Hacks at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology are
practical jokes and
pranks meant to prominently demonstrate technical aptitude and cleverness, or to commemorate popular culture and historical topics. The pranks are anonymously installed at night by
hackers, usually, but not exclusively, undergraduate students. The actions of hackers are governed by an extensive and informal body of precedent, tradition, and ethics. Hacks can occur anywhere across campus, or occasionally off campus; many make use of the iconic Great Dome, Little Dome,
Green Building tower, or other prominent architectural features of the
MIT campus. Well-known hacker alumni include Nobel Laureates
Richard P. Feynman and
George F. Smoot. In October 2009, US President
Barack Obama made a humorous reference to the MIT hacking tradition during an on-campus speech about
clean energy.