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Friday, November 21st, 2014
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Event |
| 12:00a |
3 Questions: Stefan Helmreich on wave science In 2009, MIT anthropologist Stefan Helmreich explored the depths of recent scientific thinking about the living sea in his award-winning book “Alien Ocean: Anthropological Voyages in Microbial Seas.” Now, the Elting E. Morison Professor of Anthropology has turned his attention to the world of wave science — the study of periodic, oscillating, and undulating phenomena — in fields including oceanography, cosmology, electrical engineering, biomedicine, sports, and social science.
Helmreich investigates waves not simply as facts of nature but also as objects of scientific, and therefore cultural, interpretation: Indeed, the very definition of waves is in transition, as waves are explored by new scientific modes of measurement and description.
This fall, Helmreich delivered the prestigious Lewis Henry Morgan Lecture at the University of Rochester, an annual event established in 1963 to honor one of America’s first anthropologists. He recently elaborated on the ideas he described in his talk, which was titled, “Waves: An Anthropology of Scientific Things.”
Q. How did you come, as an anthropologist, to study waves and wave science? Why are waves something that an anthropologist would care about?
A. As an anthropologist of science … I am fascinated by how scientific abstractions operate to identify and create new entities in the world. So I am curious to learn, for example, what happens when scientists and lay people employ the abstraction of the “wave” to gather together quite disparate phenomena.
How has it become possible, for instance, for ocean wave scientists modeling “rogue waves” to find inspiration in the formulations of colleagues in electrical engineering who seek to understand anomalous pulses of light in optical fiber? How do cardiologists tracking waves of electrical potential in the heart draw inspiration from research in physics? How has the image of the wave migrated into social theory, making it possible to speak of waves of opinion, of revolution, of immigration, of innovation? The cultural work of analogy in the sciences — natural and social both — fascinates me. And waves are excellent vehicles for tracking that work.
Another reason waves might be of interest in anthropology is this: The discipline has lately become interested in thinking about that which is “beyond the human” — whether that is animal, plant, or microbial life or, indeed, the world of water, air, and earth. In a curious way, many anthropologists these days are trying to become less anthropocentric, thinking newly about all the other agents and objects with which we share the world.
So, thinking about waves — particularly watery waves and the waves of the vibratory world — is part of that. I will say, though, that one irony of the new “post-human” anthropology is that training our attention on the liveliness of such substances as seawater, soil, and smog often gets us right back to following the effects of human action, especially in an age that many geologists now want to call the “Anthropocene” — a term meant to call attention to how the geological record today bears indelible marks of human agency, from histories of coal extraction to legacies of atomic testing and more.
Q. In your Morgan Lecture, you suggested that scientists and engineers modeling and predicting ocean wave behavior treat waves like “texts.” What do these texts have to tell us?
A. My lecture centered on fieldwork I’ve done recently among oceanographers, meteorologists, and buoy designers, all people concerned with measuring, monitoring, and perhaps managing wave action in the sea. By attending wave conferences … I learned that ocean waves, for the scientists who model and predict them, are at once real things in the world as well as statistical abstractions that are made legible through a relay of at-sea buoys, feeds of buoy measurements into wave models, and simulated projections of aggregate wave behavior.
What scientists take a “wave” to be is an amalgam, a hybrid of instrumental captures of real-world events, mathematical descriptions of those events, and interpretations of those events for some purpose (such as weather forecasting). I find it useful, then, to think of waves as “texts" that these scientists read for meaning.
What do these special kinds of texts have to tell us? Well, the scientists with whom I spoke are curious to figure out whether Earth’s wavescape is changing in calibration with climate change. I find quite arresting the possibility that ocean waves — which might appear to be among the most “natural,” untouched-by-human sorts of things — might indeed be shaped by human action, might be characters in the Anthropocene.
Q. How are models of wave action in such sciences as oceanography and, to take another example about which you've written, cardiology, matters of human interpretation and representation? What can we learn from recognizing this?
A. While waves have a manifest materiality to them, the “wave” is also an abstraction, one that takes a particular form depending on how waves are conceived, observed, and modeled. In other words, waves often appear to scientists as “data,” and those data take shape in large part from the way that they are gathered — and that, in turn, depends on infrastructure. The world of waves cannot be understood scientifically except through networks of buoys, weather satellites, computer simulation systems, and more. That network is very patchy — much more elaborate, for example, in the Northern than in the Southern Hemisphere — which means that ocean-wave knowledge is unevenly distributed. There’s an international and hemispheric politics to who knows what about the oceans.
