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In the Media

The Atlantic

Prof. Brent Minchew speaks with Atlantic reporter Ross Anderson about his work developing new technology “that could slow down the cryosphere’s disintegration.” “I’m not going to be satisfied simply documenting the demise of these environments that I care about,” says Minchew. 

New Scientist

Prof. Netta Engelhardt talks to New Scientist’s Thomas Lawton about the possibility of singularities existing outside black holes. Theorists can now probe singularities from a deeper perspective, using insights into the possible quantum foundations of gravity. This new approach “flips the script” on how we think about singularities, says Engelhardt.

NBC News

NBC News reporter Alex Koller spotlights Noubar Afeyan PhD '87 and the messages he shared as commencement speaker for the 2024 MIT graduating class. "I'm utterly unreasonable and an eternal optimist," said Afeyan, adding that to tackle improbable challenges having "a special kind of optimism" can help. 

Forbes

Prof. Devavrat Shah is interviewed by Forbes’ Gary Drenik on balancing AI innovation with ethical considerations, noting governance helps ensure the benefits of AI are fairly distributed across society. “Our responsibility is to harness [AI’s] potential while safeguarding against its risks,” Shah explains. “This approach to promoting responsible AI development hinges on governance rooted in collaboration, transparency and actionable guidance."

The Washington Post

Washington Post reporter Carolyn Johnson spotlights how Prof. Laura Schulz and her colleagues have been exploring why ChatGPT-4  performs well on conversation and cognitive tests, but flunks reasoning tests that are easy for young children. Schulz makes the case that to understand intelligence and create it, childhood learning processes should not be discounted. “That’s the kind of intelligence that really might give us a big picture,” Schulz explains. “The kind of intelligence that starts not as a blank slate, but with a lot of rich, structured knowledge — and goes on to not only understand everything we have ever understood, across the species, but everything we will ever understand.”

Inside Higher Ed

Prof. Hal Abelson speaks with Inside Higher Ed reporter Lauren Coffey about AI policies in academia. “We put tremendous emphasis on creating with AI but that’s the sort of place that MIT is,” says Abelson. “It’s about making things. Other places have a very different view of this.”

Fast Company

MIT startup, 24M, has designed an EV battery with a range of 1,000 miles on a single charge, reports Adele Peters for Fast Company. “The extra-long range also can help the car’s battery last much longer,” explains Peters. “If you use a rapid charger to fully charge a battery, it can damage the battery, meaning it won’t last as long. Because it has such a long range, the new battery should rarely need a full rapid charge.”

STAT

Prof. Bob Langer and Prof. Giovanni Traverso have co-founded Syntis Bio, a biotech company that will use technology to “coat the stomach and potentially other organ surfaces, [change] the way that drugs are absorbed or, in the case of obesity, which hormones are triggered,” reports Allison DeAngelis for STAT

The Wall Street Journal

Brandon Hanks, a software developer with MIT’s Department of Comparative Media Studies/Writing, speaks with Wall Street Journal reporter Sarah Needleman about how Gen Z is putting their own spin on the heart sign. Hanks notes that “it looks more difficult” to master than the Millennial version—“and it is!”   

Featured Multimedia

“My identity as a scientist and my identity as a gay man are not contradictory, but complementary,” says Jack Forman, PhD candidate in media arts and sciences and co-lead of LGBTQ+ Grad, a student group run by and for LGBTQ+ grad students and postdocs at MIT. He and co-leads Miranda Dawson and Tunahan Aytas ’23 interviewed queer MIT faculty about their experiences and the importance of visibility.

In explaining quantum technology, professor of physics and director of the MIT Center for Quantum Computing, Will Oliver cites MIT's interdisciplinarity as a key component in developing these technologies. In this video he, along with research scientist Jeff Grover, explore the origins of quantum mechanics and the state of quantum computing today.

MIT’s campus is home to a truly global community where the world’s leading researchers and educators come together in pursuit of scientific discovery and technological innovation. Our students and faculty enjoy intellectual freedom, share diverse perspectives, and strive for excellence in all their academic pursuits.

Noubar Afeyan PhD '87 delivered the address at the 2024 OneMIT Commencement ceremony. The inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist encouraged the Class of 2024 to “accept impossible missions” and “lead with imagination” in uncertain times.

DesignPlus is a learning community open to MIT first-year undergraduates. It’s a space for hands-on experimentation and exploration, acquiring technical skills, finding mentors and mutual support, and having fun. Approximately 50 students join each year to discover different facets of design, both in theory and in practice.

Sheila Xu ’14 never imagined she could become a pilot, but she says MIT put her on that path. Born deaf to hearing parents, Xu first learned American Sign Language and connected with the Deaf* community as an undergraduate. These experiences inspired her to want to open doors for more people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

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