bodies in planar motion. Work-energy concepts. Virtual displacements and virtual work. Lagrange's equations for systems of particles and rigid bodies in planar motion. Linearization of equations of motion. Linear stability analysis of mechanical systems. Free and forced vibration of linear multi-degree of freedom models of mechanical systems; matrix eigenvalue problems. Introduction to numerical methods and MATLAB® to solve dynamics and vibrations problems.

14.452 Macroeconomic Theory II (MIT)

Blanchard, Olivier — 2007-10-02T04:56:53-04:00

The basic machines of macroeconomics. Ramsey, Solow, Samuelson-Diamond, RBCs, ISLM, Mundell-Fleming, Fischer-Taylor. How they work, what shortcuts they take, and how they can be used. Half-term subject.

18.905 Algebraic Topology (MIT)

Lawson, Tyler — 2007-10-01T03:46:58-04:00

This course is a first course in algebraic topology. The emphasis is on homology and cohomology theory, including cup products, Kunneth formulas, and cohomology operations.

18.034 Honors Differential Equations (MIT)

Mikyoung Hur, Vera — 2007-10-01T03:46:41-04:00

Covers the same material as 18.03 with more emphasis on theory. First order equations, separation, initial value problems. Systems, linear equations, independence of solutions, undetermined coefficients. Singular points and periodic orbits for planar systems.

21L.003-2 Reading Fiction (MIT)

Lipkowitz, Ina — 2007-10-01T03:42:02-04:00

Introduces prose narrative, both short stories and the novel. Examines the construction of narrative and the analysis of literary response.

ESD.123J Systems Perspectives on Industrial Ecology (MIT)

Kirchain, Randolph — 2007-09-28T12:08:02-04:00

Quantitative techniques for life cycle analysis of the impacts of materials extraction, processing use, and recycling; and economic analysis of materials processing, products, and markets. Student teams undertake a major case study of automobile manufacturing using the latest methods of analysis and computer-based models of materials process.

18.304 Undergraduate Seminar in Discrete Mathematics (MIT)

Kleitman, Daniel — 2007-09-28T12:07:17-04:00

This course is a student-presented seminar in combinatorics, graph theory, and discrete mathematics in general. Instruction and practice in written and oral communication is emphasized, with participants reading and presenting papers from recent mathematics literature and writing a final paper in a related topic.

ESD.260J Logistics Systems (MIT)

Caplice, Christopher — 2007-09-28T12:06:31-04:00

See description under subject 1.260J. From the course home page: Course Description This subject is a survey of the fundamental analytic tools, approaches, and techniques which are useful in the design and operation of logistics systems and integrated supply chains. The material is taught from a managerial perspective, with an emphasis on where and how specific tools can be used to improve the overall performance and reduce the total cost of a supply chain. We place a strong emphasis on the development and use of fundamental models to illustrate the underlying concepts involved in both intra and inter-company logistics operations. While our main objective is to develop and use models to help us analyze these situations, we will make heavy use of examples from industry to provide illustrations of the concepts in practice. This is neither a purely theoretical nor a case study course, but rather an analytical course that addresses real problems found in practice.

11.131 Educational Theory and Practice III (MIT)

Klopfer, Eric — 2007-09-28T12:05:16-04:00

This is the final course in the three course sequence (11.129, 11.130 and 11.131) that deals with the practicalities of teaching students. Our areas of study will include: educational psychology, identification of useful resources that support instruction, learning to use technology in meaningful ways in the classroom, finding more methods of motivating students, implementing differentiated instruction and obtaining a teaching job.

14.381 Statistical Method in Economics (MIT)

Chernozhukov, Victor — 2007-09-28T12:04:58-04:00

The course introduces statistical theory to prepare students for the remainder of the econometrics sequence. The emphasis of the course is to understand the basic principles of statistical theory. A brief review of probability will be given; however, this material is assumed knowledge. The course also covers basic regression analysis. Topics covered include probability, random samples, asymptotic methods, point estimation, evaluation of estimators, Cramer-Rao theorem, hypothesis tests, Neyman Pearson lemma, Likelihood Ratio test, interval estimation, best linear predictor, best linear approximation, conditional expectation function, building functional forms, regression algebra, Gauss-Markov optimality, finite-sample inference, consistency, asymptotic normality, heteroscedasticity, and autocorrelation.

