Instructor: Pattie Maes et al
Time: Tuesday 5:00 to 7:00
Location: Roth room

The goal of the HOWTO seminars is to provide an introduction to "everything students should know about the Media Lab" so that new students can get integrated more quickly and can make the most of their experience here. A second goal is to provide new students with an opportunity to get to know the personalities at the lab and make connections with other students.

Weekly topics will include: history of the Media Lab, intellectual themes, demo or die culture, atelier style of classes, working with urops, resources at the lab, resources elsewhere at MIT, what students do when they leave the lab, and so on.

We will typically have three or so speakers who speak for an hour, followed by 30 mins of Q&A and 30+ mins of mingle time. Dinner will be provided.

Schedule for next 4 weeks:

9/11 History & future of the lab - Andy Lipman, Frank Moss

9/18 An overview of research at the lab, part I: Networks & Communication: David Reed, Andy Lippman, Sandy Pentland, Judith Donath, Barry Vercoe, Michael Bove

9/25 An overview of research at the lab, part II: Physical interfaces: Hiroshi Ishii, Joseph Paradiso, Chris Schmandt, Cynthia Breazeal/Guy Hoffman, Pattie Maes, Henry Holtzman

10/02 Working with sponsors John Maeda and Becky Bermont

10/16 "An overview of research at the lab, part III: Learning & Expression: John Maeda, Mitch Resnick, Chris Csikszentmihalyi, Tod Machover, Glorianna Davenport

10/23 An overview of research at the lab, part IV: Human 2.0: Hugh Herr, Ed Boyden, Rosalind Picard, Deb Roy, Henry Lieberman, Bill Mitchell

10/24 Resources at the Media Lab: where to find the hardware & software tools you may need for your projects - Henry Holtzman, Aaron Zinman, Jon Ferguson, John Difrancesco

10/31 No meeting because of Halloween

11/7 Alum entrepreneurs talk about their experience starting companies
- speakers are Rich Fletcher (TagSense), Rick Borovoy (nTag), David Rose (Ambient Devices) and Joost Bonsen (MIT entrepreneurs clubs)

11/14 How to hire and work with urops - Ted Selker, Chris Schmandt and Dan Stiehl

11/21 We will not meet for MEDIALAB HOWTO today, because many people will be leaving for Thanksgiving vacation tomorrow night.

11/28 "Empirical Methods and Evaluating Research". Speakers are Elisabeth Sylvan and Elan Pavlov and a faculty member TBA.

12/5 Meeting about the Hundred Dollar Initiative with Walter Bender and Marylou Jepsen.

Contact:

E-mail: pattie@media.mit.edu
Office: E15-315
Phone: 617.253.7442