Chandrakasan honored

PAGE 6  March 18, 2009

MIT Tech Talk

u

 NEWS

Power 

down

IS&T recommends ways to 

save electricity

GreeningMIT is 

an occasional series 

focusing on the broad 

efforts to improve 

energy efficiency on 

campus.

With more than 20,000 personal 

computers and thousands of servers on 

campus, saving even a small amount of 

energy on each could make a significant 

impact. 

Toward that end, Information Services 

and Technology (IS&T) has made recom-

mendations about buying energy-efficient 

computers, enabling energy-saving settings 

and consolidating underused servers by 

using virtualization. 

With community adoption of these 

guidelines, MIT would save about 8 

million kilowatt-hours of electricity annu-

ally — enough to power 1,000 Cambridge 

homes — says Laxmi Rao, IS&T’s energy 

coordinator. 

For example, IS&T recommends 

powering down most computers when 

they’re not being used and buying energy-

efficient models when replacing comput-

ers and monitors. IS&T provides detailed 

information on its web site about the 

energy management features that are built 

into Windows and Macintosh operating 

systems. One action everyone can take now 

is to disable screen savers; they don’t save 

screens, but they do waste power.

But there’s a catch: IS&T is aware 

that its recommendation to power down 

computers when idle is not feasible for 

everyone at this time. Turning off your 

computer when you head home at night 

sounds like a no-brainer — but it is not a 

viable option for about one-quarter of all 

MIT’s personal computers because they 

are set up for automatic nightly backups or 

remote access.

IS&T and members of the commu-

nity are pursuing solutions. One possible 

approach would allow a computer that 

is powered down to wake up, complete a 

scheduled backup and then return to a low 

power mode. 

“We know this has to be done,” says 

Jonathan Hunt, IS&T senior manager for 

software services. “The necessary solution 

is being tested and enhanced to ensure it 

will work reliably across different types of 

computers.” 

IS&T has also asked its computer 

vendors to improve the efficiency of 

computer power supplies. A few years 

ago a typical computer power supply 

was around 60 percent efficient, with the 

remainder being dissipated as waste heat. 

IS&T Departmental IT Resource Manager 

Chris Lavallee worked with MIT Procure-

ment to set a standard for at least 80 

percent efficient power supplies on all new 

computers bought on campus or recom-

mended to students. Major vendors took 

notice. Dell, for example, became the first 

vendor to meet the 80-plus requirement 

for personal computers in 2007. They are 

continuing to make improvements and 

hope to meet 90-plus certification for their 

server line in the near future.

IS&T’s energy-saving efforts go beyond 

recommendations for personal computers. 

It is implementing virtualization software 

for servers in MIT’s data centers. Virtual-

ization enables one server to consolidate 

the functions of several separate servers, 

and thus reduce the total number of serv-

ers and the energy required to run them. 

Savings achieved in the data centers will 

supplement savings from the recommend-

ed measures for personal computers.  

IS&T is also looking at the environmen-

tal impacts of printing. A student-led effort 

supported by IS&T has resulted in the 

promotion of double-sided printing. Since 

spring of last year, it has been the default 

setting for all new Athena accounts — thus 

reducing the use of paper and the energy 

required to manufacture it.

The list of energy-saving guidelines 

from IS&T can be found at http://web.

mit.edu/ist/initiatives/it-energy/guidelines.

html.

David Chandler

News Office

ANSWER FR

OM P

A

GE 5:

 THE IMA

GE IS OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVEL

T

PHOTO / JOHN TYLKO

MIT alum lifts off 

Space shuttle Discovery lifts off from Kennedy Space Center on March 15 with pilot Dominic Antonelli ‘89 at the controls. 

Discovery’s crew will deliver and assemble the final solar array to the International Space Station. Antonelli will join fellow 

classmate Michael Fincke ‘89, who is commander of the Expedition 18 crew already on board the space station. 

No Tech Talk next week

Because of spring break, there will 

be no Tech Talk next Wednesday, 

March 25. Tech Talk will resume on 

April 1. For up-to-date news and 

information, go to web.mit.edu/

newsoffice.

WIN AN IPHONE!  

There’s still time to enter 

our photo contest

Don’t forget, the first-ever Sustainability 

at MIT Photo Contest is going on through 

March 31, so there’s still time to submit 

your photos. Show us what you see and 

what your aspirations are as MIT launches 

its greeningMIT campaign to help the 

Institute walk the talk on energy and the 

environment.

The grand-prize winner will receive an 

iPhone and have his or her winning entry 

published on the MIT home page and 

in MIT’s official newspaper, Tech Talk. 

Prizes will also be awarded to the first- and 

second-place finishers.

