Chronology

Show year... [Show All]
2020's: 2021 2022 2023
2010's: 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2000's: 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
1990's: 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
1980's: 1989

This is the comprehensive listing of all of the hacks in the IHTFP Hack Gallery, presented in reverse chronological order.

2023


2022


2021


2019


2018


2017


2016


2015


2014


2013


2012


2011


2010


2009


2008


2007


2006


2005


2004


2003


2002


2001


2000


1999


1998


1997


1996


1995


1994


1993


1992


1991


1990


1989


Hacks during 2023

Prev (2022)

Duke banner in the facade of Building 7; a welcome sign in Lobby 7
[2023.01.03]

Prev (2022)

Hacks during 2022

Prev (2021) / Next (2023)

Study desk placed in roof space
[2022.12.20]
A giant Duck (stollen from Harvard) showed up in a 26-100 lecture
[2022.12.05]
Banners saying "Wakanda Forever" decorated the facade of Building 7
[2022.11.11]
There was a replica of the Eye of Sauron on top of Small Dome
[2022.10.13]
A black stripe covered the word Openness in a Lobby 7 banner
[2022.10.12]
Door stoppers around campus protest MIT closedness stance.
[2022.09.08]
Wordle in the windows of building 8
[2022.04.08]
Giant two's went on top of Small Dome and Alchemist
[2022.02.22]

Prev (2021) / Next (2023)

Hacks during 2021

Next (2022)

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of a hack featuring barber poles, hackers covered MIT campus in 70 barber poles, and invited the MIT community to participate in a scavenger hunt to find them all.
[2021.11.08]
Apple Picking at Lobby 7
[2021.10.22]

Next (2022)

Hacks during 2019

Prev (2018)

MIT hackers topped the Great Dome with Captain America's shield in honor of the premier of Avengers: Endgame.
[2019.04.27]

Prev (2018)

Hacks during 2018

Prev (2017) / Next (2019)

Hackers honor their professor's imperative to always be prepared for chemistry
[2018.12.12]
Hackers fly a periodic table -- and then later a candy cane -- above Killian Court
[2018.12.02-2018.12.17]
An office chair and cone appeared on the Lobby 7 dome
[2018.07.24]
A banner from Harvard appeared on 77 Mass Ave.
[2018.04.14]
A disco ball was suspended above Lobby 7.
[2018.02.12]

Prev (2017) / Next (2019)

Hacks during 2017

Prev (2016) / Next (2018)

Hackers greeted finals-takers with a banner bearing the text "Nothing's Impossible" and chocolates.
[2017.12.22]
2017 CSAIL Sail
Large sail with the letter "C" on the Stata CSAIL building.
[2017.11.12]
A foam dinosaur was placed on top of Kresge Auditorium a few days before Halloween.
[2017.10.23]
On the 10th anniversary of the release of the video game Portal, GLaDOS appeared, descending in Lobby 7.
[2017.10.09]
Students both mourn the loss of and show solidarity for Senior House
[2017.06.18]
2017 Earth Day
Hackers transform both the top and underside of the dome into a globe for Earth Day.
[2017.04.22]
2017 21 in 7
Playing cards bearing the incoming freshman class number
[2017.04.08]
Statues around campus wear pussy hats in celebration of International Women's Day
[2017.03.08]
Hackers display the purple ribbon for all of Boston to see
[2017.02.27]
Hackers honor the opening of the revival of Hack, Punt, Tool by paying tribute to a hack from the past
[2017.02.03]
Hackers make the Stata Center buttons more expressive
[2017.01.15]

Prev (2016) / Next (2018)

Hacks during 2016

Prev (2015) / Next (2017)

Hackers deploy a rover to Kresge Oval
[2016.12.20]
Hackers celebrated the final day of 3.091 lecture
[2016.12.14]
2016 MacGhosts
Ghosts haunt MacGregor's windows for Halloween
[2016.10.31]
"Great fortune will fill your halls from an unknown source"
[2016.10.12]
Hackers welcome the class of 2020 with a banner over 77 Mass Ave.
[2016.09.07]
Hackers celebrate the 25 year mark from when Torvalds announced Linux
[2016.08.25]
Hackers point out Richard Cockburn Maclaurin's true "energy vision" by posting a painting of him using his super powered laser vision.
[2016.05.19]
Four planes strung between Stata and Building 68
[2016.05.09]
Hackers celebrate the release of Captain America: Civil War.
[2016.05.08-2016.05.10]
An interactive origami beaver suspended above Lobby 10
[2016.05.07]
Hackers deployed banners welcoming the prospective class of 2020
[2016.04.07]
2016 ExSPONGEd
A banner and a duck appear in front of Maseeh Hall
[2016.03.18]
Drones invade MIT on MIT Admissions Day
[2016.03.14]
Decorations for Random Hall's 12th birthday filled Lobby 7
[2016.02.29]
2016 SpaceX
Hackers anticipate SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch.
[2016.02.01]
Hackers honor recently deceased actor, Alan Rickman
[2016.01.18]
Commemorating the passing of singer-songwriter David Bowie, hackers strung a banner in front of Lobby 7 and added an auditory and visual tribute to Bowie's style and music inside.
[2016.01.12]

Prev (2015) / Next (2017)

Hacks during 2015

Prev (2014) / Next (2016)

Piñatas fill Lobby 7
[2015.12.02]
Hackers celebrate 20 years of Pixar
[2015.11.22]
A projected French flag on the Great Dome, showing support for the people of Paris after the recent attack
[2015.11.14]
2015 Fallout 4
Hackers celebrate the release of Fallout 4
[2015.11.10]
A scene from the second Harry Potter book
[2015.10.31]
Hackers greet MIT parents with a fleet of MIT animals!
[2015.10.26]
Great Scott! In honor of Back to the Future Day, Lobby 7 was decorated with various BTTF paraphernalia, while a time-traveling DeLorean was found crashed outside.
[2015.10.21]
2015 New Bexley
A smaller version of Bexley Hall found its way to the top of the Little Dome, across the street from where the now-demolished dorm originally stood.
[2015.10.12]
Hackers hang their own digital clock in Lobby 7, in support of a Muslim high school freshman who was arrested after his clock project was labelled as a bomb.
[2015.09.18]
2015 Hackapult
While trying to figure out how to get hacks onto the dome, hackers used a catapult to launch old hacks back towards the dome with varying degrees of success.
[2015.09.04]
Tau on the cow in Stata
[2015.06.28]
2015 MIT Pride
Hackers illuminated the Great Dome in rainbow lights in honor of the Supreme Court ruling earlier that day legalizing same-sex marriage.
[2015.06.26]
Hackers don the new Media Lab building with a logo that can be seen only from above
[2015.06.01]
Hackers decorate Lobby 7 for the new Jurassic Park film
[2015.04.26]
Pi, pies, and Ozoks in the Lobby 7 skylight
[2015.03.14]
Pirate Bay flag in Lobby 7.
[2015.02.01]
2015 Snowhenge
Stonehenge on Kresge Oval.
[2015.01.29]

