Neural Basis of Drug Addiction
How does someone move from recreational drug use to addiction? Barry Everitt’s group at the University of Cambridge has been trying to break down the stages and neural circuitry of addiction with great precision.
Everitt’s research attempts to operationalize a progression in animals from the voluntary taking o
The Power of Basic Science Applied to Medical Progress: Past Examples and Hope for Schizophrenia and
An exemplar of the purpose-driven life in medical science, Ed Scolnick details research milestones from a remarkably varied career, revealing how scientific insight and collaborative effort translate into life-saving solutions for millions.
This physician turned biochemist has held distinguished positions at t
Acknowledgements
Health, safety and risk assessment are of paramount importance both in the laboratory and the field. This unit will help make you more aware of the hazards and risks involved in laboratory and field-based research work, as well as giving you an overview of the legal requirements attached to this work. The unit discusses issues involved in the handling chemical and biological agents, basic safety procedures and common field-work hazards.
Autism: What Do We Know? What Do We Need?
“I’ll give you the 30,000 foot view of autism.”
Remarking that autism today, in terms of interest and funding, is like cancer was 20 years ago,
Dr. Thomas Insel provides the latest medical and scientific views on this complex developmental brain disorder. The formal definition of autism includes three main componen
9.2 Other hazards
Health, safety and risk assessment are of paramount importance both in the laboratory and the field. This unit will help make you more aware of the hazards and risks involved in laboratory and field-based research work, as well as giving you an overview of the legal requirements attached to this work. The unit discusses issues involved in the handling chemical and biological agents, basic safety procedures and common field-work hazards.
Defining the Boundaries: Homeland Security and Its Impact on Scientific Research
In August 2001, MIT launched a review of the university’s commitment to unclassified research on campus. One month later, the events of September 11th gave this review a harsh immediacy, and transformed the discussion. New government policies that constrain the open exchange of information among scientists, Jerome Frie
Personalized Energy
Daniel Nocera is swimming very hard against the current of mainstream energy research. While many scientists are figuring out how to scale up wind, geothermal or biomass systems, Nocera is focusing on “personalized” energy units that can be manufactured, distributed and installed on the cheap. His main concern
The Great Climategate Debate
The hacking of emails from the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit in November rocked the world of climate change science, energized global warming skeptics, and threatened to derail policy negotiations at Copenhagen. These panelists, who differ on the scientific implications of the released emails, generally ag
The Inner History of Devices
Contemporary science has done a great disservice to Sigmund Freud, suggests Sherry Turkle, who believes the psychoanalytic tradition can teach us much about the often concealed connections between physical objects and our thoughts and feelings. On the occasion of the publication of her latest book, The Inner History of Devi
The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
Perhaps no one comprehends the roots of depravity and cruelty better than Philip Zimbardo. He is renowned for such research as the Stanford Prison Experiment, which demonstrated how, in the right circumstances, ordinary people can swiftly become amoral monsters. Evil is not so much inherent in individuals, Zimbardo showed, but e
Beyond the Bench: Preparing MIT Students for the Challenges of Global Leadership
MIT produces students who are “deep, entrepreneurial, passionate, diverse and active,” says Phillip Clay, the kind of talented individuals who should play major parts on the world stage. MIT has begun a drive to ensure that its students fulfill their promise. Central to this mission, Richard Samuels says, is
Student Remarks
Nicholas Pearce is a proud advocate of programs that help young people from urban areas transition into higher education. He has not only benefited from such programs, but has given back through his
participation as a volunteer, mentor, and speaker. As a high schooljunior, he attended MIT's six-week summer program, Minority Introduction t
Pursuing The Endless Frontier: Essays on MIT and the Role of Research Universities
At the conclusion of 14 years at the helm of the Institute, Chuck Vest discusses the challenges and opportunities involved in guiding a major research university through tumultuous times. Vest’s new book, outlined in his remarks, provides a detailed and intimate view of his MIT “adventure.” Some key chapters: At the start of hi
In Charlie’s Vision: The Future of Engineering at MIT
James Champy finds much to admire at MIT. But as a seasoned insider, and as a successful entrepreneur, business writer and consultant, he thinks the Institute could use some serious shaking up. As rationale for an MIT redesign, Champy points to increased competition from other universities, here and abroad; new fields opening
Opening Remarks/How the Brain Invents the Mind
In trying financial times, Susan Hockfield remains optimistic and committed to pursuing MIT’s massive, multi-year initiatives in energy and life sciences. She prefaces her “whirlwind” tour of MIT for an alumni audience by referencing the campus-wide relief at the change in presidential administrations, which promises
The State of Drupal
Dries Buytaert relates a synopsis of his life with Drupal. From its inception during Buytaert's "typical geek" undergraduate days in Antwerp in 1999, to the upcoming release of Drupal 7, Buytaert places a particular emphasis on the community that has been created by the nature of an open source product. Drupal is "softwar
Ama, a story of the Atlantic slave trade
The website 'Ama' is essentially an advertisement for a book of the same name by the American author Manu Herbstein. As such it contains two sample chapters from the book as a taster, as well as details of how to order the book. There are also details of the writing of the book and background information detailing the research which went into its writing. The site also provides reviews of the text (not all favourable). Of most interest to scholars of Africa and the slave trade, however, are the
Brazilmax
This website presents thoroughly researched information about Brazil in all the aspects of its life. One particular section describes the different area of Brazil, carefully mixing geographical information with tourist attractions, providing access to maps and also promising a places index at the time of cataloguing. Another section offers a long list of literary guides to the character of the country and its inhabitants. The section 'features' offers detailed information on: art and culture; b
South Asian diaspora
The South Asia Diaspora website hosted by the South / Southeast Asia Library at the University of California, Berkeley, contains several useful resources for scholars researching the Indian diaspora. The site briefly describes the relevant archives held at Berkeley, and includes images from the archive illustrating aspects of the diaspora in California. An essays section summarises the history of Indian immigration to California during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and links to further
Radiography of the past (RADIO-PAST)
The website of the EU funded project RADIO-PAST (radiography of the past) publishes information about the project and its teaching and research activities. The project has its base at Ammaia (a Roman site), Portugal, where most field activities are being carried out. A gallery of images shows many artefacts and architectural structures from Ammaia; there are also short videos and panoramic images. The website also briefly presents many remote sensing technologies, including aerial photography; L