7.06 Cell Biology (MIT)

Orr-Weaver, Terry — 2007-09-28T12:04:36-04:00

Biology of cells of higher organisms: structure, function, and biosynthesis of cellular membranes and organelles; cell growth and oncogenic transformation; transport, receptors and cell signaling; the cytoskeleton, the extracellular matrix, and cell movements; chromatin structure and RNA synthesis.

11.126J Economics of Education (MIT)

Levy, Frank — 2007-09-28T12:04:07-04:00

See description under subject 11.249. From the course home page: Course Description This class discusses the economic aspects of current issues in education, using both economic theory and econometric and institutional readings. Topics include discussion of basic human capital theory, the growing impact of education on earnings and earnings inequality, statistical issues in determining the true rate of return to education, the labor market for teachers, implications of the impact of computers on the demand for worker skills, the effectiveness of mid-career training for adult workers, the roles of school choice, charter schools, state standards and educational technology in improving K-12 education, and the issue of college financial aid.

2.797J Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Biomechanics (MIT)

Lang, Matthew — 2007-09-21T12:33:49-04:00

Develops and applies scaling laws and the methods of continuum mechanics to biomechanical phenomena over a range of length scales. Topics include: structure of tissues and the molecular basis for macroscopic properties; chemical and electrical effects on mechanical behavior; cell mechanics, motility and adhesion; biomembranes; biomolecular mechanics and molecular motors. Experimental methods for probing structures at the tissue, cellular, and molecular levels. Satisfies one of the core Biomedical Engineering requirements for the interdepartmental minor in Biomedical Engineering.

2.034J Nonlinear Dynamics and Waves (MIT)

Akylas, Triantaphyllos — 2007-09-19T03:46:26-04:00

This graduate-level course provides a unified treatment of nonlinear oscillations and wave phenomena with applications to mechanical, optical, geophysical, fluid, electrical and flow-structure interaction problems. A more detailed course outline is given in the syllabus section.

15.053 Optimization Methods in Management Science (MIT)

Orlin, James — 2007-09-19T03:46:05-04:00

Introduces students to the theory, algorithms, and applications of optimization. The optimization methodologies include linear programming, network optimization, dynamic programming, integer programming, non-linear programming, and heuristics. Applications to logistics, manufacturing, transportation, E-commerce, project management, and finance.

15.341 Individuals, Groups, and Organizations (MIT)

Carroll, John — 2007-09-18T11:24:57-04:00

Develops basic concepts for understanding individual, group, and organizational behavior through critical analysis of important works in the field. Areas covered: cognitive psychology, behavioral decision-making, group process and performance, and organizational culture and adaptation. Emphasizes use of behavioral science concepts for stimulating new and useful behavioral science research. Primarily for doctoral candidates in the Sloan School of Management.

17.506 Ethnic Politics II (MIT)

Petersen, Roger — 2007-09-18T09:27:26-04:00

Subject has three goals: introduces students to the classic works on ethnic politics, familiarizes students with new research and methodological innovations in the study of ethnic politics, and helps students design and execute original research projects related to ethnic politics. Readings drawn from across disciplines, including political science, anthropology, sociology, and economics. Students read across the four subfields within political science. Graduate students specializing in any subfield are encouraged to take this subject, regardless of their previous empirical or theoretical background. Subject designed as a year-long research workshop, but may also be taken in either semester. From the course home page: Course Description This course is designed mainly for political science graduate students conducting or considering conducting research on identity politics. While 17.504 Ethnic Politics I is designed as a primarily theoretical course, Ethnic Politics II switches the focus to methods. It aims to familiarize the student with the current conventional approaches as well as major challenges to them. The course discusses definition and measurement issues as well as briefly addressing survey techniques and modeling.

7.343 Neuron-glial Cell Interactions in Biology and Disease (MIT)

Akten, Bikem — 2007-09-18T09:27:15-04:00

Seminar covering topics of current interest in biology. Includes reading and analysis of research papers and student presentations. Contact Biology Education Office for topics. From the course home page: Course Description The main goal of this seminar will be to study the nervous system from the perspective of neuron-glia interactions. In each class, we will focus on one type of glial cell and discuss its origin, classification and function within the nervous system. Current findings concerning diseases associated with each type of glial cell will be discussed. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

15.965 Ethical Practice: Professionalism, Social Responsibility, and the Purpose of the Corporation (MIT)

Hafrey, Leigh — 2007-09-18T09:26:59-04:00

This special seminar in management is designed as an introduction to ethics and business, with a focus on business management. Over 13 sessions, students will have the opportunity to explore theoretical concepts in business ethics, as well as cases that represent the challenges they will likely face as managers; they will also have the opportunity to work with guest faculty and business and other professional practitioners. Individual sessions will take the form of moderated discussion, with occasional short lectures from the instructor.

