This course introduces students to methods and background needed for the conceptual design of continuously operating chemical plants. Particular attention is paid to the use of process modeling tools such as Aspen that are used in industry and to problems of current interest. Each student team is assigned to evaluate and design a different technology and prepare a final design report.
For spring 2006, the theme of the course is to design technologies for lowering the emissions of climatically active gases from processes that use coal as the primary fuel.

This course provides a brief introduction to the field of biocatalysis in the context of process design. Fundamental topics include why and when one may choose to use biological systems for chemical conversion, considerations for using free enzymes versus whole cells, and issues related to design and development of bioconversion processes. Biological and engineering problems are discussed as well as how one may arrive at both biological and engineering solutions.

In the ICE-Topics courses, various chemical engineering problems are presented and analyzed in an industrial context. Emphasis is on the integration of fundamentals with material property estimation, process control, product development, and computer simulation. Integration of societal issues, such as engineering ethics, environmental and safety considerations, and impact of technology on society are addressed in the context of case studies.
The broad context for this ICE-Topics module is the commonsense notion that, when designing something, one should plan for the off-normal conditions that may occur. A continuous process is conceived and designed as a steady-state operation. However, the process must start up, shut down, and operate in the event of disturbances, and so the time-varying behavior of the process should not be neglected. It is helpful to consider the operability of a process early in the design, when alternatives are still being compared. In this module, we will examine some tools that will help to evaluate the operability of the candidate process at the preliminary design stage, before substantial effort has been invested.

6.720 examines the physics of microelectronic semiconductor devices for silicon integrated circuit applications. Topics covered include: semiconductor fundamentals, p-n junction, metal-oxide semiconductor structure, metal-semiconductor junction, MOS field-effect transistor, and bipolar junction transistor. The course emphasizes physical understanding of device operation through energy band diagrams and short-channel MOSFET device design. Issues in modern device scaling are also outlined. The course is worth 2 Engineering Design Points.
Acknowledgments
Prof. Jesús del Alamo would like to thank Prof. Harry Tuller for his support of and help in teaching the course.

This team-taught subject is for doctoral students working on emerging technologies at the interface of technology, policy and societal issues. It integrates concepts of research strategy and design from a variety of disciplines. The class addresses problem identification and formulation of research topics, the role of qualitative and quantitative research methods, and the use of various data collection techniques. Coursework focuses on students’ thesis proposals, faculty-student study panels, critical evaluation of research design, and ethical issues in conducting research and gathering data.

The strategic importance of information technology is now widely accepted. It has also become increasingly clear that the identification of strategic applications alone does not result in success for an organization. A careful coordination of strategic applications, information technologies, and organizational structures must be made to attain success. This course addresses strategic, technological, and organizational connectivity issues to support effective and meaningful integration of information and systems. This course is especially relevant to those who wish to effectively exploit information technology and create new business processes and opportunities.

This class addresses some of the important issues involved with the planning, development, and implementation of lean enterprises. People, technology, process, and management dimensions of an effective lean manufacturing company are considered in a unified framework. Particular emphasis is placed on the integration of these dimensions across the entire enterprise, including product development, production, and the extended supply chain. Analysis tools as well as future trends and directions are explored. A team project is a key component of this subject.

This course integrates studies of engineering sciences, reactor physics and safety assessment into nuclear power plant design. Topics include materials issues in plant design and operations, aspects of thermal design, fuel depletion and fission-product poisoning, and temperature effects on reactivity, safety considerations in regulations and operations, such as the evolution of the regulatory process, the concept of defense in depth, General Design Criteria, accident analysis, probabilistic risk assessment, and risk-informed regulations.

This course will explore the organization and functions of the U.S. Intelligence Community, its interaction with national security policymakers, key issues about its workings, and the challenges it faces in defining its future role. The events of 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq have focused new attention on national intelligence, including the most significant reorganization of the community since the National Security Act of 1947. The course will highlight some of the major debates about the role, practices, and problems of national intelligence.

