MIT pranks, or “hacks” as they are known in MIT lore, showcase MIT students’ scientific knowledge, mechanical engineering skills, anti-authoritarian whimsy, and geeky sense of humor. The tradition dates back to the 1870’s when students sprinkled iodide of nitrogen over the grounds of a military drill field causing mini explosions when fellow classmates conducted their marching drills. While other “better” educational institutions such has Harvard and Yale, went to great lengths to capture and punish pranksters, MIT authorities never made the mistake of regarding a prank as a crime and instead viewed them as an extension of the students’ curiosity, the true motivator in the quest for greater knowledge.