For complete rules, including how to 

enter, please visit web.mit.edu/newsof-

fice/2009/photo-contest-rules.html.

Awards Convocation 

deadline is this 

Friday, March 20

Nominations for MIT’s annual 

Awards Convocation are being 

accepted now through Friday, 

March 20.

Encompassing more than 30 

awards across many areas and 

departments, the Awards Convo-

cation honors those — including 

students, faculty and staff — who 

have made special contributions 

to the life of the MIT community. 

The winners will be announced 

during the convocation, which 

will be held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, 

May 5, in 10-250.

For more information, and to 

browse the awards descriptions 

and previous recipients, see http://

web.mit.edu/awards/.

“They have all been very productive in research and every one 

has been concerned with economic problems that are closely related 

to policy issues,” Solow says. 

Problem solvers

Romer, an economic historian and macroeconomist, has studied 

the causes of the Great Depression and the effect of U.S. monetary 

and tax policies on the recovery from that economic disaster. “Her 

research positions her very well to tackle the problem of designing 

an economic stimulus package for an economy that is sputtering,” 

Poterba says. 

Summers’ research spans both microeconomics and macroeco-

nomics, which gives him a broad range that is especially helpful in 

handling the many issues that come before the NEC. More impor-

tantly, as Treasury secretary under the Clinton administration and 

as a World Bank economist, Summers has had a hands-on role in 

addressing world economic crises, such as the Mexican monetary 

crisis of 1984 and the Russian market crises of 1998, Poterba says. 

“He has a tremendous amount of experience at trying to fashion 

policy remedies for the kind of crises we’re experiencing.” 

Goolsbee is known for his research on how tax policy affects the 

behavior of high-income households — a topic likely to be central 

to tax and budget discussions after the current economic downturn 

abates. Stein’s academic research focuses on corporate finance and 

financial intermediation.

While some observers have characterized the Obama econo-

mists’ ideology as Keynesian (in reference to John Maynard Keynes, 

who championed greater government spending as a way to lift 

an economy out of recession), Solow says that is only because the 

economic field has been almost monolithically anti-Keynesian in 

recent decades. He prefers to characterize the group as “eclectic 

Keynesians.” 

Certainly, most economists have some ideological tilt, Poterba 

says. “There are some people who would never, ever consider 

nationalizing a bank. There are others who are prepared to consider 

that,” he says. “I don’t think [the MIT-trained economists] are going 

to stand on ideological principle. If they think something is going to 

work, they’re going to try it.” 

Which is, he notes, no guarantee of success in the face of tough 

economic problems that have caught many economists by surprise. 

“This is not like baking a cake where if you just follow all the recipe 

directions, it is supposed to turn out perfectly,” Poterba says. “We’re 

not quite sure what works in this situation.”

ECONOMY: MIT-trained economists bring pragmatic approach

Continued from Page 1

---

March 18, 2009  PAGE 7

MIT Tech Talk

BATTERY: New material could solve issues

Continued from Page 1

March 12 issue of Nature. Because the material involved is not new — the researchers 

have simply changed the way they make it — Ceder believes the work could make it into 

the marketplace within two to three years.

State-of-the-art lithium rechargeable batteries have very high energy densities — they 

are good at storing large amounts of charge. The tradeoff is that they have relatively slow 

power rates — they are sluggish at gaining and discharging that energy. Consider current 

batteries for electric cars. “They have a lot of energy, so you can drive at 55 mph for a 

long time, but the power is low. You can’t accelerate quickly,” Ceder said.

Why the slow power rates? Traditionally, 

scientists have thought that the lithium ions 

responsible, along with electrons, for carry-

ing charge across the battery simply move 

too slowly through the material.

About five years ago, however, Ceder 

and colleagues made a surprising discovery. 

Computer calculations of a well-known 

battery material, lithium iron phosphate, 

predicted that the material’s lithium ions 

should actually be moving extremely quickly.

“If transport of the lithium ions was so 

fast, something else had to be the problem,” 

Ceder said.

Further calculations showed that lithium 

ions can indeed move very quickly into 

the material but only through tunnels 

accessed from the surface. If a lithium ion 

at the surface is directly in front of a tunnel 

entrance, there’s no problem: it proceeds 

efficiently into the tunnel. But if the ion isn’t 

directly in front, it is prevented from reach-

ing the tunnel entrance because it cannot 

move to access that entrance.

Ceder and Byoungwoo Kang, a graduate 

student in materials science and engineering, 

devised a way around the problem by creat-

ing a new surface structure that does allow 

the lithium ions to move quickly around the outside of the material, much like a beltway 

around a city. When an ion traveling along this beltway reaches a tunnel, it is instantly 

diverted into it. Kang is a coauthor of the Nature paper.

