Professor Lisa Koch from Claremont McKenna College will speak at the MIT Security Studies Program's Wednesday Seminar.When leaders issue nuclear threats, how are those threats perceived? A nuclear threat should lack credibility because carrying out the threat could trigger massive retaliation of some kind. Nonetheless, nuclear threats are not simply dismissed as non-credible. Instead, nuclear threats appear to inspire fear. In this seminar, Professor Koch will present her research on how US decision-makers perceive and respond to 21st-century nuclear threats.

A martial art known for its many health benefits, tai chi is a moving study in meditation.Designed for small spaces, this class covers fundamental skills including postures, hand, and footwork. A short Yang style tai chi form will be taught.Special clothing is not necessary, but athletic shoes and loose fitting pants are recommended.Registration is required on our wellness class website. If you do not already have an account on this website, you'll need to create one. This is fee-based class and open to the entire MIT community.

ORSEL presents concerts each month by MIT-affiliated artists, holding space in the Chapel for stillness and reflection — February 12, March 12, April 9, and May 14. Drop in anytime and enjoy tasty mORSELs after each concert!Valerie K. Chen, cello (February 12)Join EECS PhD student Valerie K. Chen for a midday contemplation of resilience, reconciliation, and compassion through the voice of the solo cello. Carson Marshall and Umer Piracha (March 12) Leon Guallart Diaz (April 9)TBA (May 14) PREVIOUS ARTISTS:Carson Marshall and Natalie Lin Douglas (December 4)Violinist and Meditation guide Carson Marshall and MIT Associate Professor of Music Natalie Lin Douglas present a concert combining guided meditation with live classical music, providing tools for cultivating presence, deep listening, and emotional regulation. Musical selections will include works by Bach, Anna Clyne, and improvisations with violin and Shruti box.Past Concerts:Leo Eguchi: UNACCOMPANIED (November 6)MIT Affiliated Artist Leo Eguchi, cello, presents selections from his immigration themed solo performance project, UNACCOMPANIED, featuring newly commissioned works by immigrant and first generation American composers.Evan Ziporyn: Sonic Holograms (October 2)Evan Ziporyn, Kenan Sahin Distinguished Professor of Music at MIT & Faculty Director of MIT CAST, weaves live clarinet, bass clarinet, wind synth, effects boxes and loop pedals into a multidimensional, immersive and meditative auditory journey.Christine Southworth: Mushroom Modulations (September 4)Multi-media composer and MIT alum Christine Southworth will make music by “listening” to slight electrical variations in live colonies she has grown via electrodes placed on different parts of the fruiting growth and converted to sound.

Want to get exercise mid-day but don’t want to go outside? Join the tunnel walk for a 30-minute walk led by a volunteer through MIT’s famous tunnel system. This walk may include stairs/inclines. Wear comfortable shoes. Free.Location details: Meet in the lobby with the big mirror, right inside the Collier Memorial entrance to Stata. Location photo below.Tunnel Walk Leaders will have a white flag they will raise at the meeting spot for you to find them.Prize Drawing: Attend a walk and scan a QR code from the walk leaders to be entered into a drawing for a getfit tote bag at the end of the getfit challenge. The more walks you attend, the more entries you get. Winner will be drawn and notified at the end of April. Winner does not need to be a getfit participant.Disclaimer: Tunnel walks are led by volunteers. In the rare occasion when a volunteer isn’t able to make it, we will do our best to notify participants. In the event we are unable to notify participants and a walk leader does not show up, we encourage you to walk as much as you feel comfortable doing so. We recommend checking this calendar just before you head out! [As of Feb 7, this calendar is defaulting to the year 1899. Click "today" to be brought to the current month.]Getfit is a 12-week fitness challenge for the entire MIT community. These tunnel walks are open to the entire MIT community and you do not need to be a current getfit participant to join.

Join us for an informal speed networking session and build your professional network. In this 45-minute activity, participants will make numerous contacts in a short period of time, with an opportunity to exchange contact information if desired.People of all ages, backgrounds, and industries are warmly welcomed. If you’re able, please download the LinkedIn app and have your QR code pulled up and ready to share when you arrive. If you prefer to keep it old-school, business cards are also welcome!This event is presented in collaboration with our friends at LabCentral. Following the event, take a tour of an incredible LabCentral space, just a few steps away from the MIT Welcome Center, led by Community & Social Impact Strategist Shazia Mir. Please note that space is limited for the tour, and advance registration is required.

Consciousness & Reality (C&R) Colloquium 2024-25 SeriesQUANTUM PROCESSING IN THE BRAIN?MATTHEW FISHER Professor of Physics, University of California Santa BarbaraThe endeavor to construct a laboratory quantum computer has evolved into a multi-billion-dollar undertaking. However, an intriguing question arises: could we ourselves be quantum computers? While maintaining quantum coherence on macroscopic time scales is exceedingly unlikely in the warm wet brain, there is one exception: Nuclear spins. Our strategy is one of reverse engineering, seeking to pinpoint the biochemical substrate and mechanisms that might underpin the hypothetical quantum processing involving nuclear spins. Seemingly, a specific neural qubit and a unique collection of ions, molecules and organelles can be identified. I will present an overview of our (largely experimental) ongoing efforts to delve into this captivating realm of exploration.ABOUT THE EVENT This lecture will be accessible to an interdisciplinary audience. Caltech, Stanford, MIT and IMICS members from all divisions are welcome to join. Select questions from the Q&A window will be answered after the lecture.ABOUT THE SERIES The Consciousness & Reality colloquium series promotes interdisciplinary investigations on mind, cognition, consciousness, and the nature of reality. This colloquium is the second in the 2023-24 series