Hacks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are practical jokes and pranks meant to prominently demonstrate technical aptitude and cleverness or commemorate popular culture and historical topics. The pranks are anonymously constructed at night by undergraduate students (hackers) and are governed by an extensive and informal body of precedent, tradition, and ethics. Although hacks can occur across campus, many make use of the prominent Great Dome.

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  • Hacks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are practical jokes and pranks meant to prominently demonstrate technical aptitude and cleverness or commemorate popular culture and historical topics. The pranks are anonymously constructed at night by undergraduate students (hackers) and are governed by an extensive and informal body of precedent, tradition, and ethics. Although hacks can occur across campus, many make use of the prominent Great Dome. Hacker alumni include Nobel Laureate George F. Smoot. Although the practice is unsanctioned by the university and students have been arraigned on trespassing charges for hacking, hacks have substantial significance to MIT's history and student culture and several hacks are prominently featured as exhibits in recent buildings such as the Stata Center and MIT Museum. Famous hacks include a weather balloon labeled "MIT" appearing at the 50-yard line at the Harvard/Yale football game in 1982, placing a campus police cruiser on the roof of the Great Dome, converting the Great Dome into R2-D2 or a large yellow ring to acknowledge the release of Star Wars Episode I and Lord of the Rings respectively, or placing replicas of the Wright Flyer and a firetruck to acknowledge the anniversaries of first flight and the September 11th attacks respectively.
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  • Hack (technology slang)
  • Roof and tunnel hacking
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  • Hacks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are practical jokes and pranks meant to prominently demonstrate technical aptitude and cleverness or commemorate popular culture and historical topics. The pranks are anonymously constructed at night by undergraduate students (hackers) and are governed by an extensive and informal body of precedent, tradition, and ethics. Although hacks can occur across campus, many make use of the prominent Great Dome.
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  • Hacks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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