Prev (2014) / Next (2016)

Hacks during 2014

Prev (2013) / Next (2015)

The famous fairy tale beanstalk and castle on the 66/68 Skybridge.
[2014.10.25]
In honor of Phoebe Wang.
[2014.09.25]
2014 Rainbow 77
77 Mass Ave decked out for Boston's Pride Parade.
[2014.07.15]
In honor of Officer Sean Collier.
[2014.04.18]
A giant MIT admissions tube on Caltech campus.
[2014.04.02]
Hackers deployed an extra "Thank You" banner during MIT's 2014 Excellence Awards ceremony.
[2014.02.25]
Olymic Rings Suspended Over Briggs Field.
[2014.02.08]

Prev (2013) / Next (2015)

Hacks during 2013

Prev (2012) / Next (2014)

Hackers celebrate Thanksgivukkah by placing a celebratory banner and dreidel on Building 10.
[2013.12.03]
Hackers reconstructed a scene from the book Ender's Game in Lobby 7 and hung banners in front of Building 10.
[2013.11.03]
Hackers transformed the Alchemist into Walter White from Breaking Bad.
[2013.09.29]
Freddie Mercury stands atop Kresge Auditorium on his birthday.
[2013.09.05]
In memory of Officer Sean Collier.
[2013.04.22]
An April Fools' Day banner welcoming back the former president of MIT
[2013.04.01]
Hackers place a medical mask on the Alchemist statue.
[2013.01.15]
Pacman and Blinky appear on the Great Dome.
[2013.01.10]

Prev (2012) / Next (2014)

Hacks during 2012

Prev (2011) / Next (2013)

Hackers decorate Lobby 7 in anticipation of the Mayan apocalypse.
[2012.12.17]
2012 /g/
In honor of ROFLcon 2012, a /g/ appeared below the great dome
[2012.05.06]
Hackers turned MIT's Green Building into a giant game of Tetris.
[2012.04.20]
A Circus came to Lobby 7, complete with ring master, trapeze artist, high-wire, and more.
[2012.04.19]
A Portal 2 themed Newton's Cradle appeared underneath the skybridge connecting buildings 18 and 56.
[2012.04.18]
A Dalek (an arch-enemy cyborg from the TV series Doctor Who) appeared on top of a spire of the Stata Center.
[2012.04.17]
Ozok appears for Random Hall's 11th birthday.
[2012.02.28]
Hackers celebrate Valentine's Day
[2012.02.14]
2012 1000 xkcd Comics in Lobby 7
Hackers commemorated the 1000th xkcd comic strip by posting all thousand comics around Lobby 7.
[2012.01.11]

Prev (2011) / Next (2013)

Hacks during 2011

Prev (2010) / Next (2012)

On the morning of December 14, 2011 MIT green and grey army men took over MIT
[2011.12.14]
On November 1, 2011, hackers placed a banner in front of Building 7 on 77 Mass Ave to commemorate the end of the "November Rule", an MIT tradition that bans relationships between freshman and upperclassmen until the beginning of November.
[2011.11.11]
On November 05, 2011, Hackers placed a Guy Fawkes mask, and a banner on the inside of Lobby 7 commemorating the fifth of November.
[2011.11.05]
On October 6, 2011, hackers installed the apple logo on Maseeh's clock tower and hung the apple logo in lobby 7 in memory of Steve Jobs' death.
[2011.10.06]
On September 11, 2011, hackers installed lights on the Green building and hung a flag on the pillars of Building 10 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
[2011.09.11]
On September 06, 2011, hackers hung a 48-foot-long Nyan Cat with rainbow trail in Lobby 7.
[2011.09.06]
On September 3, 2011, Hackers placed a sign indicating a cheat code to get to the great dome.
[2011.09.03]
On March 9, 2011, hackers illuminated both lobby 7 and the big dome with purple lights and placed a purple ribbon above the entrance to 77 Mass. Ave.
[2011.03.09]
On February 03, 2011, hackers hung internal organs inside the Alchemist statue outside of the student center.
[2011.02.03]
In early January 2011, hackers placed wikipedia cleanup tags in many places around the Institute for wikipedia's 10th anniversary.
[2011.01.15]

Prev (2010) / Next (2012)

Hacks during 2010

Prev (2009) / Next (2011)

On December 09,2010, hackers hung a very large cheese in 10-250, just in time for the final session of 18.02.
[2010.12.09]
Looks like these spiders' strings are theoretically used for more than webs
[2010.10.31]
2010 TARDIS on building 7, great dome, and beyond
Hackers install a TARDIS on building 7 for orientation/rush. Five days later, the TARDIS reappeared on the great dome. And then, it kept on appearing....
[2010.08.25]
For the last day of classes, hackers decorated the 6-120 lecture hall (home of the class 8.04 Quantum Physics) with various (often obscure) quantum physics-related jokes.
[2010.05.13]
For Campus Preview Weekend 2010, hackers installed a high-class lounge (complete with pool table, sleeping cat, whiskey, and hack plans) upside-down on the Media Lab Arch the morning of 4/8/10.
[2010.04.08]
Hackers decorated parts of the Green Building for the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first publication.
[2010.03.16]
In honor of the 80th anniversary of Pluto's discovery, hackers installed in Lobby 7 a (motorized) solar system mobile along with birthday-themed acoutrements on the pedestals around the lobby.
[2010.02.18]
Satirizing MIT's newest major, Biological Engineering, hackers installed a display case with models of engineered body parts. The hack appeared along the Infinite Corridor on 2/7/10.
[2010.02.07-2010.02.10]

Prev (2009) / Next (2011)