Here’s another example of how waves are known — or not — through networks of infrastructure: Many heart disease patients who have had cardiac defibrillators surgically implanted in order to track life-threatening arrhythmias are wirelessly monitored; electrocardiograph visualizations of their arrhythmias can be fed to websites where medical professionals can study these waveforms to see who might need what intervention when. That practice, again, depends on infrastructure, not always evenly distributed. Some people’s irregular cardiac waveforms are more likely to be caught than others, a matter that runs right into questions of disparities in health care access and the like.
The implication, then, is that “waves” — whether, in my examples here, biomedical or oceanographic — are not simply or only natural things in the world, but are also measured and captured as such through humanly built infrastructure — which makes them, additionally, cultural and political things, and therefore objects of interest to anthropology. | | 11:25a |
Chris Bourg named director of MIT Libraries Chris Bourg has been named as the new director of the MIT Libraries, effective in February. Provost Martin Schmidt announced her appointment today in an email to the MIT community.
Bourg comes to MIT from Stanford University, where she is currently associate university librarian for public services. At Stanford, Bourg oversees the largest division of the Stanford University Libraries, with six branches and a collection of more than 4 million volumes.
Bourg has "a deep appreciation for the critical role of scholarly communication in a research university environment, and its links to education and service to the community," Schmidt wrote in his email to the community. “She also has considerable experience with leveraging the capabilities of digital technologies in order to enhance library services.”
Bourg joins the MIT Libraries and MIT Press at a pivotal time, and will play an important role in guiding the redesign and renovation of library spaces. She will also lead the exploration of the Libraries’ role in new modes of learning and global engagement, and advance MIT’s commitment and influence in the area of scholarly communication and open access.
“I am very much looking forward to working with Chris as she undertakes the leadership of the MIT Libraries, particularly at a time when the nature of library services is evolving to accommodate a variety of needs related to research and education,” Schmidt wrote. “I know you will join me in welcoming her to the MIT community.”
As a senior officer with oversight responsibility for the MIT Press, Bourg will also provide strategic guidance to the Press, expanding international engagement and managing its evolving business models. The MIT Press is one of the largest university presses in the world; it publishes journals, scholarly books, trade books, textbooks, and reference works in print and digital formats in a wide range of academic disciplines.
Bourg’s appointment follows a nationwide search that began after the death of the Libraries’ previous director of 17 years, Ann Wolpert, in October 2013.
“I have long admired MIT’s commitment to openness, inclusion, and innovation,” Bourg says. “It is an honor to join a community of faculty, staff, and students with a global reputation for excellence, integrity, and service. I look forward to engaging in conversations across the MIT community about the future of library spaces, services, and resources. Together, with the talented staff of the libraries and the MIT Press, we have the opportunity to build on MIT’s legacy and to be a leader in creating new models for scholarly communication and research libraries. I am eager to get started.”
Bourg’s distinguished career began with 10 years of service as an officer in the United States Army, including three years on the faculty of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where she taught sociology and leadership.
Bourg has served in various roles at the Stanford University Libraries over the past 12 years, with increasing responsibilities that included oversight of communications and information services. In her most recent role, she managed the public service facets of physical and digital library services, and was closely involved in the planning of two new library spaces on campus. She has also been a supporter of leveraging digital technologies to advance teaching and research, and is committed to open-access models for scholarly publishing.
Bourg received her BA from Duke University, her MA from the University of Maryland, and her MA and PhD in sociology from Stanford. She has written and spoken extensively on the topics of libraries, leadership, diversity, and social justice. She is a strong advocate for gender equality, and was involved in creating and leading the first Women’s Voices and Influence group for Stanford staff.
In her new role, Bourg will oversee a diverse staff of more than 260 in the MIT Libraries and the MIT Press. The MIT Libraries’ holdings include more than 5 million items in print and digital formats, including electronic journals and books, images, maps, musical scores, and sound and video recordings. There are five library locations on MIT’s campus: Barker, Dewey, Hayden, and Rotch libraries, and the Lewis Music Library. MIT’s library system also includes the Institute Archives and Special Collections, containing MIT’s founding documents, Institute records, and the papers of noted faculty.
In his letter to the community, Schmidt thanked Steve Gass, who has served as interim director of the MIT Libraries for the past year. “Steve has done an outstanding job in this role as the search process for a permanent director was conducted and I will miss his thoughtful advice and counsel,” Schmidt wrote.
