2016 was a remarkable year for MIT, which in the spring celebrated 100 years since its move from Boston to Cambridge, Massachusetts. The year was remarkable on Twitter as well, as MIT's followers more than doubled in number, with a current total of more than 611,000.
Followers were particularly moved by news of the first — and second — direct detection of gravitational waves with the LIGO experiment; an episode of "The Simpsons" predicting Professor Bengt Holmström's 2016 Nobel Prize in economics; tributes to Apollo pioneer and former MIT computer scientist Margaret Hamilton; and comments by actor Matt Damon, who gave the keynote at this year's Commencement ceremony. Tweets noting Square Root Day on April 4th, a supermoon setting over the MIT Dome, and the Institute's new accelerator, The Engine, also garnered high engagement.
Here are the top 16 @MIT tweets of 2016, measured in retweets and likes, in chronological order:
A monumental scientific feat
Groundbreaking physics: Scientists detect #gravitationalwaves using the @LIGO observatory https://t.co/7bG5dSvOT9 pic.twitter.com/PMT1tk3VSq
— MIT (@MIT) February 11, 2016
To Einstein, with love
Happy birthday, #AlbertEinstein! We got you a special gift this year: evidence of #gravitationalwaves. Photo: @Giphy pic.twitter.com/e1IFSdpUWL
— MIT (@MIT) March 14, 2016
Celebrating Square Root Day
Happy #SquareRootDay! 4/4/16 is the fourth of nine Square Root Days this century. #MathMonday pic.twitter.com/NiLkCcCoer
— MIT (@MIT) April 4, 2016
Matt Damon's advice for the Class of 2016
Matt Damon: "Turn toward the problems that you see, and engage." #MIT2016 pic.twitter.com/OtKuHD6g3L
— MIT (@MIT) June 3, 2016
Space pirate in the movies, honorary MIT pirate in real life
Arrrr… Actor Matt Damon was awarded an honorary MIT Pirate Certificate at @mitcommencement! #MIT2016 pic.twitter.com/THejlFxWdD
— MIT (@MIT) June 3, 2016
Twice as nice: Detecting a second black hold merger
“We did it again!” For the second time, @LIGO has detected #gravitationalwaves. https://t.co/TGd3LKeZcT pic.twitter.com/4blwxiYPkx
— MIT (@MIT) June 15, 2016
Commemorating a return to Jupiter
An incredible feat of engineering... We're at #Jupiter once again! Congrats to all on the #Juno team. pic.twitter.com/oe7baIXEUP
— MIT (@MIT) July 5, 2016
Taking a stand against violence
“We cannot stand as observers and accept a future of escalating violence and divisiveness.” https://t.co/ctQdLR7Wdk pic.twitter.com/s4W8sfdJQJ
— MIT (@MIT) July 11, 2016
Mini Margaret in celebration of her Apollo achievements
47 yrs ago today, MIT computer scientist Margaret Hamilton's code landed humans on the moon. #Apollo11 pic.twitter.com/2dzmWAbLac
— MIT (@MIT) July 20, 2016
A discussion of "forbidden research" for social good
Symposium at the @medialab featuring @snowden, bunnie Huang addresses #hacktivism: https://t.co/ZiEDzZlc3c pic.twitter.com/d3xPk48xPA
— MIT (@MIT) July 27, 2016
Lauding a pioneer of nanoscale engineering
MIT Prof. Paula Hammond engineered a new nanoparticle to treat cancer. https://t.co/mHPU6Qj7oL #BlackWomenDidThat pic.twitter.com/0hiuPejPbJ
— MIT (@MIT) July 29, 2016
Professor Holmström's Nobel Prize reaction
"I feel very lucky and grateful." —MIT Prof. Bengt Holmstrom of @MITEcon and @MITSloan on winning the Nobel in Economic Sciences #NobelPrize pic.twitter.com/28eWrmNokw
— MIT (@MIT) October 10, 2016
Milhouse gets one right
Fun fact: @TheSimpsons' Milhouse once predicted MIT Prof. Holmström would win a #NobelPrize. Today, he was right! https://t.co/CC0LRk1avy pic.twitter.com/syhMiJBK2A
— MIT (@MIT) October 10, 2016
Announcing a new accelerator from MIT
Introducing The Engine, from MIT. #MITBetterWorld #Innovation https://t.co/M1N3BEk8Zu pic.twitter.com/XAlHMkGsOt
— MIT (@MIT) October 26, 2016
Setting supermoon
Yesterday's #supermoon sets over MIT. Photo: @DanZDill pic.twitter.com/FLopXz72PO
— MIT (@MIT) November 15, 2016
President Obama honors an MIT legend
Margaret Hamilton led the Apollo software team at MIT. Today, she's a #MedalofFreedom recipient. Congrats! https://t.co/QDA7exFJk7 https://t.co/qVJTJyth2E
— MIT (@MIT) November 22, 2016