Hacks during 2009

Prev (2008) / Next (2010)

2009 Black Hole
Hackers honor CERN
[2009.09.27]
Hackers note the similarity of the Great Dome construction to a musical staff
[2009.09.20]
2009 Statue of the goddess Athena in Killian Court
Hackers placed a large statue of the Greek goddess Athena in Killian Court on the first day of final exams.
[2009.05.18]
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of humans setting foot on the moon, hackers placed a 1/2 scale replica of the Apollo Lunar Module on the Great Dome.
[2009.05.17]
Hackers installed a solar-powered Boston MBTA-style subway car riding on the wall around MIT's Great Dome on 4/27/09
[2009.04.27]
On the morning of April 16th, various signs and items each illustrating a play on words of the acronym "CPW" appeared around campus. The signs identified the perpetrators as "Creative People with Words".
[2009.04.16]

[2009.04.06]
Hackers turned the entire Massachusetts Avenue-facing 4th-floor side of MIT's Stratton Student Center (Building W20) into a Cylon eye scanner from the TV series Battlestar Galactica in honor of the season finale airing Friday, March 20.
[2009.03.20]
To celebrate Darwin's 200th birthday, MIT hackers put a large red banner with a Che Guevara-style image of Charles Darwin and the words "Viva la Evolucion!" on the skybridge between buildings 18 and 56 on 2/11/09.
[2009.02.11]

Prev (2008) / Next (2010)

Hacks during 2008

Prev (2007) / Next (2009)

On the morning of December 17th, a full-size bed appeared in the lounge on the first floor of building 10, along with a sign that said "Save Point -- You may rest your party here -- no jumping." A teddy bear with eyepatch and pirate hat was asleep in the bed.
[2008.12.17]
Fully functional open air toilet installed on building 37.
[2008.10.05]
Hackers put the NASA logo on the Dot for the 50th anniversary of NASA beginning operations.
[2008.10.01]
To protest an what was viewed as an overly restrictive hacking policy, hackers placed black cloth and violation notices on the hack exhibit in the stata center
[2008.09.29]
Road sign changed to read "Trapped in a sign factory, send help!"
[2008.07.24]
Signs around campus to encourage wacky behavior.
[2008.05.17]
Silhouette of a bomber in lobby 7.
[2008.04.18]
Hackers place a UFO on stata for CPW.
[2008.04.13]
Hackers made boxes with chainsaws in them that said "in case of zombie attack, break glass."
[2008.04.10]
Hackers replaced the media test wall art film with the rickroll music video.
[2008.04.10]
Beach balls in lobby 7 spelling out the future of the class of 2012.
[2008.04.10]
Hackers put a garden in the csail stockroom for april fools day.
[2008.04.01]
D20 in Killian court to honor Gary Gygax, inventor of dungeons and dragons.
[2008.03.18]
Objects from the game "Super Smash Bros." appeared in Lobby 7 for the release of the game.
[2008.03.09]
Lambda mobile in lobby 7.
[2008.02.xx]
Candles on the small dome for Random's birthday.
[2008.02.29]
A stargate appears in E19
[2008.01.24]
Kites put up for ben franklin's birthday
[2008.01.17]

Prev (2007) / Next (2009)

Hacks during 2007

Prev (2006) / Next (2008)

Hackers placed textbook covers on the christmas tree outside W20.
[2007.12.18]
Hack for the 6.001 last lecture
[2007.12.15]
2007 Larger-than-life board games around campus
On the morning of December 10th, hackers put up references to various board games around MIT. They included a cheese, mousetrap, and mouse from Mousetrap, the logo, cards, and dice from Cranium, the board from Scrabble, a giant chess set, a Settlers of Catan board, and Risk-themed MIT campus maps.
[2007.12.10]
Hackers placed Guy Fawkes / 'V' masks from the movie 'V for Vendetta' over the faces on posters in the Infinite Corridor on the morning of November 5th. That evening, they stormed the meeting of the Undergraduate Association Senate dressed all in black with similar 'V' masks and fired party poppers into the air after a short speech.
[2007.11.5]
2007 "GO SOX" banner on New House
In recognition of the the Red Sox competing in the 2007 Baseball World Series, hackers put a "GO SOX" banner above the New House dormitory. The Green Building (54) also had its lights turned on and off to spell "SOX" in a tradition known as "Greenspeak"
[2007.10.25]
For the 50th anniversary of Sputnik, hackers placed a beeping model of the satellite in Lobby 10.
[2007.10.04]
During the night prior to the release of the heavily advertised Halo 3 video game, John Harvard was transformed to be a character from the game, complete with helmet and gun.
[2007.09.24]
Shortly before the start of term the lighting on the dome was given a purple hue.
[2007.09.02]
On the morning when the final Harry Potter book was being delivered to the doorsteps of muggles, a Dark Mark appeared above the Student Center.
[2007.07.21]
2007 Broomstick Parking for Harry Potter
A broomstick parking area, complete with broomsticks, appeared in the Stata Center in anticipation of the release of the seventh Harry Potter novel.
[2007.07.20]
2007 Red, White, and Blue Dome for Fourth of July
Taking advantage of the Great Dome's new LED lighting system, patriotic hackers made the dome Red, White, and Blue for the Fourth of July.
[2007.07.04]
The Great Dome was turned green to highlight the dome's new environmentally friendly (green!) LED lighting system. The new lighting system was turned on in a Dome Lighting ceremony the day after commencement. This hack may still be up if it hasn't been taken down yet...
[2007.06.20]
2007 I'll Have Thesis Finished Pronto at 2007 Commencement
During the 2007 Commencement ceremony, five white panels dropped down from the front of Killian Hall. They displayed the words "I'll Have Thesis Finished Pronto". The banners unfurled at the moment that Dana Mead, the Chair of the MIT Corporation, took the podium.
[2007.06.08]
During a LSC lecture by the author of the xkcd web comic, ball-pit balls fell from the ceiling of the 10-250 lecture hall.
[2007.05.14]
A construction sign with scrolling messages was changed such that one of its messages read "This sign has been hacked."
[2007.04.20]
Three round windows in E25 were turned into a working traffic light.
[2007.04.15]
During CPW 2007, students in the Aero/Astro class "Unified Engineering" placed large paper airplanes in Lobby 10 and Stata. The planes appeared to be made out of huge Athena laser-printer header pages.
[2007.04.13-2007.04.15]
Caltech students distributed a hack version of the MIT newspaper The Tech around the MIT campus during CPW 2007.
[2007.04.13]
Hackers dropped a banner referencing the Aqua Teen Hunger Force bomb scare from the facade of Building 10
[2007.04.13]
Hackers placed almost 100 yellow hand-cranks across campus in the style of those that power the Media Lab's "One Laptop Per Child" laptops. A large yellow crank was placed on the side of the Media Lab itself. Hackers were hoping that the hand-cranks could help MIT save power as part of the MIT Energy Initiative.
[2007.02.18]

