MIT Media Lab

The Media Lab has been known for a long time as a place of innovation. Taken from its web page: The Lab is supported by more than 80 members, including some of the world’s leading corporations. These members provide a large percentage of the Lab’s approximately $ 45-​million annual operating budget. Businesses represented range from electronics to entertainment, furniture to finance, and toys to telecommunications.
The neat thing about this support is the members have access to all of the research conducted at the Lab, Lab-​wide visiting privileges, invitations to semi-​annual member-​only events, and full intellectual property rights. In other words the members’ money funds the research but it is the lab that decides what to spend the money on and not the choice of the donors.
Getting a tour recently gave me just a hint of what is going on behind all of the doors in the building. I saw just a handful of the groups operating at the Lab and was really quite amazed to see the creativity flowing with an electric livelihood through the halls.

Its MIT. Its the Media Lab. Professor Hugh Herr makes magic here. ‘Nough said

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit the MIT Media Lab through a TEDx BeaconStreet Adventure session. Since I’ve been in Boston I’ve always wanted to see what amazing research would be going on in these labs. Entering the lobby they have some of the current devices that have been produced on display. A director of one of the labs gave a talk on what was going on in his lab. Apparently funding is provided to the labs from a consortium of companies and organizations without any specified agenda, so it was fascinating to find out what these labs were doing based on their interests. Much what we saw was advancing technology in amazing ways. What I found most intriguing was the application of such technology to simplify medical devices therefore making it accessible to developing countries.
I had hoped that what I had seen I would be able to connect these researchers with a medical facility located in the Himalayas in Nepal, where I had done some volunteer work. I was told to check a website where I could find contact information. I had contacted the head of this medical center concerning this, and he was very much interested in pursuing this. I had sent two emails attempting to contact two researchers that I spoke with at this visit, but unfortunately haven’t received any response, even a response if there was a lack of interest on their part. This is the reason I had to deduct two stars. It seems that the researchers are more interested in their own work, but when actually provided the opportunity to help others who may benefit, the interest is no longer there.

I was here for The Awesome Foundation’s 2012 Awesome Summit from out of town, taking part in lectures, breakouts and other presentations, and I have to say that it’s an Awesome Space.
Throughout the lab are exhibits and displays on what the various researchers are working on. From what I recall, there was a computerized Foosball table on the third floor and an audio exhibit in the elevators (that wasn’t working on the weekend, unfortunately).
The main presentation room on the sixth level was well equipped for its task, with variable lighting, seating and projection. The views from that level were spectacular as you could see the river and much of the MIT campus. The balcony was my favorite part of the level.
Anyways, great venue and was honoured to be able to visit such a nifty place.

Outstanding! We were fortunate to get a tour with one of the grad students that are designing the future through their work here. It’s like a science fair on steroids, with remarkable devices being created by literally dozens of geniuses from around the world.
Some of the inventions are purely for fun or entertainment, but a majority of what I saw will have real applications that will benefit people everywhere. If you get an opportunity to visit, you should take it! And if there ever really is a T-​1000 someday, you’ll know where it came from!

Crazy wacky idea factory. Has a nice loby to rent out for MIT events and worth dropping in for a tour if you’re checking out MIT

the great nerd hope.