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Really? If I just come by, they'll let me look around? I don't go to MIT ...

One of the great charms of MIT is that, generally speaking, they make it really easy to pretend to be an MIT alum. For example, the libraries are open to the public (though you can't check anything out, of course).

Generally, if you hang around, act friendly, and talk really quickly they assume you're part of the club.

At Harvard, though, you can't get into the library without a current valid ID and a body cavity search.

yeah. what I did is that I emailed some professors or phds and asked them if they or someone I knew could show me around. just tell them you're a student and interested in what they are doing. they certainly like to show you their stuff. just pick the areas from the website above that interest you and email the folks, most of them are very open.

If you can bring a pretty woman with you, it works even better. My wife and I visited the MIT campus a few years back, and she attracted more attention to us than I would have alone. She knows next to nothing about technology, but it didn't matter. Note, I'm not trying to knock MIT girls, just giving you a tip to get into some labs. Also, MIT folks are very nice and open, not elitist at all, in my experience.

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