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Hacks during 2006

Prev (2005) / Next (2007)

2006 Where's Waldo? He's on the Stata Center...
A protrusion from the Stata Center turned into Waldo from Where's Waldo fame.
[2006.12.15]
For Chrismas 2006, a Christmas tree in the style of Frank Gehry appeared in the Stata Center. The tree had strange angles and was made of aluminum, cardboard, and other materials. A sign below the tree claimed that it was part of an exhibit of hacks that the MIT Museum was displaying in the Stata Center at the time.
[2006.12.12-2007.02.xx]
2006 Legend of Zelda "Triforce" on Great Dome
To celebrate the launch of Nintendo's Wii game console, hacker adorned the Great Dome with a "Triforce" from The Legend of Zelda video games.
[2006.11.18]
During the Harvard-Yale game of 2006, hackers replaced the "VE-RI-TAS" in the Harvard logos on the scoreboard with "HU-GE-EGO".
[2006.11.18]
2006 Huge food replicas in front of Student Center
[2006.11.09]
An "MIT Fire Department" truck appeared on the Great Dome.
[2006.09.11]
Batman symbol on great dome
[2006.04.16]
The Fleming Cannon from Caltech's Fleming Hovse was transported to MIT by the Howe & Ser Moving Company, receiving international media publicity. The cannon was subsequently retrieved by members of Caltech's Fleming House. The cannon appeared during MIT's Campus Preview Weekend and during the 20th anniversary of Harvey Mudd's original heist of the cannon.
[2006.04.06-2006.04.10]
The skylight of 32-123 was adorned with a "Peace, Love, Linux" sign made out of multi-colored condoms.
[2006.04.06]
2006 Torino 2006 Olympic Medal on the Dome
An Winter Olympics medal inscribed with "Torino 2006" appeared on the dome two days after the closing ceremonies.
[2006.02.28]
The chrome "MIT" sign in front of the Stata Center had a "V" and an "O" prefixed to it so that it would spell "VOMIT".
[2006.02.09]

Prev (2005) / Next (2007)

Hacks during 2005

Prev (2004) / Next (2006)

2005 Swing set on Stata building sculpture
[2005.xx.xx]
Shortly before the dollar bill mural in front of the Cashier's Office in Building 10 was to be removed to make way for a new glass-fronted student lounge, George Washington shed a tear on the dollar bill.
[2005.12.15]
The infinite corridor was turned into a level from mario brothers.
[2005.12.14]
2005 Optional instead of title with surrounding text to use to link to the entry. Title used if this isn't present.
During Campus Preview Weekend, a visiting weekend prospective freshmen, one high school senior used the Great Dome as an opportunity to "propose".
[2005.11.23]
2005 Building 9 turned into Building 9¾ for Harry Potter movie release
On the night of the release of the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Building 9 was turned into Building 9¾. Doors were relabelled to represent rooms in Hogwarts, including bathrooms being relabelled as for "Witches" and "Wizards".
[2005.11.17]
Harry's lightning-bolt scar appeared on the Great Dome for the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in the Harry Potter series.
[2005.07.16]
"MIT's Evolving Campus" signs changed to "MIT's revolving campus."
[2005.06.04]
2005 Time Travellers Convention
[2005.05.07]
2005 Banner in Killian for President Hockfield inauguration
[2005.05.06]
The dollar bill outside the cashier's office was modified to have Susan Hockfield's face.
[2005.05.06]
Hackers turned the radome on building 54 into the friendly smiling planet from the cover of the Hitchhiker's Guide books.
[2005.04.29]
During CPW 2005, a group of hackers from Caltech came to MIT to pull pranks around MIT's campus.
[2005.04.09]
Banner drops during the log's performance at CPW acapella concert.
[2005.04.09]
Banner mocking Larry Summers' comments on Women in Science at Harvard
[2005.03.xx]
Some students at the media lab and in CSAIL did a study on the effect of tinfoil hats on amplification/attenuation of radio frequencies.
[2005.02.17]
2005 Sunken pirate ship and tombstones honor demise of Course 13 (Ocean Engineering)
At the begining of the term that Ocean Engineering was incorporated into the Mechanical engineering department, hackers placed a sunken pirate ship and tombstones on kresge oval.
[2005.01.31]

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Hacks during 2004

Prev (2003) / Next (2005)

Parodies of the MIT "No Trespassing" stickers were found on doors around campus.
[2004.12.20]
A tropical escape appeared in building 10 during finals week.
[2004.12.12]
Bronzed items were placed in the lecture hall Mags Harris was lecturing in.
[2004.11.11]
The great dome was turned into a giant baseball for the final two days of the world series.
[2004.10.29]
2004 Go Sox!
A large "GO SOX" banner was placed on the river side of MacGreggor
[2004.10.27]
Greenspeak which read "SOX"
[2004.10.21]
2004 Infrared Line at Simmons Hall
An MBTA sign and and a banner reading "Infrared Line, Entrance to All Trains" appeared at Simmons hall.
[2004.09.30]
A Banner about MIT appeared at Harvard's orientation.
[2004.09.17]
2004 Vannevar Shrubbery Room at the entrance to 10-105
The "Vannevar Shrubbery Room" appeared to replace an alcove that was the former entrance to the "Vannevar Bush Room"
[2004.09.15]
A donkey banner appeared on the great dome for the 2004 DNC. There were three tail banners hanging below which said "Kerry," "Clark," and "Dean."
[2004.07.26]
Drop banner in lobby 7 during finals week is used for marriage proposal.
[2004.05.20]
For the dedication, a modified property office sticker was placed on the stata center.
[2004.05.07]
On the dedication day of the Gates building in the Stata Center, the internet kiosks in the lobby were hacked to boot linux.
[2004.05.07]
A banner mocking Harvard was remote-deployed during a CPW question and answer session.
[2004.04.16]
2004 Transparent Horizons describes itself in East Campus style
Self-description of infamous metal sculpture attached in camouflaged fashion.
[2004.03.03]
Hackers added an addendum to warning cards sent out by IS&T about a security vulnerability in windows, and handed them out at a talk on campus given by Bill Gates.
[2004.02.26]
Shortly after the administration instituted a policy that no flags may be hung from dorms, a banner reading "I Hate The Flag Policy" appeared above Briggs field, suspended between Simmons and MacGregor.
[2004.02.17]
2004 Spaceman Spiff Crashes into the Small Dome
On the first day of classes spring term 2004, a replica of Spaceman Spiff's ship (from Calvin and Hobbes) appeared on the small dome. Spaceman Spiff was hanging inside of Lobby 7.
[2004.02.03]

