At MIT, one of the well known places for projects in mechanical engineering is the Edgerton Center. The Edgerton Center is creates opportunities for students to engage in challenging activities and projects in engineering and science.

I went down to the Edgerton Center this weekend and talked to some of the staff that work there. Two high school students from one of the local schools were working to shoot a laser into a glass square without letting any of the light leave…and they did it! By using milk of all things. It was pretty cool.

I talked to some of the staff members at the EC and was blown away by the many projects that have been going on at MIT. There were hover-boards (machines that allow a person to stand on top and hover off the ground), BattleBots (like in the video I posted a while ago), strobes, and other cool things. The coolest project was this one machine, where you could stand on top of it and use the handles to move around. if you pushed it forward, you accelerated forward, if you pulled back, you moved back, and so on. I learned that it was made by some students not that much older than most of you. I got to ride on it up and down the hall - it was a LOT of fun.

You guys should check out the Edgerton Center and look at the cool projects it has to offer. I know I’ll be visiting the EC a LOT more now that I see what’s in store. Visit http://web.mit.edu/Edgerton/

Hey guys. It’s Macdaleine again. I happen to have a really cool Biology TA (teaching assistant), and when I asked him if he wouldn’t mind being interviewed about his research for Insite, he readily agreed. So check out some of the questions that I asked him and be sure to watch the video tour around his lab at the Center for Cancer Research.

What is your name?
Eliezer Calo.

Where are you from?
San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Where did you do your schooling?
University of Puerto Rico/ (UPR-RP).

What made you get involved in Biology?
I actually did my degree in Chemistry but joined a biochemistry lab during my undergrad and got more interested in biology. I enjoyed working with receptors and the immune system and finding out how they work and help with survival.

What type of work do you do here at MIT? What is your research about?
I deal with cancer research at the Center for Cancer Research on campus. I try to understand the pathways and the genes involved with cancer. At the center, we use the mouse and zebra fish model to study disrupted pathways and monitor the effects of cancer.

The genes involved with cancer are similar for mice, fish and humans so we can use our results from mice and fish and apply them to humans. There are some potential discoveries in the works but more research and data is needed.

What aspect of your work do you enjoy the most?
Everything. My job isn’t perfect, but I try to be motivated and enjoy everything so that the small things seem less important.

Is there anything that you would say makes you unique from the other people working in the lab?
I’m really messy and you can always find me dancing.

What plans do you have for the future?
I plan to continue in science. Having a PhD help open a lot of doors in industry, consulting, and research, but right now, I’m not too worried about it. I have three more years of schooling (I’ll actually graduate with you). Biology at MIT is competitive, but once you’re in, you’re good.

What advice do you have for kids in middle/high school interested in science and technology?
Everyone has a little scientist inside of them. The only thing is you have to explore because science is a very broad area. It’s hard to decide what to concentrate in but that’s why I would recommend going to a school that gives you exposure to different types of science to give you an opportunity to find out what you enjoy.

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*For more info, check out the website for the center for cancer research at

http://web.mit.edu/ki/index.html

Are you interesting in learning more about chemistry and biology? Here are some interactive GAMES to teach you some basics before we discuss more advanced topics.

Chemistry

Beginner: Learn the Elements> http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Elementsgames.htm

Moderate: Review> http://www.mansfieldct.org/schools/mms/staff/hand/chemgames.htm

Advanced: Chemistry Review: FUN!!!> http://www.sciencereviewgames.com/srg/subjects/chem.php

Biology

Advanced: Learn at your own pace> http://mitesbio.mit.edu/wiki/Biology/Schedule

Advanced: Genetics> http://nature.ca/genome/04/041/041_e.cfm

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Hello kids! I interviewed Assistant Dean Carter and it came out to be a really cool chat like anyone of you guy and I could’ve had. He is a really cool and humble guy who more than being my boss’ boss is also a very close friend mine, my advisor and mentor. He is the person that made this whole MIT dream become a reality for me and it is the person who inspires me to be better every day. I hope you guys like the interview and take notes on how to be more than successful in your life, but also how to stay true to yourself being humble and an inspiration to others! Enjoy!

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This is an interview with Dr. Carter, Assistant Dean of Engineering for Development and Strategic Initiatives and Executive Director, Office of Engineering Outreach Programs (this means that he is our boss). We talk about life, sports and math of course. Enjoy :-)!

Hey guys. After some weeks of hard work and not so much hard work I found time to post my intro. I hope you like it and keep giving us feedback so that this site can be as much yours than it is ours.

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