Dear Octet,



I pray you are well and marveling at the beauty of this season. Emily Dickinson's poem "Autumn" (read below) has been stoking my imagination—prodding it to participate in the festivity of changing colors and light all around us. Who is this Creator that He would lavish such majesty and richness upon us? Let's explore His creativity more fully and let's celebrate Him!

With joy,

Mia Chung-Yee

Executive Director

Autumn

The morns are meeker than they were - 

The nuts are getting brown -

The berry’s cheek is plumper -

The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf -

The field a scarlet gown -

Lest I should be old-fashioned 

I’ll put a trinket on. 

—Emily Dickinson

• Read Sam Lee's essay on the awe-inspiring infinitude of God—and how wonder is part of what it means to be human.
• In the Boston area? Join Octet for a documentary film screening complete with dinner & exclusive Q&A on the theology of AI.
• A new season of Octet's Infinite Corridor Podcast is out! Listen now to glean wisdom from MIT alumni on materials science, data ethics, and the philosophy of science.
• A sneak peek at Octet's spring course offerings.
• ...and more!

Awe & Wonder

by Sam Lee, Assistant Theologian

What happens when we become so confident that we avoid ever being surprised? Assistant Theologian Sam Lee argues in this essay that awe and wonder are central to what it means to be a human.

Wise scholars like to say, "The more you know, the more you know you don't know." It's an adage that reminds us that wisdom is really about humility: learning more has the potential to open our eyes to our smallness and finitude.

As Christians, this knowledge of our smallness should appropriately lead us to awe & wonder at the God we worship. Sam Lee draws on Old Testament poetry to remind us of the infinitude of our God — and the only right response to his overwhelming majesty.

This is Sam Lee's first essay with the Octet Collaborative! You can get to know Sam at this video interview from when he joined the team.

Film Screening: The End of Humanity

Octet is pleased to be hosting a film screening of documentary The End of Humanity, directed by Andreas Dürr and Jan-Marc Furer. (All in the Boston area are welcome!)

Despite its forbidding title, the film is animated by curiosity and hope around human engagement with AI. We'll carefully consider humanity's end — as in its purpose, not just its demise. (See definition 4 in the dictionary.)

Theologian Oliver Dürr will facilitate a panel discussion & conversation following the screening.

Mark your calendars: 10/26/2024, 6pm dinner / 7pm screening

New Podcast Interview: Alan Love

And other campus offerings:

Want to join us? Text JOIN to (833) 459-3187 to receive details by text.

A sneak peek at next semester's courses...

Octet has been hard at work preparing offerings for both the Independent Activities Period & the spring semester.

2025 may seem far away, but it'll be filled with fascinating explorations of:

• Music & neuroscience (IAP)
• Formation, beauty, and Rembrandt (IAP)
• Science, tech, & ethics (IAP)
• Disagreeing well (IAP)
• A better future (spring course)

For course descriptions, see our website!

P.S. Can't wait to see the connections between the 17th century Dutch painter Rembrandt and Christian formation? Page through the Visual Commentary on Scripture to whet your appetite . . .

• Octet partner Dr. Deborah Chung was honored by the U.S. House of Representatives! Congressman Timothy Kennedy attested: "She has passionately served the University and greatly contributed to the community." (Listen to her podcast interview here.)
• It's Nobel season! So far, several MIT affiliates have been honored. Profs Daren Acemoglu and Simon Johnson share the Nobel Prize in Economics with UChicago's James Robinson. Also, honorees for Physiology or Medicine Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were postdoc colleagues at MIT in the '80s.
• (We're sure the Institute will continue to eagerly report its affiliates' achievements. Follow MIT's Nobel news here.)
• MIT is launching a new grad program in Music Technology & Computation. Octet is pleased to see this commitment to cross-disciplinary inquiry!

Ministry Calendar

• MIT's Grad Christian Fellowship meets for Large Group at 6:45pm on Fridays.
• MIT Cru meets for Large Group at 8pm on Tuesdays.
• RUF holds Dinner & Discussion every Wednesday at 7:30.
• And more! Check out United Christian Organization's guide to participating MIT ministries.