Tangential Front Following

Say what!? This was one of the topics in today's systems engineering class taught by deWeck, a professor in the Aero-Astro Engineering department. It was probably one of the most mathematically intensive classes I've had so far. Even though I didn't understand some the theory (he lost me when he started talking about "eigenvectors"), I really enjoyed the lecture. This is what MIT is all about! I love it! One day we could be talking about tangential front following and isoperformance and the next day we could be talking about financial ratios and bond premiums.

Systems Engineering vs. Mountain Biking

What do they have in common? Nothing, of course. Which is why I have to give up one for the other. Usually on Tuesday mornings a few MIT Outdoors Club members organize a mountain bike ride in the Fells, a wooded reservation just north of Cambridge. I can't make it to these rides because my System Engineering class which starts at 8:30 am. But last Tuesday I said "What the heck! I'm going to skip class and do the ride". I was glad I did. It was an awesome bike ride. It reminded me how much I miss the outdoors, the mountain biking, the exhilaration of running over obstacles, the feeling of crashing at any moment... Living in California I almost took this for granted, but now I need to make the extra effort to get out of the city and experience the great outdoors. Which is why I'm contemplating a hiking trip in the White Mountains during the break. I hope to convince some of my classmates to join me.

Fireworks

I've been meaning to post this for a while... Serge, Nick, Fernando and I scored front row seats to the 4th of July fireworks show because of our auspicious affiliation with the MIT sailing club. (the week before we rented a couple of boats and sailed around the Charles River; that made us bona-fide sailors and gave us the privilege to view the fireworks from the sailing club dock).
The fireworks were launched from a barge right in front of us. Not only did we see the fireworks in all their splendor, we also felt them; every explosion sending shockwaves through our bodies moments after it spectacularly unfolded in the skies.

What Is Going On...

in this world? I just turned the TV on for the first time in days to find out that the Big Dig tunnel is closed and the Boston area has apparently been hit by some major rainstorms. When did all this happen!? With school work ramping up, I'm either stuck in that bunker in building 9 (where my classes are held) or finishing some group assignment in the Student Center. The world keeps turning and I'm not even aware of major events happenning right here in my own backyard!

We're half way through the summer session and the amount of coursework is peaking (taking a cue from the spring semester, the midpoint is the toughest period). After next week, the load should go down and, maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to enjoy a day in the sunshine... or keep up with the news.

Before and ...

after? I'm hoping that some day, a solar concentrator system will take up this space. Ahh, what a beautiful sight that would be! Our team is busy spending the Ignite money on a prototype system that will help us showcase our technology to potential investors (and, of course, the prototype will also help us figure out how to build the systems more efficiently in South Africa).

For now, the MIT Facilities department has agreed to let us install the system on a parking lot in West Campus (at the end of the soccer fields). I've marked up the site and with a bit of luck, we may have a system installed on this very spot at the end of the summer. Keeping the fingers crossed!

Financial Accountability

I love the Finance and Accounting class! Even the most dedicated CPA would agree that accounting is the most boring subject you could take (especially during the summer!). Which is why I think the professor is phenomenal because he manages to make it interesting while at the same time fun and engaging. To be sure, we're not learning how to do basic accounting, instead we're learning how to analyze financial statements and manage financial expectations. We're learning where the boundaries are and what rules to follow.

This is a really interesting topic in the post-Enron world. For example, how did Enron manage to hide its losses? Let's see if I can remember... Enron was showing revenue coming from sales to entities which were "sufficiently, but not totally independent" of Enron (these were the shadow companies established by Skilling and Fastow). However, because they were not really independent, Enron should've included their gains/losses in a consolidated financial statement. Basically these "independent" firms were taking the losses that should've shown on Enron's financial statements.

The lesson here is that, as future managers, we may find ourselves in a position where we could influence the financial reports of our companies. With the lessons from the Enron or WorldCom fiascos and Sarbanes-Oxley hanging over our heads, this is a pretty heavy burden...