MIT’s endowment increased by $1.6 billion, or 19.3 percent, during the 2007 fiscal year, reaching a total of $9.98 billion. The increase resulted primarily from investment returns of 22.1 percent, as reported by the MIT Investment Management Company.

In recent years, the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences has seen increases in size and renown. Situated at the corner of Vassar and Main Streets, the glass-paneled building, which houses the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, is also home to both the graduate and undergraduate Course IX programs.

The MIT Solar Decathlon team placed 13th out of 20 teams in the Department of Energy competition to build a practical solar home. MIT’s entry, a house called “Solar 7,” earned top marks for its efficient use of solar energy but lost points in architecture and market viability. MIT competed in the competition for the first time this year.

Star A. Simpson ’10 attended a status hearing at East Boston District Court yesterday morning. At the courthouse, a hearing for motion to dismiss was scheduled for Dec. 3. Simpson is charged with possession of a hoax device for appearing at Logan International Airport wearing a circuit board with light-emitting diodes that was mistaken for a bomb.