MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology - On Campus and Around the world

New York Times reporter Natasha Singer spotlights MIT’s new Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making major (AI+D), which is aimed at teaching students to “develop AI systems and study how technologies like robots interact with humans and the environment.” Asu Ozdaglar, head of EECS and the deputy dean of academics for the Schwarzman College of Computing, shares that: “Students who prefer to work with data to address problems find themselves more drawn to an AI major.” 

Visiting Scientist Judah Cohen shares his thoughts on how the polar vortex will impact weather across the U.S. this December, reports Doyle Rice for USA Today. "My thinking is that the cold the first week of December is the appetizer and the main course will be in mid-December," Cohen explains. 

In a roundup of books aimed at helping people create healthier smartphone habits, New York Times reporter Hope Reese spotlights Prof. Sherry Turkle’s book, “Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age.” Reese writes that, “Using anecdotes from parents, educators and students, Sherry Turkle, a psychologist and sociologist at MIT, shows how the deterioration of conversation leads to loneliness. Setting limits on tech use and protecting spaces for real conversation can stave this off. But face-to-face conversation, she argues, is paramount.”

Writing for the Financial Times, Institute Prof. Daron Acemoglu explores the rise of New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and the future of U.S. democracy and liberalism. “I argue that nothing short of forging a new working-class liberalism can succeed,” writes Acemoglu. “This has to center on shared prosperity, a reintegration of the lower-education workers into politics, a commitment to local governance by all communities (within the bounds of protecting basic liberties) and true diversity of opinion (even on controversial matters).”

CNN spotlights how MIT researchers have developed a new ultrasonic device that can extract clean drinking water from moisture in the atmosphere. “This method is much faster, we’re talking minutes instead of hours, compared to the old way,“ CNN explains. The new device “could be a game-changer in desert conditions, and for communities around the world that don’t have reliable access to drinking water.” 

Prof. Jonathan Gruber speaks with CNBC reporter Laya Neelakandan about the labor shortages impacting senior care across the country. “If we can create a better caring system with an entitlement to all care for those who need it, that will free millions of workers to make our economy grow,” Gruber explains.

Prof. Hugh Herr speaks with Bloomberg Businessweek Daily host Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec about his work creating bionic limbs that combine human physiology with electromechanics. “I really realized how limited the current prosthetic technology was and I dedicated my life as a young man to really advance the field and enable extraordinary technology that will allow people to do what they want again, to move again and have the bodies that they seek," says Herr. 

MIT has been named the No. 1 university in the 2026 Times Higher Education Interdisciplinary Science Rankings in association with Schmidt Science Fellows, reports Sara Custer for Inside Higher Ed. “For more than 80 years, research universities have advanced our understanding of the world, leading to dramatic improvements in health, economic prosperity, and national security,” says Ian Waitz, MIT’s vice president for research. "That work fundamentally is done best when people ideate and collaborate without regard for disciplinary boundaries within and between scientific areas."

The Advanced LIGO Documentary Project commemorates the life and legacy of Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss, a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics and “LIGO’s heart and soul.” Said Weiss of the significance of detecting gravitational waves: "The discovery isn't the measurement of the gravitational waves…it's the black holes. That's absolutely spectacular... that this exists, and if you see a couple more, then you could say something about the universe. It's something new that we're going to be able to say about the universe. It's spectacular. To me, that's the big discovery."

Prof. Laura Lewis speaks with Quanta Magazine reporter Yasemin Saplakoglu about her quest to better understand how the brain transitions to sleep. “Our brains can really rapidly transform us from being aware of our environments to being unconscious, or even experiencing things that aren’t there,” said Lewis. “This raises deeply fascinating questions about our human experience.”

Visiting scientist Judah Cohen speaks with USA Today reporters Doyle Rice and Janet Loehrke about how the polar vortex and La Niña could impact winter weather across the country. Overall, Cohen believes that "the behavior of the polar vortex is more influential in determining if the U.S. will experience cold weather."

Philadelphia Inquirer reporterMaggie Prosser spotlights senior Alice Hall, who was selected as one of the 2026 Rhodes Scholars. “Never stop trying to learn, especially from the people around you,” says Hall. “You don’t have to be a Rhodes scholar to change the world. Just be yourself.” 

Prof. Emeritus Kerry Emanuel speaks with Washington Post reporters Ben Noll and Ruby Mellen about the 2025 hurricane season. “The thing that really powers the hurricane is how fast you can transfer heat from the ocean to the atmosphere. The bigger the temperature difference, the faster you can transfer heat. The faster you can transfer heat, the more powerful the hurricane can be,” says Emanuel. “This past summer, the sea surface temperatures across much of the tropical Atlantic were warmer than normal, which is part of what led people to predict that there would be a very busy season.” 

The MIT Sailing Pavilion will house the floating wetland - a pilot project aimed at finding ways to improve Charles River water quality and restore biodiversity - l for the winter season, reports Brianna Borghi for NBC Boston. “The Charles River Conservancy installed the 730-square-foot floating wetland in 2020 following years of research and development,” Borghi explains. “Under the surface, the floating wetland serves as a feeding ground for zooplankton, which help keep toxic algae blooms under control.” 

Writing for Forbes, Senior Lecturer Guadalupe Hayes-Mota 08, SM '16, MBA '16 explains the CARES framework, a new model for founders looking to integrate ethics into their company.  “Biotechnology can cure, extend and transform life,” writes Hayes-Mota. “But based on my experiences, its full potential can only be realized when innovation and ethics advance together. To every scientist-founder at the edge of discovery: How can your business plan not only explain how you’ll succeed, but also why your success should exist?” 

Postdoctoral Fellow Halie Olson has been named to The Transmitter’s Rising Stars of Neuroscience, reports Francisco J. Rivera Rosario and Lauren Schneider for The Transmitter. The award “recognizes early-career researchers who have made outstanding scientific contributions to the field and demonstrated a commitment to mentoring and community-building.”