Schmidt also thanked the Libraries Director Advisory Committee, chaired by Lorna Gibson, the Matoula S. Salapatas Professor of Materials Science and Engineering. Gibson was joined on this search committee by John Charles, vice president for information systems and technology; Iain Cheeseman, associate professor of biology; Arindam Dutta, associate professor of the history of architecture; Tracy Gabridge, associate director of the MIT Libraries; Erica James, associate professor of anthropology; graduate student Mark Molaro of the Department of Chemical Engineering; Kai Von Fintel, professor of linguistics; and Eric Von Hippel, the T Wilson Professor of Management. | | 11:30a |
Historic season carries MIT Football into NCAA playoffs Last Saturday, with a 24-13 victory over the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the MIT football team made history, achieving its first-ever nine-game undefeated regular season — and MIT’s first perfect football season since going 3-0 in 1881.
This weekend, the Engineers reach another milestone: their first postseason game ever, against 8-1 Husson University in Bangor, Maine.
“It’s been a great ride so far,” Head Coach Chad Martinovich told the The Boston Globe. “Really it’s a tribute to the kids on the roster, the seniors in particular. When they came in as freshmen, they were 2-7 and they’ve helped really improve the program each year, along with the three recruiting classes since then.”
Two decades after that last undefeated season, MIT’s football program was disbanded in 1901. Resurrected as a club sport in 1978, the team only regained varsity status in 1988. Over the next 20 years — before Martinovich’s arrival in 2009 — MIT Football managed only five winning seasons, compiling a record of 65-115-1.
A promising start
But by the start of the team’s 2014 season, there was reason for optimism: The Engineers were coming off a 6-3 campaign in 2013, their best since 1999. The squad also had its best-ever showing in the New England Football Conference (NEFC) last year, finishing with a 4-3 record.
Picked to finish fourth in the NEFC in a preseason poll of the league’s head coaches, MIT opened this season with early-September wins against Pomona-Pitzer College and Becker College. In their first conference game of the season, on Sept. 27, the Engineers faced one of the preseason favorites: Salve Regina University. With senior running back Justin Wallace contributing four touchdowns, MIT routed the Seahawks, 48-26, moving to a 3-0 start for the first time since the program regained its varsity status.
In the very next game, the Engineers faced another test against Curry College, who they had not defeated since 1997. But Wallace ran for 196 yards and freshman linebacker Mitch Turley returned an interception 86 yards en route to a 49-20 victory.
The most dramatic moment of the season came on Oct. 25, when MIT hosted Western New England University: Both teams entered the game undefeated. In front of a capacity crowd at MIT’s Henry G. Steinbrenner Stadium, the Engineers jumped ahead early, but the Golden Bears made a late run and — with 42 seconds left —scored a touchdown that left them just an extra point shy of tying the game. On the extra point attempt, sophomore Anthony Emberley broke through the left side of the Western New England line and blocked the kick to preserve a thrilling 35-34 win.
Another signature victory came the next week at Endicott College — the preseason favorite to win the NEFC and a team that MIT was 0-11 against all-time. On a cold and damp early-November night, MIT jumped ahead 21-2 in the second quarter on the strength of three touchdowns from Wallace — but Endicott surged back with three consecutive touchdowns of their own in the second half, taking a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter. The Engineers responded and produced the winning score on a pass from senior quarterback Peter Williams to junior wide receiver Chris McPherson with eight minutes left, producing a 34-29 win.
MIT faced adversity on the road the next week as well, falling behind Maine Maritime Academy 29-21 at the half. But the Engineers rallied for another comeback win, scoring five second-half touchdowns — four by Wallace — to pull away for a 55-37 victory. The win clinched the NEFC title for MIT, and with it an automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division III Football Championship.
Next steps
A day after wrapping up their perfect regular season with last Saturday’s win against the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the team gathered in Rockwell Cage to watch the NCAA Selection Show. As the list of 32 teams was revealed, MIT learned that it would travel to Maine to play the first NCAA playoff game in the history of the program at Husson University on Nov. 22.
Wallace was named the NEFC Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts, with sophomore Elliot Tobin winning Offensive Lineman of the Year honors and Turley nabbing the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Martinovich was named the NEFC Coach of the Year for the second time in three years, with 10 other student-athletes gaining All-NEFC recognition.
After the football season ends, what does the future hold for these student-athletes — many of whom have majors like electrical engineering and computer science, mathematics, and aerospace engineering?
As journalists from the likes of The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and The Boston Globe have come calling over the past week, Martinovich has had a ready quip: “There’s probably a better chance of most of these kids owning an NFL team than playing for one,” the smiling coach told CBS News. |
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