Using their new processing technique, the two went on to make a small battery that 

could be fully charged or discharged in 10 to 20 seconds (it takes six minutes to fully 

charge or discharge a cell made from the unprocessed material).

Ceder notes that further tests showed that unlike other battery materials, the new 

material does not degrade as much when repeatedly charged and recharged. This could 

lead to smaller, lighter batteries, because less material is needed for the same result.

“The ability to charge and discharge batteries in a matter of seconds rather than hours 

may open up new technological applications and induce lifestyle changes,” Ceder and 

Kang conclude in their Nature paper.

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation through the Materi-

als Research Science and Engineering Centers program and the Batteries for Advanced 

Transportation Program of the U.S. Department of Energy. It has been licensed by two 

companies.

Bartolotta wins Jostens Trophy

MIT senior guard Jimmy Bartolotta added more hardware 

to the most decorated basketball season in Institute history 

as he was selected as the 2009 recipient of the highly coveted 

Jostens Trophy. The annual award recognizes outstand-

ing student-athletes in NCAA Division III basketball for 

excellence in the classroom, on the playing court and in the 

community.

The winners are chosen by a national selection commit-

tee that consists of college coaches, former athletes, college 

administrators and selected members of the media. The 

members of the national 

selection committee cast 

their votes based on three 

criteria: basketball abil-

ity, academic prowess and 

community service.

Bartolotta will be present-

ed with the Jostens Trophy 

on March 19.

Hewitt, 45-year MIT 

employee, honored 

for work with 

Brockton youth

Kenneth “Sonny” Hewitt, 

the assistant director for human resources and facilities at 

the Lab for Nuclear Science and a 45-year employee of 

MIT, was honored on March 15 by the Brockton Youth 

Foundation for his ongoing leadership in supporting the 

city’s youth.

Hewitt, who has served as a Brockton Community Basket-

ball official for 24 years, began his career at MIT on April 

16, 1964, and has had various titles at the Institute through-

out the years, including coach of the junior varsity basketball 

team.

The Brockton Youth Foundation was recently established 

by parents and civic leaders to provide funding, leadership 

and programs for youths in the city, and the event honor-

ing Hewitt and five other residents — titled “Breakfast with 

Champions” — was its first fundraiser.

MIT E-Team participating  

in March Madness for the Mind

The MIT E-Team, “Affordable Solar Thermal Micro-

generator Technology for Rural Cogeneration in Southern 

Africa,” has been selected to participate in the National 

Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance’s (NCIIA) 

annual “March Madness for the Mind” exhibition on March 

20.

March Madness for the 

Mind is an opportunity for 

the nation’s top Excellence 

and Entrepreneurship Teams 

(E-Teams) — collaborating 

groups of college students, 

faculty and industry mentors 

who have received NCIIA 

grants — to unveil their 

inventions to the public, 

many for the first time.

MIT’s team is working 

on developing a novel solar 

thermal technology that 

lowers up-front and fuel 

costs while decreasing the 

risk of theft. The turbine 

uses parabolic concentrating 

solar collectors and a heat engine constructed from mass-

manufactured HVAC and automotive parts. The technology 

can affordably supply both electricity and hot water/heating 

to rural institutions such as primary schools or health clinics.

RSI students take  

$100K, $25K science prizes

Two students from MIT’s Research Science Institute 

(RSI) summer program won top prizes at the Intel Science 

Talent Search on March 10. Eric Larson won the top prize 

($100,000) and Noah Arbesfeld ranked sixth ($25,000). They 

were mentored by mathematics professor Pavel Etingof and 

graduate student David Jordan.

u

 NEWS

Members  of  the  MIT  community  may  submit  one  ad 

each issue. Ads should be 30 words maximum; they will 

be edited. Submit by e-mail to [e-mail] or mail to 

Classifieds, Rm 11-400. Deadline is noon Wednesday the 

week before  publication.

HOUSING/RENTALS

Somerville: Condo/Townhouse for rent $1600.00 per month - 

no utilities. End unit - 2 bedrooms - 2 full baths - Kitchen, Din-

ing room and Large living room. Air/cond units in wall, pergo 

floors,  security  alarm,  near  transportation.  Washer,  dryer, 

refrigerator, microwave. Location: 77A Mt. Vernon Street. 1 

car garage & 1 outside parking space deeded, private back 

yard—move in condition. Please call: [phone] or (617) 

253-3038 for appointment. Available immediately.