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Hacks during 2003

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2003 Wright Flyer on the Great Dome celebrates 100 years of flight
Wright Flyer on the great dome celebrates the 100th anniversary of controlled powered flight.
[2003.12.17]
Hackers placed a pirate flag and banner on the great dome.
[2003.10.25]
Hackers made a fake issue of Counterpoint
[2003.09.xx]
Prank new student registration forms.
[2003.09.02]
A rocket launched during the freshman picture dropped flyers over the crowd.
[2003.08.26]
Mirror on top of kiosks in lobby 7.
[2003.06.25]
A line of monitors follow their leader across Lobby 7
[2003.06.20]
When the keypads on athena clusters were moved to the doorhandles, hackers filled the resulting holes in the walls with art.
[2003.05.xx]
2003 Mom on the Dome for Mother's Day
A heart with "MOM" inside it appeared on the great dome for Mother's Day.
[2003.05.11]
2003 Hundreds of gnomes invaded the Student Center Athena cluster
Hundreds of gnomes of all shapes and sizes invaded the w20 cluster.
[2003.04.23]
2003 IHTFP balloon grid in Lobby 7
A grid of balloons spelling IHTFP floated below the lobby 7 skylight.
[2003.04.11]
2003 Anti-harvard banner at CPW
An anti-harvard banner was released at CPW opening ceremonies and was later placed in an MIT museum display.
[2003.04.10]
2003 Alphabet Blocks in Lobby 7
Five four-foot alphabet blocks appeared in Lobby 7 adorned with letters spelling "IHTFP", "NR", "ABC", and various numerical symbols.
[2003.04.06]
2550 Post-It notes appeared on the List Center Media Test Wall in the likeness of Trogdor the Burninator
[2003.04.01]
2003 Welcome to the Academy banner hung from Student Center
Hackers hung a banner proclaiming "Welcome to the Academy!!!" from the side of the Student Center in response to some statements by the deans.
[2003.02.19]
2003 The MIT Black Morbid Fling Together parodied of Valentine's Day matchup services
The "MIT Black Morbid Fling Together" was a satirical Valentine's Day matchup service which attempted to pair people for casual sex instead of real relationships.
[2003.02.14]
2003 Robots staged a Robot Rights protest prior to the 6.270 competition
Robots staged a Robot Rights protest prior to the 6.270 competition.
[2003.01.30]

Prev (2002) / Next (2004)

Hacks during 2002

Prev (2001) / Next (2003)

2002 Eye of Sauron in Lobby 7 skylight
Corresponding with the release of the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the "Eye of Sauron" appeared in the Lobby 7 skylight.
[2002.12.18]
UMOC entries on the pedestals in lobby 7.
[2002.11.13]
5 students from MIT constructed a crop cirlce for the discovery channel.
[2002.10.10]
T.F. Peterson put in Library of Congress author database, despite not existing.
[2002.09.09]
2002 Waffle House banner on Simmons Hall
A banner was hung between the towers of the new Simmons Hall dorm, proclaiming it "Waffle House".
[2002.09.04]
Banner dropped from the ceiling during an 18.03 lecture asking for a classes response to a unit impulse of fish.
[2002.05.10]
Hackers made a hack issue of Tech Talk that looked so similar to the real thing that many students did not notice it was a hack.
[2002.04.17]
2002 Axes of Evil in Lobby 7
Three mutually perpendicular coordinate axes appeared hanging above lobby 7, with the faces of Chuck Vest, Larry Bacow, and Marilee Jones drawn on the arrows.
[2002.03.10]
2002 Wheel of Tuition in Lobby 7 skylight
On the morning of class Registration Day for the Spring 2002, a "stained glass" "Wheel of Tuition" appeared in the newly renovated Lobby 7 skylight. Alas, the spinner-wheel was stopped on "Aid Denied".
[2002.02.04]
Paper dolls appeared in a ring in the Lobby 7 skylight, right as renovations of the skylight were completing.
[2002.01.09]

Prev (2001) / Next (2003)

Hacks during 2001

Prev (2000) / Next (2002)

2001 Gamma Alpha Gamma fraternity during Rush
[2001.??.??]
2001 NMR magnet converted to R2D2 in Lobby 10
[2001.??.??]
2001 "Hole of the Week" sign on Mass. Ave. construction
[2001.??.??]
2001 Hackers in biohazard suits search W20
[2001.??.??]
2001 The One Ring appears around the Great Dome
A "gold" ring with Elvish script appeared on the Great Dome, in anticipation of the first Lord of the Rings movie.
[2001.12.17]
giant American flag hanging in front of the Dome
[2001.09.17]
A funeral procession, complete with tombstone, was held to commemorate the final Rush.
[2001.08.25]
2001 So Long and Thanks For All the Frosh added beneath the great dome
During the last Rush, the text "So Long and Thanks For All The Frosh" was added beneath the great dome.
[2001.08.25]
2001 Parachuting beavers at Commencement
[2001.06.08]
Hackers made a hack issue of the Tech
[2001.05.23]
Weight on dome causing crack
[2001.05.22]
Magic Pi Ball predicting "outlook hazy"
[2001.05.21]
Tech dinghy in the Chapel Moat
[2001.05.17]
Banner in memory of Douglas Adams
[2001.05.17]
Hackers place mock excavation of 2001 style monolith in lobby 7.
[2001.03.23]
2001 [real] Snowman on small dome
[2001.03.08]

