Battlecode at 25: how a whimsical idea became an enduring MIT love story
Here’s how Battlecode began 25 years ago — and why the secret to its endurance is the quiet love that the global community of nerds have for each other.
NOTICE: Lifting Suspension on Opinion Policy
The Tech Editorial Board is lifting the temporary suspension on the Opinion section, and we are accepting submissions, effective immediately.
NOTICE: Retraction of Vol. 144 Issue 18 Guest Opinion Piece
After careful deliberation amongst the Executive Committee and our faculty advisors, we have decided to pull this article, which was signed by the MIT Coalition for Palestine (C4P), from publication. This article is being retracted in full. Our decision was made in light of increasing hostile rhetoric and action against Professor Daniela Rus and her laboratory.
NOTICE: Opinion Section Temporarily Suspended Until Further Notice
The Tech Editorial Board has identified critical flaws in the standard operating procedures of our Opinion section that we feel must be corrected before we continue to publish articles from this section. We at The Tech adhere to the highest journalistic standards, and we see it as a serious disservice to the Institute community to continue operating this section without having addressed these issues.
What now?
We write, as an editorial board, not as partisan representatives of any one group or ideology; we write not to repeat statements that have already been made by many before us, nor to incite further division in an already fractured community, nor to stoke fear of what may lie ahead—but to allow us, the people of MIT, the opportunity to reflect on this election and our role in helping shape the future of this nation and this world.
A New, Greener Leaf for MIT Committees on Climate?
On Friday, September 13th, 2024, Professor Richard Lester announced the formation of the Ad Hoc Committee on Climate-Related Industry Engagements, charged with examining the question of whether or not President Kornbluth’s new Climate Project – an initiative to address the challenges of climate change—should accept funding from the fossil fuel (FF) industry. The Committee will deliver recommendations on this question by next summer.
[RETRACTED] Opinion piece on MIT CSAIL research
Addendum (December 18, 9:02 PM): The headline of this piece has been further retracted to "Opinion piece on MIT CSAIL research." All previous mentions of the original title have been removed upon request.
Eight more days on Kresge
Five months after the 4 AM police raid on the sleeping students of Students Against Genocide Encampment (MIT SAGE), we made our way back to Kresge with another tent. On October 16th, the MIT Jews for Collective Liberation (JCL) erected a sukkah to mark Sukkot during the 12th month of Israel’s horrific genocide in Palestine. In this letter, we want to explain what Sukkot is, why we chose to build our sukkah on Kresge, and why doing so is consistent with our Jewish traditions. We close by asking the MIT administration and faculty to end collaboration with Israel’s Ministry of Defense and war profiteers.
The Pen and the Sword
I am writing to contextualize the recent sanctions imposed on the student publication Written Revolution and its editors; these sanctions carry troubling implications for the state of free thought and expression on MIT’s campus.
Research for human rights abuses: how MIT breaks its own rules
Admin had to be dragged to the negotiation table, and when confronted with the atrocities and their power to stand against them, they equivocated about the “nuance” of the situation.
Lockheed Leaves The Career Fair: Reflections on the Power of Principled Dissent
It is exceedingly clear that MIT weaponizes a facade of neutrality to defend its bottom line. We reject MIT’s presentation of itself as an unbiased arbitrator between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine voices because it is simply untrue.
Rebuttal of Anti-Israel Claims (Part 2)
This is a continuation of my rebuttal of anti-Israel claims from a previous issue of The Tech.
The Tech must do better
The Tech has made a series of editorial mistakes in its coverage of the Graduate Student Union (GSU). It broke its own policy; it misled its readers; it failed to ascertain a basic fact; and it omitted important details.
Some Notes on Recent Protests at MIT
In this essay, I try to understand the failings of current protestors through a survey of recent large-scale protests at MIT.
My brother, Mohammed, was killed in an Israeli airstrike
It is time for MIT’s faculty to enter the fight and say no to abetting crimes against humanity and apartheid in the Holy Land.
Goodbye, MIT
I was very committed to serving everyone at MIT. I wish everyone health and happiness with much future success. I’ve always said, “I’m only as good as the people who work for me.”
Rebuttal of Anti-Israel Claims
Using that word [genocide] against Israel leaves us with no words to describe true genocide. Those guilty of true genocide are glad to see that happen.
MIT should strategically pause undergraduate education to focus on AI
The faculty of MIT is hampered by its undergraduate responsibilities. Teaching courses and mentoring undergraduates, while noble, is a long-term investment. The opportunities and challenges presented by AI are here and now and humanity will not get a second chance if it fails the first time.
Linguistics for Liberation or for Domination?
I will not be silenced. I will continue to speak out against injustice, both in the classroom and beyond. The struggle for academic freedom is a struggle for the very soul of the university, and it is a struggle that we cannot afford to lose. We must all be willing to engage in this battle if we are to uphold fundamental principles of democracy and justice.
A Nation’s Cry for Liberty: Venezuelan Students at MIT Speak Out Against Election Fraud
It is our job to say something. But in this moment of profound hopelessness, when hot tears blur our disbelieving eyes, the only words that seem appropriate should be directed to the evil author of this suffering.