From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

Researchers have known for some time that the neurotransmitter dopamine is centrally involved in learning and working memory, Roshan Cools tells us, and that dopamine-responsive circuits connect these parts of the human brain to other structures like the striatum, which also helps orchestrate mo...

From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

After centuries of insufferable oppression by colonial powers, bloody independence struggles, and corrupt home-grown regimes, “Africa today is quickly awakening, and determined to mainstream itself in the phenomenon of the globalization process,” says John Kufuor, who served as Ghana’s president...

From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

At times humorous and other times defiant, José Ramos-Horta describes nurturing the 21st century’s first sovereign state through its formative years. The journey of East Timor from brutal Indonesian rule to fragile self-governance has involved Ramos-Horta in conflict and debate from the halls of...

From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

John M. Barry brings unsettling news from the frontlines of H1N1 research: this novel influenza virus is very hard to pin down. In spite of international scientific scrutiny, H1N1 continues to baffle and elude, worrying health officials defending against the pandemic, and challenging some ideas ...

From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

In welcoming President Obama, MIT President Susan Hockfield summarizes the vast array of energy innovation at MIT, including the MIT Energy Initiative and the student-led 1700 member Energy Club, and declares, "We share President Obama's view that clean energy is the defining challenge of th...

From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

Paula Apsell, NOVA's senior executive producer laments the sad state of science journalism and discusses how NOVA is more essential than ever. In a world where the public understanding of science is diminishing, she makes a strong case for NOVA's tradition of depth and substance, tacklin...

From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

The collapse of print and other traditional news and the rise of celebrity culture have contributed to the sharp decline of in-depth stories involving race and society, say these two speakers, in a discussion that’s replete with personal anecdote. Juan Williams sets out detailing his ch...

From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

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...

From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

Astronaut Mike Massimino returns to MIT and shares his experience on the Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-125). Topics include the challenges of space walking while repairing the Hubble, having the right tools on hand for high stakes repairs, and the long hours of practice that lead up to the task. W...

From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

Rickshaw drivers in India are frequent victims of tuberculosis after just a few years inhaling traffic fumes. This near-epidemic went unacknowledged until Kapil Sibal demanded a solution. The fix, now gaining traction across the country, is a solar-powered vehicle that eliminates pedaling. But w...

From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

Based on this roster of speakers, the MIT Center for Future Civic Media exists in a constant state of productive ferment, if not adrenaline rush. In a series of brief, timed talks, 13 (!) researchers describe projects to help communities leverage self-knowledge into useful change or even transfo...

From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

In this first of three AeroAstro symposium events to mark the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, an extraordinary cast of luminaries recount the parts they played in the Apollo program, and celebrate MIT’s unique role in getting humans to the moon. Theodore Sorensen believes Presiden...

From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

Stay calm, stick with your vision and business fundamentals, and you’ll survive and perhaps even thrive in rough economic times, counsel these entrepreneurial aces. In a conversation with the Kauffman Foundation’s Bo Fishback, panelists reflect on their experiences bringing novel tech products t...

From: MIT World on Sat, Dec 26 2009 5:36 PM

Recalling a lecture he gave at MIT in 2005, Alan Davidson returns to the questions of the impact of public policy on the way technology is evolving in the Internet space. Instead of viewing it as a lawyer for a public policy interest group—his previous role—he now approaches it from his...

From: MIT World on Wed, Dec 23 2009 11:47 AM

Stay calm, stick with your vision and business fundamentals, and you’ll survive and perhaps even thrive in rough economic times, counsel these entrepreneurial aces. In a conversation with the Kauffman Foundation’s Bo Fishback, panelists reflect on their experiences bringing novel tech products t...

From: MIT World on Thu, Dec 03 2009 1:13 AM

In this first of three AeroAstro symposium events to mark the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, an extraordinary cast of luminaries recount the parts they played in the Apollo program, and celebrate MIT’s unique role in getting humans to the moon. Theodore Sorensen believes Presiden...

From: MIT World on Wed, Dec 02 2009 4:00 PM

Based on this roster of speakers, the MIT Center for Future Civic Media exists in a constant state of productive ferment, if not adrenaline rush. In a series of brief, timed talks, 13 (!) researchers describe projects to help communities leverage self-knowledge into useful change or even transfo...

From: MIT World on Tue, Nov 24 2009 1:59 PM

His Holiness the Dalai Lama spoke at an inaugural event for a new institute in his name, the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values. He tempered his provocative ideas about promoting ethics in a secular society with a stream of lively banter. He recalled that he had visited a hom...

From: MIT World on Wed, Nov 18 2009 3:08 PM

Rickshaw drivers in India are frequent victims of tuberculosis after just a few years inhaling traffic fumes. This near-epidemic went unacknowledged until Kapil Sibal demanded a solution. The fix, now gaining traction across the country, is a solar-powered vehicle that eliminates pedaling. But w...

From: MIT World on Fri, Nov 13 2009 8:04 PM

Astronaut Mike Massimino returns to MIT and shares his experience on the Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-125). Topics include the challenges of space walking while repairing the Hubble, having the right tools on hand for high stakes repairs, and the long hours of practice that lead up to the task. W...