The MIT Human Dynamics Laboratory

We have invented the technology of reality mining, which uses sensor data to extract subtle patterns that predict future human behavior.

These predictive patterns begin with "honest signals," human behaviors that evolved from ancient primate signaling mechanisms, and which are major factors in human decision making in everything from job interviews to first dates.

By using data from mobile phones, electronic ID badges, or digital media to track these honest signals, we can create a "god's eye" view of how the people interact, and even "see" the rhythms of interaction for everyone in a city.

Management insights based on Honest Signals were Named a "Breakthrough Idea of 2009" by Harvard Business Review, and Reality Mining was declared "a technology poised to change the world" by Technology Review.
 
Overview Publications
Global IT Report (pdf), World Economic Forum
Health Whitepaper (pdf), RWJF
Sloan Mgmt Review: Honest Signals (pdf)
Computational Social Science (pdf)


Technical Publications
Publications and Technical Reports

Recent Press
Harvard Business Review (pdf)
Nature (pdf)
Newsweek (pdf)
The New York Times


Videos
World Economic Forum
Understanding Your Company
Reality Mining
Honest Signals
Sensible Organizations
OohLaLa


Projects To Get Involved With
Sociometric Badges
Reality Mining
Influence Modeling
Honest Signals
Participating Centers
MIT Center for Collective Intelligence
MIT Center for Digital Business
Stanford CHIMe Lab
Helsinki Tech Software Institute
ASU AME Program


Supporting Organizations
Humana Innovation Laboratory
BT Exact Technologies
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Microsoft Research
Nokia Research
Telmex
MIT Center for Future Banking
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Hitachi Research Laboratories
US National Science Foundation
US National Institutes of Health
US DARPA (Aptima)
Canadian IDRC
European Research Council


Collaborating Organizations
World Economic Forum
The Club of Rome


Core Members
Prof. Alex Pentland, Director
Joost Bonsen, Lecturer
Wen Dong, PhD Candidate
Taemie Kim, PhD Candidate
Anmol Madan, PhD Candidate
Ankur Mani, PhD Candidate
Daniel Olguin-Olguin, PhD Candidate
Galen Pickard, PhD Candidate
Ben Waber, PhD Candidate
Iolanthe Chronis, MS Candidate

Alumni
View full list

Collaborating Faculty
Prof. Erik Brynjolfsson, MIT
Prof. Win Burleson, ASU
Dr. Leo Burd, MSR
Prof. T. Choudhury, Dartmouth
Dr. John Clippinger, Harvard
Dr. Mary Czerwinski, MSR
Dr. N. Eagle, Santa Fe Institute
Dr. Peter Gloor, MIT
Prof. Tony Jebara, Columbia
Prof. Dan Jurafsky, Stanford
Prof. Prof. Casper Lassenius, Helsinki
Prof. David Lazer, Harvard KSG
Prof. Tom Malone, MIT
Prof. Cliff Nass, Stanford
Prof. Maja Pantic, Imperial