Prev (2000) / Next (2002)

Hacks during 2000

Prev (1999) / Next (2001)

[2000.xx.xx]
2000 W20 Elevator chanting
[2000.12.xx]
Hackers ditribute a hack issue of the tech.
[2000.12.13]
Squanch image appears in rock garden in newly re-landscaped 2-4-6 courtyard
[2000.12.03-2001.03.xx]
Hackers drop stuffed beavers over crowd at harvard-yale football game onto the crowd below.
[2000.11.18]
2000 Chess Board in Lobby 7
[2000.10.xx]
2000 Maze in Lobby 7
[2000.09.xx]
Hackers distributed hack issue of Boston Globe.
[2000.05.11]
Sign on temporary aero-astro trailers during construction.
[2000.05.10]
[2000.04.01]

Prev (1999) / Next (2001)

Hacks during 1999

Prev (1998) / Next (2000)

1999 Hack issue of official newspaper Tech Talk
Students distributed a fake edition of Tech Talk, MIT's official newspaper.
[1999.12.01]
Spider Web in Lobby 7 with black widow spider
[1999.10.31]
1999 Freshman Tracking Devices
[1999.09.xx]
Flag and replica of NeilArmstrong on top of the little dome
[1999.07.20]
Just a couple of days before the summer 1999 openning of Phantom Menace, MIT's great dome is transformed into the likeness of R2-D2.
[1999.05.17]
1999 The TEX fraternity-themed hack issue of student-run newspaper The Tech
Students distributed The TEX, a periodical which simultaneously lampooned MIT fraternities and the student newspaper The Tech.
[1999.05.17]
Fake elevator added to rubble of building 20.
[1999.04.06]
1999 Internet Cleaning
[1999.04.01]
1999 Television on the wall of the Infinite Corridor
[1999.01.06]

Prev (1998) / Next (2000)

Hacks during 1998

Prev (1997) / Next (1999)

1998 Lobby 7 skylight: ALL HAIL PASS/FAIL
[1998.??.??]
1998 Jolt bottles dedicated to ``MIT professors who necessitate extreme caffeination''
[1998.??.??]
1998 Counterputz hack issue of MIT-Wellesley student magazine Counterpoint
Students distributed Counterputz, a periodical which lampooned the collaborative MIT-Wellesley discussion magazine Counterpoint.
[1998.12.??]
1998 Welcome MIT Debtors (banner)
[1998.10.17]
Elevators in W20 started announce the floors with short phrases.
[1998.09.??]
Hackers transform 66 point into bow of "Techtanic" playing on the Titanic movie populatiry.
[1998.09.12]
1998 Orange Ribbons in support of ILTFP
[1998.08.xx]
1998 Housing 2001 banners and flyer
[1998.08.26]
1998 Extra Thanks to Physical Plant
[1998.05.xx]
1998 The TIT Observer (hack issue of The MIT Observer)
[1998.05.19]
1998 The TIT Observer hack issue of student-run newspaper The MIT Observer
Students distributed The TIT Observer, a periodical which lampooned an alternative MIT newspaper The MIT Observer.
[1998.05.19]
[1998.05.18]
1998 MIT Zodiac outside Student Services Center
[1998.04.xx]
1998 MIT web page changed to claim that Disney was buying MIT.
Hackers changed the MIT Home Page to claim that Disney was buying MIT.
[1998.04.01]
MIT Deactivated Property sticker placed on Building 20 shortly before its demolition.
[1998.03.27]
1998 Great American Meat-In
Parody of vegetarian "Great American Meat-Out" performed by students in a booth in Lobby 10.
[1998.03.20]
1998 Paper airplane in Lobby 7
Hackers hung a large paper airplane in Lobby 7 for the AIAA IAP Paper Airplane Contest
[1998.01.21]
Mural of Wile E. Coyote smashing into a painted tunnel appears over a "new" wall which appeared during the addition of the Rotch library blocking what had been a popular access path between Building 9 and Lobby 7.
[1998.01.15]

Prev (1997) / Next (1999)

Hacks during 1997

Prev (1996) / Next (1998)

1997 Geeks Crossing sign on Memorial Drive
"Geese Crossing" sign changed to "Geeks Crossing"
[1997.xx.xx]
1997 People's Republic of Cambridge signs
[1997.??.??]
1997 Gargoyles in Lobby 7
Just in time for Halloween, four large gargoyles appeared inside of Lobby 7.
[1997.10.31]
1997 The TeX Files hack issue of student-run newspaper The Tech
Students distributed The TeX Files, a periodical which lampooned the MIT's student-run newspaper The Tech.
[1997.10.31]
Hackers place monolith at freshman class picture, dress as monkeys, and dance around.
[1997.08.22]
1997 Implications of infinity equaling 47.2 rods
Banner and signs about the implications of the Infinite Corridor
[1997.05.12]
1997 The Absolut Tech hack issue of student-run newspaper The Tech
Students distributed The Absolut Tech, a periodical which lampooned the MIT's student-run newspaper The Tech.
[1997.04.17]
1997 "So long, and thanks for all the fish" banner in the Fishbowl cluster
A banner was placed on the window of the Fishbowl cluster which read "So long, and thanks for all the fish."
[1997.03.17]
Hackers made it look like Student Services broke the glass in the fishbowl and killed all the "fish".
[1997.02.10]
1997 Cheese on the Great Dome
hackers put a large block of cheese (representing the Green Bay Packers) on the great dome after the superbowl.
[1997.01.27]

Prev (1996) / Next (1998)

Hacks during 1996

Prev (1995) / Next (1997)

