For Watson, Jeopardy! is elementary
Quick! Take a clue, and break it down into keywords, finding out what it’s asking for. Rack your brain and generate a list of hundreds of possible answers to said question. Then evaluate each answer produced for validity, using varying types of evidence. Figure out the best possible choice and report it. And do it in two to six seconds. Such a process is routine for supercomputer Watson, explained David Gondek, an IBM researcher who spoke at MIT on Monday, just before Watson began its highly anticipated competition against human Jeopardy! champions Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings.
Orientation 2011 to be largely identical to previous years
In an e-mail sent to undergraduate students yesterday evening, Undergraduate Association President Vrajesh Y. Modi ’11, Dormitory Council President Christina R. Johnson ’11, Dean for Undergraduate Education Daniel E. Hastings PhD ’80, and Dean for Student Life Chris Colombo announced that the schedule for Orientation 2011, with the exception of the start date of International Orientation, will not change. Residence Exploration (REX) will be the same length as it was last year.
Say hello to our newest dormitory
Last Saturday, the doors to Maseeh Hall finally opened for students — but only if they wore safety gear.
UA presidents call for student engagement reform
Five current and former UA presidents joined forces to write a letter addressing the administrative shortcomings in efforts to engage students on campus issues. The letter argued that the Task Force on Student Engagement (TSE) has failed in its mission of involving students in three important decisions from the past two years — cutting varsity sports, increasing enrollment, and restructuring dining.
Walker Memorial future an unknown
After Monday night’s Walker Memorial community meeting, the fate of Walker Memorial as a student space is still unclear. Associate Provost Martin A. Schmidt PhD ’88 addressed the concerns of student groups whose space in Walker may be affected by a potential renovation and repurposing of the building.
Chevron ordered to pay $9 billion by Ecuador judge
CARACAS, Venezuela — A judge in a tiny courtroom in the Ecuadorean Amazon ruled Monday that the oil giant Chevron was responsible for polluting remote tracts of Ecuadorean jungle and ordered the company to pay more than $9 billion in damages, one of the largest environmental awards ever.
Corrections
A sports headline last Friday incorrectly stated that the MIT Men’s Volleyball team raised their record to 11-7 after a win against Endicott College. The Men’s Volleyball team raised their record to 11-2 for the year with that win.
2013’s Brass Rat unveiled
It wasn’t the iPhone 5 or a new video game console that had a few hundred members of the class of 2013 waiting outside in the cold last Friday night. Bundled up in a large line outside Kresge Auditorium, sophomores patiently waited in 20-degree temperatures for an early seat to Ring Premiere — the unveiling of the iconic Brass Rat, MIT’s renowned class ring. The first 400 students to arrive at the auditorium were promised a mysterious free gift, and it was this lure that attracted so many students to arrive two hours early to an event that was only an hour long.
Over 100 receive Valentine’s serenades
Two MIT a capella groups spent yesterday delivering Valentine’s Day serenades.
Asian-interest sorority planned
Plans are under way this spring to introduce a new sorority aimed at Asian women on campus. The new group would be MIT’s seventh sorority and the only Greek letter organization with an Asian focus. Kappa Phi Lambda, Sigma Psi Zeta, and Delta Phi Lambda are among the candidates.
Eric Grimson to serve as chancellor
President Susan J. Hockfield announced yesterday the appointment of W. Eric L. Grimson PhD ’80 as MIT’s next chancellor. Grimson will take office on Mar. 1 and will succeed outgoing Chancellor Phillip L. Clay PhD ’75.
UA presidents call for student engagement reform
Five current and former UA presidents joined forces to write a letter addressing the administrative shortcomings in efforts to engage students on campus issues. The letter argued that the Task Force on Student Engagement (TSE) has failed in its mission of involving students in three important decisions from the past two years — cutting varsity sports, increasing enrollment, and restructuring dining.
Court releases written decision in Tang case
Judge Bruce R. Henry released a written decision in the case of Anna L. Tang, the former Wellesley student who stabbed MIT student Wolfe B. Styke G, then a sophomore, in October 2007.
At Walker, students to hear about renovation
Student groups affected by the potential restructuring of Walker Memorial may soon learn more about the plans for the future of the space. The administration is hosting an open meeting on Monday, Feb. 14, at 5 p.m. in Morss Hall to provide information and updates on the current status of the Walker review process. The meeting will consist of a presentation by Associate Provost Martin A. Schmidt PhD ’88, a question-and-answer period, and a tour of the facilities.
Construction in plaza outside Marriott to continue until June
Construction in the Cambridge Center Plaza, in front of the Marriott Hotel and next to the MIT Coop in Kendall, has been happening every day from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. since Jan. 6.
Anna Tang finished with court, now a free woman
Anna L. Tang, the troubled former Wellesley student, is finally free to resume her life and has been discharged from court custody. Under house arrest since early 2008, Tang will not be committed to a mental institution, and there are no longer any court-ordered restrictions upon her. Tang had been found not guilty by reason of mental incapacity on Dec. 10, 2010, but the Commonwealth petitioned to have her committed to a locked mental health care facility. That petition was dismissed yesterday afternoon by Judge Bruce R. Henry in Middlesex Superior Court.
Corrections
In a sports article last Friday about Super Bowl predictions, Al Harris and Aaron Kampman were incorrectly cited as being current Green Bay Packers players. Harris and Kampman are no longer on that team.