Wed., March 23
The History of Hacks at MIT

The history of hacks and pranks at MIT dates back almost as far as the venerable institution itself. Students with expertise in engineering, computer science, robotics, and math -- and presumably with a little extra time and brainpower to spare -- have taken pranksterism to the level of high art. Their hijinks have included a firetruck, police cruiser, and biplane replica, alternately hoisted atop MIT's Great Dome; a fully appointed room -- including a billiards table, a cat, chairs, and an illuminated lamp -- hung upside down from the Media Lab; numerous interruptions staged during the annual Harvard - Yale football game; and a cross-country hacking war with rival institution, Caltech. MIT Professor Emeritus Jay Keyser, has seen a lot of it in his time, and he'll talk about the school's secret hacking society, the best hacks, and why bright students at a world-class institution can still find time to put one over on faculty.