SP.322 Prohibition and Permission (MIT)

Wolfe, Jeremy — 2007-09-18T09:26:40-04:00

Explore where the prohibitions and permissions that occur in every day life come from, why they exist, and what gives them force. For example: food- you are only willing and able to eat a subset of the world's edible substances. Marriage- some marriages are prohibited by law or by custom. Addresses questions of prohibition and permission using psychological sources and literary works from ancient to modern. Includes texts by Shakespeare, Melville, Mary Rowlandson, and Anita Desai. Students give group and individual oral presentations.

4.493 Natural Light in Design (MIT)

Andersen, Marilyne — 2007-09-18T09:18:05-04:00

Today, computer-based simulations are becoming increasingly popular, especially when daylighting and energy conservation are amongst the key goals for a project. This two-week workshop will expose participants to the current daylighting simulation models and beyond, by introducing realistic and dynamic assessment methods through hands-on exercises and application to a design project. Open to students and practitioners.

17.908 Reading Seminar in Social Science: Race, Crime, and Citizenship in American Law (MIT)

Ghachem, Malick — 2007-09-14T12:41:02-04:00

This course surveys the relationship between race and crime in the United States, with a special emphasis on the role this relationship has played in the development of American ideas about citizenship and nationhood.

17.125 The Politics of Global Financial Relations (MIT)

Singer, David — 2007-09-14T12:40:43-04:00

Explore effects of globalization of finance on international relations and domestic politics. Topics include international institutions and global governance; the multi-nationalization of production; effects of international capital markets on domestic politics; global finance and the developing world; and financial crises. Discussion of the interplay between politics and economics and the future of the nation-state.

17.424 International Political Economy of Advanced Industrial Societies (MIT)

Singer, David — 2007-09-14T12:40:30-04:00

Seminar provides an overview of international political economy with specific reference to the advanced industrial societies. Integrates international and comparative perspectives and fuses microeconomic and institutionalist approaches. Compares and contrasts the role of states in regulating intergroup conflicts over domestic markets with the role of regimes in regulating interstate conflicts over international markets. Examines the rise and decline of economic powers, industrial policy and trade relations, financial and monetary politics, and economic integration. From the course home page: Course Description This graduate class is designed as a PhD-level overview of international political economy (IPE), with an emphasis on the advanced industrial countries. The syllabus is divided into three sections: international trade; international monetary and financial relations (including foreign direct investment); and security.

17.910 Reading Seminar in Social Science: International Political Economy (MIT)

Singer, David — 2007-09-14T12:40:16-04:00

This course examines the politics of international economic relations. We begin with a discussion of the analytical "lenses" through which we can view the global economy. We then examine the politics of trade policy, multinational corporations, and international monetary and financial relations. We will also examine third-world development, communist transition, and the debate over "globalization." Finally we will explore the fight against terrorist financing and money laundering, the proper role of international financial institutions (including the IMF), and the impact of the global economy on the ability of governments to make policy within their own borders.

8.251 String Theory for Undergraduates (MIT)

Zwiebach, Barton — 2007-09-14T12:40:03-04:00

Introduction to the main concepts of string theory to undergraduates. Since string theory is quantum mechanics of a relativistic string, the foundations of the subject can be explained to students exposed to both special relativity (8.033) and basic quantum mechanics (8.05). Subject develops the aspects of string theory and makes it accessible to students familiar with basic electromagnetism (8.02) and statistical mechanics (8.044). This includes the study of D-branes and string thermodynamics. From the course home page: Course Description This course introduces string theory to undergraduate and is based upon Prof. Zwiebach's textbook entitled A First Course in String Theory. Since string theory is quantum mechanics of a relativistic string, the foundations of the subject can be explained to students exposed to both special relativity and basic quantum mechanics. This course develops the aspects of string theory and makes it accessible to students familiar with basic electromagnetism and statistical mechanics.

21L.488 Contemporary Literature: British Novels Now (MIT)

Brouillette, Sarah — 2007-09-14T12:39:33-04:00

Subject focuses on fiction, drama, and poetry and possibly films inspired by these topics mostly of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. From the course home page: Course Description What is Britain now? Its metropolises are increasingly multicultural. Its hold over its distant colonies is a thing of the past. Its sway within the global political arena is weak. Its command over Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland is broken or threatened. What have novelists made of all this? What are they writing as the old empire fades away and as new social and political formations emerge? These are the questions that will concern us in this course.

