A couple hours at M.I.T.

Ann McRae

I spent a few days on business in the Boston area. I haven't done much business travel, and was one of six on this trip so wasn't really free to do as I pleased. Our clients treated us as honored guests and took us to the Celtics vs. Cavs game Wednesday. I left the camera in the car as I wasn't willing to have it confiscated. Should have brought it in as there were many others. We had meetings and dinner Thursday, so no photos then either. Friday was a beautiful day with clear blue skies and a planned tour of the MIT campus! This really couldn't get any better for me, as basketball has always been one of my favorite sports, and MIT is kind of like a mecca for my closet nerd (and for my traveling companions, all engineers).

Lovely architecture, old, engraved with such meaningful names:


Beautiful new architecture:


from the back:


My colleagues reflections:


Entering the hallowed halls


and listening to our guide in the dome:


I know this doesn't live up to a Grimace business trip shoot, but that leaves me with a goal for the next one. I doubt that the next trip will have as much to offer as this one - even the business aspect of it went well. I must say that I was humbled and inspired by the things I saw at MIT. What an amazing place!

ann

DoctorIt

talk about juxtaposition, eh? i can't say i'm a huge fan of the stata, but they did pull it off very well. did you go in any specific labs? Stone? Whitesides? McKinley? Doyle does lots of ufluids too (w/dna)? just curious

glad you had a great trip, been a while since i visited MIT, and even longer since I visited just to visit and not to spend all day in a lab or a meeting room.

bkatz

Great pictures of my alma mater. Did you get a chance to go inside the stata center for a part of your tour. There are some cool labs in there and the architecture is funky in side too.

RBrogen

Some great pictures...ironically, one of the students, a senior I believe, tragically fell to his death from the 5th floor of his apartment last night.

Ann McRae

DoctorIt wrote:

talk about juxtaposition, eh? i can't say i'm a huge fan of the stata, but they did pull it off very well. did you go in any specific labs? Stone? Whitesides? McKinley? Doyle does lots of ufluids too (w/dna)? just curious

glad you had a great trip, been a while since i visited MIT, and even longer since I visited just to visit and not to spend all day in a lab or a meeting room.

Hi Eric
I actually found the Stata an interesting building, and I really think innovative and unconventional thinking has a place at an institute like MIT. And at Disney! The building looks like something from the 'toons' movie set.

We toured the Microsystems Technology Lab CMOS facility, the Engineering library (wow, what an amazing space) and then just walked the campus. Bought t shirts at the COOP and lunch at a nice italian restaurant, then finished the day at the MIT museum. We would have all been willing to spend the whole day there, but sadly had a flight.
I would have been in heaven had I been touring the Whitehead Institute, but that is me and my genetics background.

Ann McRae

bkatz wrote:

Great pictures of my alma mater. Did you get a chance to go inside the stata center for a part of your tour. There are some cool labs in there and the architecture is funky in side too.

We just walked through the lobby and paid homage to the police car that had graced the top of the dome! Great artwork (photos) on display!

Thanks
ann

Ann McRae

RBrogen wrote:

Some great pictures...ironically, one of the students, a senior I believe, tragically fell to his death from the 5th floor of his apartment last night.

Thanks -

that is tragic. Happens everywhere unfortunately.

ann

Awais Yaqub

Ann these are great loved the architecture

ivar

Very nice, Ann I love that architecture, very cool, especially in combination with the old stuff.

Ann McRae

Awais Yaqub wrote:

Ann these are great loved the architecture

Thanks, Awais!

ann

Ann McRae

ivar wrote:

Very nice, Ann I love that architecture, very cool, especially in combination with the old stuff.

Thank you, Ivar. It is quite interesting to see the mix of old and new. Some wonderful old stuff, some of the typical stoic 1950s stuff, and some great new buildings too.

ann