 

Eco-escape! Cape Breton, Nova Scotia rental. 3 BR ocean-

front farmhouse on historic Cabot Trail with 100 acres field 

and forest. $725/wk, June-Oct. (Roger, [e-mail])

Ocean  front  summer  cabin,  Mount  Desert  Island,  ME: 

2BD/1BA w/living/kitchen area; picture windows, deck over-

looking water; stairway to beach. Mins from Acadia National 

Park,  Bar  Harbor.  $1,000/week  June-Sept.  Steve  at  253-

5757 or [e-mail].

North End 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath, on the quiet side of Hanover 

Street. 819 square feet. Available April 1st. 1650 a month. 

[e-mail]

Resource  Development  officer  looking  for  simple  accom-

modations during the week - bed, bath, parking - at reason-

able price. Cambridge/Arlington preferred. Respond to rrat-

[e-mail].

Fabulous,  light-filled  loft  w/expansion  possibilities  at  243 

Bent St. - Unit 8, Cambridge. High ceilings, skylight, south-

facing  windows. Walk  to  Kendall  Square.  Deeded  parking 

outside your door. Low condo fees, taxes. Beautiful court-

yard. $579K. Contact Cynthia Cronin 617.796.2476.

FOR SALE

2004  Pontiac  Vibe  GT(1.8L)  Hatchback  $7,995.00  Royal 

White, Man_Trans, 26,900 mi, Ex Cond with New Battery, 

Brake Pads, and a Xm Satellite Radio. Contact Bob, via Rvar-

[e-mail]

CLASSIFIED ADS

Awards&Honors

James Bartolotta

Kenneth Hewitt

MIT Activities Committee 

celebrates 25 years

Open houses planned this week in Stata, Lincoln Lab

The MIT Activities Committee (MITAC) is celebrating its 25th anniversary this 

week with open houses on both MIT’s main campus and at Lincoln Laboratory.

MITAC began in 1984 with a simple mission: to offer cultural and recreational 

events to the MIT community at a fair and affordable cost. Conceived of by the 

Working Group on Support Staff Issues as a way to raise community spirit and 

employee morale, the committee has since offered nearly 4,000 events to the 

community. MITAC estimates that its customers have saved close to $100,000 

annually on theatre shows, concerts, sports games, lectures and bus trips — not to 

mention discounted tickets to cinemas and theme parks.

MITAC Coordinator Diane Betz Tavitian noted that among the group’s most 

memorable activities was the trip it organized to Ground Zero to help New York 

firefighters in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

“We’re very grateful to the hundreds of MITAC committee members over the 

years who have inspired creative and memorable events for the MIT community,” 

she said. 

Notable upcoming MITAC events include the annual Red Sox Lottery, for which 

online registration will be held between March 24 and April 3. For further informa-

tion about the lottery and other MITAC events, please visit the committee’s web site 

at http://web.mit.edu/mitac.

Members of the MIT community are invited to join MITAC’s 25th anniversary 

celebration open house from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on March 18 in the Stata Center Lobby 

and from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on March 19 at Lincoln Laboratory. 

PHOTO / MITAC

A sleighride was one of the first MIT Activities Committee (MITAC) events. 

MITAC is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a party in the Stata 

Center on March 18.

PHOTO / DONNA COVENEY

Gerd Ceder

---

PAGE 8  March 18, 2009

MIT Tech Talk

u

 RESEARCH

GARDEN variety

Each robot — one of which is shown here picking 

fruit — is outfitted with a robotic arm and a 

watering pump, while networked sensors help 

the plants ‘request’ water or nutrients from their 

robotic gardeners. The bases of the robots are re-

imagined versions of iRobot’s Roomba.

LEFT: The idea for the 

project came from work 

done by Nikolaus Correll, 

a postdoctoral assistant 

working in the Distributed 

Robotics Lab of EECS 

Professor Daniela Rus. Rus, 

shown here in the garden, 

refers to the system as 

precision agriculture 

because of the way robots 

distribute resources and 

care on demand.

LEFT: Mechanical 

engineering senior 

Luke Johnson, left, 

and EECS senior 

Samuel Dyar work on 

programming one of 

the robot’s arms to 

find select fruit. 

RIGHT: Lauren White, 

a senior in electrical 

engineering and 

computer science, 

demonstrates how 

the camera on an 

autonomous robotic 

gardener’s arm 

works.

IN CSAIL’s 

indoor 

tomato 

garden, 

robots have 

supplanted 

humans. 

Could 

this be the 

future of 

agriculture?

PHO

TO /

 DONNA CO

VENEY

PHOTO / JASON DORFMAN, CSAIL

PHO

TO /

 DONNA CO

VENEY

PHOTO / JASON DORFMAN, CSAIL