7.342 G-Protein Coupled Receptors: Vision and Disease (MIT)

Kota, Parvathi — 2007-09-10T04:55:17-04:00

Seminar covering topics of current interest in biology. Includes reading and analysis of research papers and student presentations. Contact Biology Education Office for topics. From the course home page: Course Description How do we communicate with the outside world? How are our senses of vision, smell, taste and pain controlled at the cellular and molecular levels? What causes medical conditions like allergies, hypertension, depression, obesity and various central nervous system disorders? G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) provide a major part of the answer to all of these questions. GPCRs constitute the largest family of cell-surface receptors and in humans are encoded by more than 1,000 genes. GPCRs convert extracellular messages into intracellular responses and are involved in essentially all physiological processes. GPCR dysfunction results in numerous human disorders, and over 50% of all prescription drugs on the market today directly or indirectly target GPCRs. In this course, we will discuss GPCR signal transduction pathways, GPCR oligomerization and the diseases caused by GPCR dysfunction. We will study the structure and function of rhodopsin, a dim-light photoreceptor and a well-studied GPCR that converts light into electric impulses sent to the brain and leads to vision. We will also discuss how mutations in rhodopsin cause retinal degeneration and congenital night blindness. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

2.035 Special Topics in Mathematics with Applications: Linear Algebra and the Calculus of Variations (MIT)

Abeyaratne, Rohan — 2007-09-10T04:55:02-04:00

Introduction to a selection of mathematical topics that are not covered in traditional mechanical engineering curricula, such as differential geometry, integral geometry, discrete computational geometry, graph theory and optimization techniques. Emphasis on basic ideas and on applications in mechanical engineering. Selection will change every year. From the course home page: Course Description This course forms an introduction to a selection of mathematical topics that are not covered in traditional mechanical engineering curricula, such as differential geometry, integral geometry, discrete computational geometry, graph theory, optimization techniques, calculus of variations and linear algebra. The topics covered in any particular year depend on the interest of the students and instructor. Emphasis is on basic ideas and on applications in mechanical engineering. This year, the subject focuses on selected topics from linear algebra and the calculus of variations. It is aimed mainly (but not exclusively) at students aiming to study mechanics (solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, energy methods etc.), and the course introduces some of the mathematical tools used in these subjects. Applications are related primarily (but not exclusively) to the microstructures of crystalline solids.

22.313J Thermal Hydraulics in Power Technology (MIT)

Buongiorno, Jacopo — 2007-09-10T04:54:36-04:00

Advanced topics emphasizing thermo-fluid dynamic phenomena and analysis methods. Single-heated channel-transient analysis. Multiple-heated channels connected at plena. Loop analysis including single and two-phase natural circulation. Kinematics and dynamics of two-phase flows with energy addition. Boiling, instabilities, and critical conditions. Subchannel analysis.

22.39 Integration of Reactor Design, Operations, and Safety (MIT)

Todreas, Neil — 2007-09-10T04:53:47-04:00

This course integrates studies of engineering sciences, reactor physics and safety assessment into nuclear power plant design. Topics include materials issues in plant design and operations, aspects of thermal design, fuel depletion and fission-product poisoning, and temperature effects on reactivity, safety considerations in regulations and operations, such as the evolution of the regulatory process, the concept of defense in depth, General Design Criteria, accident analysis, probabilistic risk assessment, and risk-informed regulations.

5.43 Advanced Organic Chemistry (MIT)

Movassaghi, Mohammad — 2007-08-30T08:40:42-04:00

Application of structure and theory to the study of organic reaction mechanisms: stereochemical features including conformation and stereoelectronic effects; reaction dynamics, isotope effects and molecular orbital theory applied to pericyclic and photochemical reactions; and special reactive intermediates including carbenes, carbanions, and free radicals.

