Brandon Hanks, a software developer with MIT’s Department of Comparative Media Studies/Writing, speaks with Wall Street Journal reporter Sarah Needleman about how Gen Z is putting their own spin on the heart sign. Hanks notes that “it looks more difficult” to master than the Millennial version—“and it is!”
Writing for Wired, Prof. Nicholas De Monchaux compares the clear division between digital and physical reality presented in The Matrix films with life in real cities where the physical and virtual worlds are increasingly merging. “This new world is inhabited by our digital shadows,” writes De Monchaux. “They follow our steps in the real one and are born from the data trail we leave when we post on social media, search on Google Maps, order things from Amazon, or leave reviews on restaurant sites.”
Twenty years after its release, “Good Will Hunting,” which follows an MIT janitor turned math genius, remains incredibly popular with Boston-area college students. MIT junior Scott Cameron, “credits “Good Will Hunting” with shifting his notion of MIT from a far-off place to an actual goal. He first saw the film at 14 and, years later, it remains one of his favorites,” writes Sonia Rao at The Washington Post.
Boston Globe reporter Steve Annear spotlights an MIT Admissions video that shows “Iron Man” superhero Riri Williams building her iconic suit on campus. Stuart Schmill, dean of admissions, says the Admissions Office videos, which are created as a lighthearted way to announce when admissions decisions will be available, “capture the spirit of this place and what students love to do.”
Wired reporter Joshua Sokol speaks with Profs. Janet Conrad and Lindley Winslow about how they helped the Ghostbusters team infuse the film with science, and how they hope the film’s portrayal of female scientists will inspire viewers. Winslow says the movie is important “because middle school girls will watch it. It will put that seed in their head.”