Jane Gould, MIT's Episcopal Chaplain, is coordinator of MIT's Technology and Culture Forum.

Waking Up

Is it okay to alter your baby’s genes before he is born? That’s a question raised by MIT’s Technology and Culture Forum, a lecture series that examines the moral and ethical implications of science and technology.

He risked a lawsuit, bankruptcy, and professional disgrace, but William LeMessurier chose to do what he knew was right. Photo: Ed Quinn

The Right Stuff

William LeMessurier, ’53, risked a lawsuit, bankruptcy, and professional disgrace, but he chose to do what he knew was right.

Ray Stata, who recently gave MIT $25 million, says when you're honest, responsible, and trustworthy, your life works better than when you are not. If you just live a responsible life and meet your commitments, that's the most important thing you can do for yourself and for others.

Firm Foundation

Ray Stata, ’57, says that establishing strong values is the surest way to have a successful life. “When you’re honest, responsible, and trustworthy,” he says, “your life works better than when you are not.”

Prof. Erik Brynjolfsson, who runs the electronic commerce program at the Sloan School of Management, says:

The Future of Money

The way people shop is already changing as retailers set up electronic stores on the Internet.

Assoc. Prof. Drazen Prelec, who studies the psychology of money, says credit cards are insidious because they disconnect the pleasure of buying from the pain of paying. Photo: Ed Quinn

The Psychology of Spending

Prof. Drazen Prelec, who studies the psychology of money, says credit cards are insidious because they disconnect the pleasure of buying from the pain of paying.

Prof. Kenneth Wexler, who studies how children learn to communicate, pinpoints a language disorder that afflicts hundreds of thousands of children. Photo: Ed Quinn

Understanding Grammar

Prof. Kenneth Wexler, who studies how children learn to communicate, pinpoints a language disorder that afflicts hundreds of thousands of children.

Dreams and repetition of experience both create lasting memories, according to Assistant Prof. Matthew Wilson, who now probes exactly how the process works. Photo: Ed Quinn

Long-term Memories

Dreams and repetition of experience both create lasting memories, according to Assistant Professor Matthew Wilson, who now probes exactly how the process works.

Grace Chung is a jazz singer who performs in Boston, and who says that for a student, jazz singing is a real education. Photo: Ed Quinn

All That Jazz

Grace Chung, a grad student in computer speech recognition, also is a jazz singer. Jazz singing and engineering may seem unrelated, she says, but actually the two are very much alike.

Beethoven's 7th Symphony is one of Cherry Emerson's greatest joys. He knows the piece note by note. He says that to have heard Beethoven's 7th Symphony in Boston's Symphony Hall nearly brought him to tears because it was so inspiring. Photo: Ed Quinn

Life of Harmony

Cherry Emerson, ’41, grew up in Atlanta with music on his mind. At 12, he sold Coca-Cola to construction workers to earn money to buy a piano, one he now says he wouldn’t trade for a million dollars.

Milk-drop coronet, 1957

Flashes of Inspiration

Harold “Doc” Edgerton, inventor of high-speed photography, spent a career making the invisible visible.Making the invisible visible

Prof. Steve Benton of the Media Lab, a pioneer in the field of holography and spatial imaging, invented the hologram seen on millions of credit cards.

Holographic Images

Prof. Steve Benton of the Media Lab, a pioneer in the field of holography and spatial imaging, invented the hologram seen on millions of credit cards.

Mandy Chambers in free fall. Photo: Chris Vaughn

Somebody Has To Do It

So far Mandy Chambers is the only one in the MIT Skydiving Club, but she hopes to get the group off the ground.