The Prank on MIT

So the experiment at Harvard resulted in humorless students sneering at the sign, immediately notifying campus police to take down the vinyl banner, which they destroyed.

Undaunted, we created a new sign, and went down the road to MIT. The main entrance to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is an enormous, dramatic 7-story building capped by a huge domed structure.

Apparently their architect wasn't familiar with the letter "U."

Despite its size, it was relatively easy to hang the sign above the main doorway, where it would be seen by thousands of students on their way to build robots and military weapons:

MIT students are known for their mad engineering skillz, but we left behind detailed instructions on how to remove the vinyl banner, just in case:

Then we stationed ourselves near the front door, and observed the reactions.

The first thing we noticed was the large number of MIT students who found it funny -- especially compared to Harvard. A few stopped to take pictures on their cellphones.

As students climbed the steps, smiles and chuckles abounded. This group stopped so they could each get a picture in front of the sign, pointing and smiling.

About half an hour later, a tour group of prospective MIT students walked by. The guide pointed out the sign, and everyone stopped to snap photos:

As the morning rush hour picked up, huge numbers of students and faculty began taking photos on their way to either saving or destroying the planet:

But the kicker was the MIT police cruiser that showed up an hour later. There were two campus police officers (just like campus police at other schools, but wearing robotic exoskeletons). Like the Harvard police, they got out of their car, and looked at the sign for a little while -- but then they smiled and turned to get some breakfast at the campus center.

We waited them out, until one of the police officers finally returned to his car. He took another look at the sign, chuckled, then got back in the cruiser and drove away.

So it's official: MIT students have a better sense of humor, hands down, than Harvard students. MIT students are more imaginative, more fun-loving, and probably smarter as well.

Truly, MIT is the Institute of NOWLEGE.