7.344 Antibiotics, Toxins, and Protein Engineering (MIT)

Sassanfar, Mandana — 2007-08-30T08:40:12-04:00

Seminar covering topics of current interest in biology. Includes reading and analysis of research papers and student presentations. Contact Biology Education Office for topics. From the course home page: Course Description The lethal poison Ricin (best known as a weapon of bioterrorism), Diphtheria toxin (the causative agent of a highly contagious bacterial disease), and the widely used antibiotic tetracycline have one thing in common: They specifically target the cell's translational apparatus and disrupt protein synthesis. In this course, we will explore the mechanisms of action of toxins and antibiotics, their roles in everyday medicine, and the emergence and spread of drug resistance. We will also discuss the identification of new drug targets and how we can manipulate the protein synthesis machinery to provide powerful tools for protein engineering and potential new treatments for patients with devastating diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

14.32 Econometrics (MIT)

Angrist, Joshua David — 2007-08-30T08:39:49-04:00

Introduction to econometric models and techniques, emphasizing regression. Advanced topics include instrumental variables, panel data methods, measurement error, and limited dependent variable models. Includes problem sets. May not count toward HASS requirement.

18.465 Topics in Statistics: Statistical Learning Theory (MIT)

Panchenko, Dmitry — 2007-08-30T08:39:03-04:00

The main goal of this course is to study the generalization ability of a number of popular machine learning algorithms such as boosting, support vector machines and neural networks. Topics include Vapnik-Chervonenkis theory, concentration inequalities in product spaces, and other elements of empirical process theory.

21M.291 Music of India (MIT)

Ruckert, George — 2007-08-10T11:24:52-04:00

Focuses on Hindustani classical music of North India, and also involves learning about the ancient foundations of the rich classical traditions of music and dance of all Indian art and culture. Practice of the ragas and talas through the learning of songs, dance, and drumming compositions. Develops insights through listening, readings, and concert attendance.

21L.011 The Film Experience (MIT)

Thorburn, David — 2007-08-07T01:45:13-04:00

An introduction to narrative film, emphasizing the unique properties of the movie house and the motion-picture camera, the historical evolution of the film medium, and the intrinsic artistic qualities of individual films. Syllabus changes from semester to semester, but usually includes such directors as Griffith, Chaplin, Renoir, Ford, Hitchcock, De Sica, and Fellini. From the course home page: Course Description This course is an introduction to narrative film, emphasizing the unique properties of the movie house and the motion picture camera, the historical evolution of the film medium, and the intrinsic artistic qualities of individual films. The primary focus is on American cinema, but secondary attention is paid to works drawn from other great national traditions, such as France, Italy, and Japan. The syllabus includes such directors as Griffith, Keaton, Chaplin, Renoir, Ford, Hitchcock, Altman, De Sica, and Truffaut.

5.74 Introductory Quantum Mechanics II (MIT)

Tokmakoff, Andrei — 2007-08-07T01:43:58-04:00

Time-dependent quantum mechanics and spectroscopy. Topics covered include perturbation theory, two-level systems, light-matter interactions, relaxation in quantum systems, correlation functions and linear response theory, and nonlinear spectroscopy. From the course home page: Course Description This class covers topics in time-dependent quantum mechanics, molecular spectroscopy, and relaxation, with an emphasis on descriptions applicable to condensed phase problems and a statistical description of ensembles.

7.340 Under the Radar Screen: How Bugs Trick Our Immune Defenses (MIT)

Grotenbreg, Gijsbert — 2007-08-07T01:42:44-04:00

This course explores the specific ways by which microbes defeat our immune system and the molecular mechanisms that are under attack (phagocytosis, the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway, MHC I/II antigen presentation). Through our discussion and dissection of the primary research literature, we will explore aspects of host-pathogen interactions. We will particularly emphasize the experimental techniques used in the field and how to read and understand research data. Technological advances in the fight against microbes will also be discussed, with specific examples. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

1.978 From Nano to Macro: Introduction to Atomistic Modeling Techniques (MIT)

Buehler, Markus — 2007-08-07T01:42:16-04:00

The objective of this course is to introduce large-scale atomistic modeling techniques and highlight its importance for solving problems in modern engineering sciences. We demonstrate how atomistic modeling can be used to understand how materials fail under extreme loading, involving unfolding of proteins and propagation of cracks.

18.01 Single Variable Calculus (MIT)

Jerison, David — 2007-07-24T06:30:40-04:00

Differentiation and integration of functions of one variable, with applications. Concepts of function, limits, and continuity. Differentiation rules, application to graphing, rates, approximations, and extremum problems. Definite and indefinite integration. Fundamental theorem of calculus. Applications of integration to geometry and science. Elementary functions. Techniques of integration. Approximation of definite integrals, improper integrals, and L'Hospital's rule.