“I would like to speak briefly and simply about a serious national condition. It is a national feeling of fear and frustration that could result in national suicide and the end of everything that we Americans hold dear.....I don’t want to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny—Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear. . . . Surely we Republicans aren’t that desperate for victory.”
Looking Forward and Back
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Thursday, June 30, 2016
We here at Radius will be taking some time off this summer for rest and renewal, but with our eyes towards September and the new academic year. As we do this, we also reflect back on the year as we write and publish our annual report.
The Power of Uni-tasking
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Monday, May 2, 2016
For over a year now, Radius has been co-sponsoring Hack Your Mind, a popular lunchtime series on technology and mindfulness with topics ranging from stress reduction to Facebook (and other media) addiction to helpful apps for meditation initiates. Over the year, two themes have been at the forefront: distractedness and a sense of being overwhelmed, both with technology and our reliance on it. People talk of having to multi-task in order to get things done, but research is now proving that multitasking is an illusion.
Although the Cold War is officially over, the United States' nuclear arsenal is an integral part of our country's military strategy and spending. Next Saturday, Radius will be co-hosting an all-day conference focusing on reducing the risks of a nuclear event. In 2014, our blog reported some staggering statistics related to nuclear weapons and spending and today, sadly, those statistics remain stable.
Did you know that....
CityDays MIT 2016
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Monday, March 14, 2016
When I was growing up, volunteering in a concrete, organized way--except for our church--was not part of my life. In addition to church volunteering, my mother would readily help neighbors and family members--a drive to the doctor's office or the market, a meal delivered. We were always exhorted to help those who were less fortunate than ourselves, but organized, community volunteering was not part of our family's life.
Paris Climate Talks: Now What?
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Monday, February 8, 2016
It's been nearly two months since the COP 21 negotiations in Paris concluded. Opinions of the effectiveness of the talks vary--some hailing it as a bold move toward public problem solving to others calling it a fraud. In January, Christiana Figueres, the UN climate change official who guided the negotiations for six years, sounded guardedly optimistic, saying that the agreement kindled "a huge flame of hope."
Being. Doing. Thinking. Or Not!
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Each spring semester, Radius co-hosts an undergraduate ethics seminar with the Philosophy Department. Departing from a more academic-styled class, the seminar, Being. Thinking. Doing. (Or Not!): Ethics in Your Life, is a free-wheeling, relaxed dinner with ample opportunity for exploration and discussion. Held every Tuesday evening, we usually host an expert in a field (activism, the environment, sustainable economies, gentrification, bio-ethics, military spending) who shares his/her expertise and then we open it up to questions and discussion.
Martin Luther King: Beyond Vietnam
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Monday, January 18, 2016
On April 4, 1967 at Riverside Church in New York City, Martin Luther King delivered a speech, "Beyond Vietnam", meticulously outlining the reasons for his public protest against the United State's war in Vietnam. The speech was to create a furor and many, who had previously supported MLK's work, turned against him. He stated that he realized that "silence is betrayal" and that he had to speak out, even against the very administration that had been supporting his causes.
IAP: Radius' Picks!
Posted by:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
Monday, January 4, 2016
Each January, MIT offers the community an opportunity to explore topics and activities that may not be available during the regular academic year.