X in window of E40 where the bridge to the Tagn center was to go
[1996.xx.xx]
1996 Great Wind
Hackers placed a plaque near the Little Sail describing another sculpture made of air.
[1996.??.??]
1996 Door on Building 66
[1996.??.??]
1996 Disco Ball in Lobby 7
[1996.??.??]
Santa delivers coal to Walker Memorial for John Harvard.
[1996.12.xx]
1996 The Sink Appears Opposite The Source
A booth, proclaimed "The Sink" by a sign, appeared across from "The Source" in the student center first floor lobby.
[1996.12.10]
Hack newsletter parodies Institvte.
[1996.11.23]
1996 Scrolling LED hacked for NASA launch
[1996.11.04]
Hackers turned an empty display case into a compact dorm room.
[1996.10.31]
[1996.10.31]
1996 Lit Jack-O-Lantern Hanging in Lobby 7
Hackers hung a lit jack-o-lantern from the Lobby 7 skylight.
[1996.10.30]
MIT's Great Dome is adorned to look like a propeller beanie, complete with a to scale propeller that would actually spin (1996).
[1996.09.27]
1996 Foo Bar on July 4th
Hackers placed a sign that alternately flashed the words "foo" and "bar" on Walker for the July 4 crowds.
[1996.07.04]
1996 Al Gore Buzzword Bingo for Graduation
Hackers distributed "Buzzword Bingo" cards for use during Vice President Al Gore's graduation speech.
[1996.06.07]
Two separate groups of hackers created anti-Windows banners for Microsoft CEO Bill Gates's visit.
[1996.05.29]
1996 Smiley Faces on the Big Sail and the Little Sail
Hackers hung simley faces on the Big Sail and the Little Sail
[1996.05.21]
Hackers placed a piano on the Great Dome.
[1996.05.21]
Hackers added a cow and a scarecrow to a wheat field art project in Lobby 7.
[1996.05.06]
Hackers dressed Johnny up to look like the Unabomber
[1996.04.08]
1996 Shower Stall in Student Center Athena Cluster
Hackers placed a shower stall with instructions for use in the Student Center Athena cluster
[1996.04.01]
1996 Tich Tolk hack issue of the Tech Talk
Students distributed Tich Tolk, a periodical which lampooned the MIT's Tech Talk.
[1996.03.11]
Hackers replaced the Athena "No Trespassing" signs with "You must be this smart to use Athena" signs.
[1996.01.13]

Prev (1995) / Next (1997)

Hacks during 1995

Prev (1994) / Next (1996)

1995 Mickey Mouse Clock in Walker
Hackers placed a Mickey Mouse clock in Walker Dining Hall.
[1995.11.21]
Hackers covered Transparent Horizon with balloons
[1995.10.18]
1995 Hacked Signs at Kendall T station
Signs at the Kendall T station were hacked.
[1995.10.10]
1995 Scrubbing Bubbles on Media Lab
Three of the "scrubbing bubbles" (from the Dow Bathroom Cleaner ad) appeared on the North Wall of the Media Lab.
[1995.10.10]
When MIT poured a new sidewalk in Killian Court, a Beaver gnawing down a Harvard goalpost, found its way into the sidewalk.
[1995.09.15]
hackers made hack posters advertising the MIT card as a Big Brother/SPODSA project
[1995.09.05]
1995 MCMXVI changed to IHTFP on Great Dome
MCMXVI changed to IHTFP on Great Dome in days prior to graduation.
[1995.06.05]
1995 Jolt can in Lobby 7
Large Jolt can hung from Lobby 7 Skylight to celebrate end-of-term caffine binges.
[1995.05.21]
1995 The Wreck hack issue of The Tech
Hack issue of the Tech.
[1995.04.27]
1995 "Kiss Me, I'm an Engineer" banner for Valentines Day
"Kiss Me, I'm an Engineer" banner hung in lobby 7 for valentine's day.
[1995.02.14]
Hackers created the Biohazard Cafe in Lobby 10, with samples available of experimental "food."
[1995.02.06]

Prev (1994) / Next (1996)

Hacks during 1994

Prev (1993) / Next (1995)

1994 "Big Brother Inside" stickers on card readers
[1994.??.??]
1994 Pei Toilet on the Media Lab
MIT Card activated bathroom stall installed on bathroom I.M. Pei. building which looks like an inside-out bathroom
[1994.27.01]
1994 Do Not Open until Christmas 2014 on Building 14 Handicap Entrance
[1994.12.xx]
1994 Vector Day
Hackers declared ``Happy Vector Day'' and decorated with random signs.
[1994.12.13]
A hack Nightline Poster debunks that myth that Cat's can't call Nightline.
[1994.11.2x]
1994 "Sport Death" protest hack
[1994.11.16]
Dome made to resemble a large pumpkin for Halloween.
[1994.10.31]
1994 Smile in Lobby 7 Skylight (reprise)
Hackers placed a smiley face in the lobby 7 skylight shortly before Halloween 1994.
[1994.10.30]
Posters labelling various mundane things as MicroSoft products appeard around campus.
[1994.10.29]
1994 Jurassic Research Laboratories at Building 68 Dedication
Hackers added labels and banners to the "official" dedication which proclaimed the new building to be "Jurassic Research Labs"
[1994.10.07]
1994 Jurassic Park logo in Lobby 7 Skylight
Jurassic Park logo placed in center of lobby 7 skylight.
[1994.09.06]
Fake housing letters assigning frosh to amusing places
[1994.08.30]
1994 Balloon at Freshman Picnic
While a speaker addressed the frosh, a balloon decorated to look like a soccer ball and lettered with MIT and IHTFP inflated behind his back.
[1994.08.26]
MTG's Assassins bulletin board was converted to advertise Twinkies instead.
[1994.08.26]
1994 Changed Inscription in Lobby 7
Hackers changed the inscription on the inside of Lobby 7 from "Established for advancement and development of science and its application to industry arts agriculture and commerce" to "Established for advancement and development of science and its application to industry arts entertainment and hacking".
[1994.08.25-1994.08.30]
1994 CP Car on the Great Dome
Hackers placed a convincing replica of a campus police cruiser on the Great dome.
[1994.05.09]
1994 Tich Tolk hack issue of Tech Talk
Students distributed Tich Tolk, a periodical which lampooned the MIT's Tech Talk.
[1994.05.02]
Windows on IAP bulletin board was made to screen save
[1994.04.18-1994.04.30]
1994 Beer Shrine in Lobby 7
Erectd Beer Shrine in Lobby 7.
[1994.04.14]
Hack posters advertised one of the more private advantages of using a computer in the privacy of one's own dorm room.
[1994.02.??]

