"Using a bicycle wheel to thresh millet, making LEGO-like bricks from dirt, or hooking up an electric generator to an irrigation pump may not save the world, but such simple projects could go a long way toward improving the lives of millions of people living in the world's developing countries. That's the guiding principle behind a month-long summer workshop at MIT that wrapped up today. Its goal was to develop simple, inexpensive devices that can make a real difference for people and communities" - Michael Muller

Another (older) NYT Magazne profile: http://www.nytimes.com/2003... Even though she occupies (from what I tell at least) the forefront of this type of research and design in an institutional context, MIT will only give her the title of 'lecturer' because she never cared to spend six more years to get her Ph.D. -- academia is a weird place. - sara

The story behind the story behind the story. - Michael Muller