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The MIT Media lab is operated by its researchers, not the MIT administration, and according to Wikipedia, is primarily funded through outside companies.

by danso 8y ago

Cursuviam 8y ago
Agreed. For example, the Media Lab and administration took opposing sides during the whole Senior House fiasco. The MIT administration overall is incredibly lawsuit/risk averse after a bunch of heavy settlements, such as the Shin case, the sodium case, and the Wellesley girlfriend stabbing.
primroot 8y ago
Speaking of outside companies... "It is as part of this PR campaign that Bin Salman’s visit should be viewed. In exchange for cash, elite universities offer the veneer of a progressive agenda. For instance, Bin Salman’s foundation, MiSK, was accepted as a “member company” to MIT’s Media Lab in 2017, which requires a minimum annual contribution of $250,000 (with a three-year commitment) to the lab. In return, MiSK receives access to the lab’s personnel, technology, and intellectual property." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/30/elite-universities-selling-themselves-mit-harvard-saudi-arabia-mohammed-bin-salman https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/30/elite-...
DonHopkins 8y ago
I attended and gave a presentation at one of MIT Media Labs sponsors meetings years ago, and had a fascinating discussion with the guy from Phillip Morris about their use of visual programming languages in the tobacco industry. But he didn't get into specifics about how they were using visual programming to convince people to smoke more tobacco, though. http://www.ordiecole.com/logo/media_mit_edu_sponsors.pdf http://www.ordiecole.com/logo/media_mit_edu_sponsors.pdf
- theNJR 8y ago
  "Digital Life" ... wtf.
  - DonHopkins 8y ago
    That's where you go after you die of lung cancer!
- nikofeyn 8y ago
  do you have any further information regarding their visual programming languages? are they known environments or are they in-house developments? are there any publications or documentation publicly available? thanks.
  - DonHopkins 8y ago
    I vaguely remember he was talking about some known environments and languages that were defined by industry standards that they were using, but that I'd never heard about before (but not a common one like LabView, Max, PD, etc). I didn't get the impression they were developing the language themselves, just using it, and also interested in things people at Media Lab were doing along those lines.

The MIT Media lab is operated by its researchers, not the MIT administration, and according to Wikipedia, is primarily funded through outside companies.

by danso 8y ago

The MIT Media lab is operated by its researchers, not the MIT administration, and according to Wikipedia, is primarily funded through outside companies.

Cursuviam 8y ago

Agreed. For example, the Media Lab and administration took opposing sides during the whole Senior House fiasco. The MIT administration overall is incredibly lawsuit/risk averse after a bunch of heavy settlements, such as the Shin case, the sodium case, and the Wellesley girlfriend stabbing.

primroot 8y ago

Speaking of outside companies... "It is as part of this PR campaign that Bin Salman’s visit should be viewed. In exchange for cash, elite universities offer the veneer of a progressive agenda. For instance, Bin Salman’s foundation, MiSK, was accepted as a “member company” to MIT’s Media Lab in 2017, which requires a minimum annual contribution of $250,000 (with a three-year commitment) to the lab. In return, MiSK receives access to the lab’s personnel, technology, and intellectual property." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/30/elite-universities-selling-themselves-mit-harvard-saudi-arabia-mohammed-bin-salman https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/30/elite-...

DonHopkins 8y ago

I attended and gave a presentation at one of MIT Media Labs sponsors meetings years ago, and had a fascinating discussion with the guy from Phillip Morris about their use of visual programming languages in the tobacco industry. But he didn't get into specifics about how they were using visual programming to convince people to smoke more tobacco, though. http://www.ordiecole.com/logo/media_mit_edu_sponsors.pdf http://www.ordiecole.com/logo/media_mit_edu_sponsors.pdf

theNJR 8y ago
"Digital Life" ... wtf.
- DonHopkins 8y ago
  That's where you go after you die of lung cancer!
nikofeyn 8y ago
do you have any further information regarding their visual programming languages? are they known environments or are they in-house developments? are there any publications or documentation publicly available? thanks.
- DonHopkins 8y ago
  I vaguely remember he was talking about some known environments and languages that were defined by industry standards that they were using, but that I'd never heard about before (but not a common one like LabView, Max, PD, etc). I didn't get the impression they were developing the language themselves, just using it, and also interested in things people at Media Lab were doing along those lines.