Prev (1993) / Next (1995)

Hacks during 1993

Prev (1992) / Next (1994)

[1993.??.??]
1993 Candy Cane Pillars at 77 Mass. Ave.
Hackers candy-stripped the two cental pillars at 77 Mass. Ave.
[1993.12.18-1993-12.19]
1993 Menorah on the Small Dome
Menora placed on little dome.
[1993.12.09-1993.12.16]
1993 Witch's Hat on the Small Dome
Witch's Hat placed on little dome
[1993.10.29-1993.11.01]
1993 RSI in Lobby 7 Skylight
RSI students declared their presence on campus using the Lobby 7 Skylight as the declaration media.
[1993.08.??]
Cannibals at MIT give new meaning to the term Freshmen Dinners
[1993.08.26]
1993 VU Meter on the Green Building
To accompany the Boston Pops' July 4th, 1993 concert and fireworks display, hackers turned the top of MIT's tallest building into the world's largest sound (VU) meter.
[1993.07.04]
1993 Pooh
Large Winnie-the-Pooh appeared in Lobby 7 to congratulate graduates.
[1993.05.28]
1993 Contents Vnder Pressvre on the Small Dome
Small dome made up to resemble a pressure cooker.
[1993.05.13]
Tombstone for former Dean Tewhey appears in Kresge Oval
[1993.05.08]
1993 Chemical Elements Athena Cluster in the Student Center
Hackers renamed the 100+ workstations in the Student Center cluster after the chemical elements.
[1993.04.01]
1993 $10,000 Bill Mural at the Cashier's Office
One-dollar bill mural on cashier's office replaced with a $10K bill
[1993.03.03-1993.03.19]
Greenspeak says IAP 183
[1993.01.??]
Hacking Series Committee calendar spoofs LSC calendar with scheduled hacks instead of movies
[1993.01.28]

Prev (1992) / Next (1994)

Hacks during 1992

Prev (1991) / Next (1993)

Physical Plant decorated the orange building tarp on the MIT Press bookstore to look like a large pumpkin for Halloween.
[1992.10.??]
For Halloween, Lobby Seven was turned into an elaborate cathedral.
[1992.10.30-1992.11.02]
Students ran an on campus campaign for 18.02 lecturer Hartley Rogers as an alternative to Perot and Clinton.
[1992.10.27-1992.11.02]
1992 Swing in Lobby 7
Students hung a swing from the skylight in Lobby 7.
[1992.10.01]
1992 GAME OVER
Students placed a banner in Lobby 7 which read ``GAME OVER INSERT 94260 QUARTER TO CONTINUE''
[1992.05.11]
Students prepared an additional handout for an introductory computer science course.
[1992.05.07]
Department of Alchemy advertises an open house with a mailing and LSC slides
[1992.04.11]
Students dropped a 12' (30'?) long mock anchor off of the point of building 66, a building which resembles the bow of a large boat.
[1992.03.??]
1992 10-250 Chalkboard Gremlins Strike Again
Students take remote control of Chalkboard in 10-250
[1992.03.06]
1992 Nerds for a Better America banner for Pres. George Bush's visit
A banner on lobby 7 greated officials arriving at MIT for Bush's industrial summit.
[1992.02.12]

Prev (1991) / Next (1993)

Hacks during 1991

Prev (1990) / Next (1992)

Drinking fountain was turned into a fire-hydrant which students could actually drink from
[1991.12.09]
In a scene straight out of Brazil, SPODSA operative abducted a frosh from the hack talk, sealed her in a body bag, and carried her away for her crimes.
[1991.10.??]
1991 Music and Spiders for Halloween
On the hour, music prevaded lobby 7 -- at the same time, a large spider web had taken up residence in lobby 7.
[1991.10.31]
1991 Edwin Phortey plaque at the Muckley Building (E40) dedication
The dedication placard on the XXX building was modified so that the building's proper name coincided with the building's numeric name.
[1991.10.04]
1991 University of Michigan Banner for Pres. Charles Vest's Inauguration
At the reception for President Vest's Inaguration, a banner from proclaimed MIT the U of M at Cambridge
[1991.05.10]
1991 Putt-Putt Golf Course on the Lawn of the President's House
As an Inaguration day welcoming, hackers setup a putt-putt course in the new President's front lawn.
[1991.05.10]
1991 Sound System Pitch Shift during "Hacks" Lecture
Brian Leibowitz's voice was shifted upward while he was giving his traditional talk on MIT Hacks.
[1991.04.??]

Prev (1990) / Next (1992)

Hacks during 1990

Prev (1989) / Next (1991)

Hackers drop 1994 superballs on the class of 1994 while they were lining up for their Freshman picture.
[1990.??.??]
"Monks" marched across campus chanting and handing out flyers for "Our Lady of the All-Night Tool".
[1990.12.17]
1990 Christmas Lights and Presents on the Small Dome
Hackers decorated the little dome with presents and Christmas Lights spelling out MIT.
[1990.12.03]
MIT Hackers placed a cast on John Harvard after Harvard took a serious beating in the Harvard-Yale game.
[1990.11.18]
A rocket shot from zero yard line deployed a banner with the letters 'MIT' on both sides.
[1990.11.17]
1990 Smurfs in Lobby 7
Music played in Lobby 7 on the hour, including the Smurf theme song.
[1990.11.15]
Welcoming incoming president Charles Vest, hackers made his office "disappear" by hiding the entrance behind a bulletin board for his first day on the job..
[1990.10.15]
Hackers abduct the Harvard Yard Plate and leave it with the MIT President.
[1990.09.27]
Students place an 8' long, clear slide rule in Student Center atrium as an alternative to the proposed hairball art sculpture.
[1990.04.29]

Prev (1989) / Next (1991)

Hacks during 1989

Next (1990)

On Monday of the final week of classes, the Athena Owl was replaced by a grumpy fuzzball logo.
[1989.12.11]
1989 U.S.S. Enterprise in Lobby 7 for William Shatner's Visit
The Enterprise visits lobby 7 at the same time Shatner comes to give an LSC lecture.
[1989.10.24]
1989 Rotated Colored Squares on Media Lab Wall
The order of the colors on the Noland Wall squares was permuted.
[1989.09.11]
1989 Batman Symbol in Lobby 7 Skylight
The batman symbol appeared in the Lobby 7 Skylight on the day Frosh first arrive on campus.
[1989.08.30]
1989 "Push Core for New Roll" Banner on Media Lab Sculpture
An overhanging sculpture by the Media lab was made up to look like an empty toilet paper roll holder.
[1989.05.09]

Next (1990)


Many hacks prior to 1990 are listed in The Journal of the Institute for Hacks, TomFoolery, and Pranks at MIT.