The course will start with an overview of the central and peripheral nervous systems (CNS and PNS), the development of their structure and major divisions. The major functional components of the CNS will then be reviewed individually. Topography, functional distribution of nerve cell bodies, ascending and descending tracts in the spinal cord. Brainstem organization and functional components, including cranial nerve nuclei, ascending / descending pathways, amine-containing cells, structure and information flow in the cerebellar and vestibular systems. Distribution of the cranial nerves, resolution of their skeletal and branchial arch components. Functional divisions of the Diencephalon and Telencephalon. The course will then continue with how these various CNS pieces and parts work together. Motor systems, motor neurons and motor units, medial and lateral pathways, cortical versus cerebellar systems and their functional integration. The sensory systems, visual, auditory and somatosensory. Olfaction will be covered in the context of the limbic system, which will also include autonomic control and the Papez circuit. To conclude, functional organization and information flow in the neocortex will be discussed.

During the fall of 2017, art educator B. Stephen Carpenter II began a residency at the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology (CAST). He provided new perspectives on issues of access, privilege, and the global water crisis through a series of seminars, performances, and workshops. Carpenter’s seminars illustrated ways of disrupting systems of oppression and ways to increase access to potable water in politically marginalized communites in the United States and abroad.

This course explores audio synthesis, musical structure, human computer interaction (HCI), and visual presentation for the creation of interactive musical experiences. Topics include audio synthesis; mixing and looping; MIDI sequencing; generative composition; motion sensors; music games; and graphics for UI, visualization, and aesthetics. Weekly programming assignments in python are included. Student teams build an original, dynamic, and engaging interactive music system for their final project.

This course is an interdisciplinary exploration of three broad topics concerning music in relation to time.

Music as Architecture: the creation of musical shapes in time;
Music as Memory: how musical understanding depends upon memory and reminiscence, with attention to analysis of musical structures; and
Time as the Substance of Music: how different disciplines such as philosophy and neuroscience view the temporal dimension of musical processes and/or performances.

Classroom discussion of these topics is complemented by three weekend concerts with pre-concert forums, jointly presented by the Boston Chamber Music Society (BCMS) and MIT Music & Theater Arts.

This graduate-level course covers fluid systems dominated by the influence of interfacial tension. The roles of curvature pressure and Marangoni stress are elucidated in a variety of fluid systems. Particular attention is given to drops and bubbles, soap films and minimal surfaces, wetting phenomena, water-repellency, surfactants, Marangoni flows, capillary origami and contact line dynamics.

2.51 is a 12-unit subject, serving as the Mechanical Engineering Department’s advanced undergraduate course in heat and mass transfer. The prerequisites for this course are the undergraduate courses in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, specifically Thermal Fluids Engineering I and Thermal Fluids Engineering II or their equivalents. This course covers problems of heat and mass transfer in greater depth and complexity than is done in those courses and incorporates many subjects that are not included or are treated lightly in those courses; analysis is given greater emphasis than the use of correlations. Course 2.51 is directed at undergraduates having a strong interest in thermal science and graduate students who have not previously studied heat transfer.

This course is a survey of modern macroeconomics at a quite advanced level. Topics include the neoclassical growth model, overlapping generations, endogenous growth models, business cycles, incomplete nominal adjustment, incomplete financial markets, fiscal and monetary policy, consumption and savings, and unemployment. The course is also an introduction to the mathematical tools used in modern macroeconomics, including dynamic systems, optimal control, and dynamic programming.

This course is a survey of modern macroeconomics at a fairly advanced level. Topics include neoclassical and new& growth theory, consumption and saving behavior, investment, and unemployment. It also includes use of the dynamic programming techniques. Assignments include problem sets and written discussions of macroeconomic events. This course is recommended for students planning to apply to graduate school in economics.

This course uses the tools of macroeconomics to study various macroeconomic policy problems in-depth. The problems range from economic growth in the long run, to government finances in the intermediate run, and economic stability in the short run. Many economic models used today are surveyed.

This course provides an introduction to theory and data designed to meet the needs of students interested in economic science. It provides an introduction to consumer choice, the theory of the firm, and general equilibrium models, with an overview of the main results and tools used in studying these topics, both directly in economics and indirectly in various other fields.

This course studies the fundamentals of how the design and operation of internal combustion engines affect their performance, efficiency, fuel requirements, and environmental impact. Topics include fluid flow, thermodynamics, combustion, heat transfer and friction phenomena, and fuel properties, with reference to engine power, efficiency, and emissions. Students examine the design features and operating characteristics of different types of internal combustion engines: spark-ignition, diesel, stratified-charge, and mixed-cycle engines. The class includes lab project in the Engine Laboratory.