Prof. Kerry Emanuel speaks with New York Times reporter Veronica Perrey about the impact of climate change on hurricanes. “Potential intensity is going up,” says Emanuel. “We predicted it would go up 30 years ago, and the observations show it going up.”
Kosta Tsipis, former director of the Program in Science and Technology for International Security at MIT, passed away at age 86. “Dr. Tsipis was the lead author for “Nuclear Crash,” an MIT study that was based partly on four years of computer simulations of the consequences of nuclear attacks,” reports Bryan Marquard for The Boston Globe.
Writing for Scientific American, Prof. Carlo Ratti explores the “transformative” potential of quantum sensors. Ratti writes that quantum sensors could enable autonomous vehicles to “‘see’ around corners, underwater navigation systems, early-warning systems for volcanic activity and earthquakes, and portable scanners that monitor a person's brain activity during daily life.”
Prof. Kevin Esvelt writes for The Boston Globe about the need for transparency surrounding gene-editing research. “We should establish transparent, publicly accessible standards to help determine whether, when, and how research that could impact everyone should proceed,” Esvelt explains.
Financial Times reporter John Thornhill writes that Prof. Tim Berners-Lee’s startup Inrupt, which is aimed at developing a new data architecture for the web, has launched its first enterprise-ready servers. Thornhill explains that Inrupt’s technology is aimed at empowering “users to create their own Pods (personal online data stores). This enables them to control their own data and grant access to third-party apps at their discretion.”
A new study by MIT researchers finds that super-spreading events are larger drivers of the Covid-19 pandemic than originally thought, reports Carey Goldberg for WBUR. “We found in our study that super-spreading events can indeed be a major driver of the current pandemic,” says postdoc Felix Wong. “Most people generate zero or one cases, but it's the people generating hundreds of cases that we really should be worried about.”
The MIT Museum is hosting a virtual screening and discussion of the movie Jurassic Park, reports Joel Lau for The Boston Globe. “Join researchers from MIT’s Sculpting Evolution group on Zoom for an introduction to the film,” writes Lau, “then participants will watch the 1993 blockbuster and rejoin for a post-show discussion on everything from movie effects to the science and ethics of reviving long-lost species.”
Writing for The Wall Street Journal, Prof. Charles Stewart III notes that the administration of the 2020 presidential election was a success. “Even as we enter a contentious stretch of litigation, in which every aspect of the election infrastructure will be scrutinized,” writes Stewart, “the U.S. should be thankful for the heroic—and successful—efforts of election administrators around the country.”
European Pharmaceutical Review reporter Hannah Balfour writes that researchers from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology have developed a new dissolvable gelatin microcarrier that can help enhance cell production. “Innovations in microcarriers will aid in the scalability of certain cell types such as mesenchymal stromal cells for cell-based therapy, including for regenerative medicine applications,” says Associate Provost Krystyn Van Vliet.
Prof. Kiyoshi Masui speaks with Verge reporter Loren Grush about how astronomers have detected fast radio bursts coming from a magnetar within our own galaxy. “This is the missing link,” Masui says. “Now we’ve seen a fast radio burst coming from a magnetar, so it proves that at least some fraction of fast radio bursts we see in the universe come from magnetars.”
A team of astronomers, including MIT researchers, have identified fast radio burst emanating from a magnetar in our galaxy, reports Doyle Rice for USA Today. “The radio pulses are the closest ones detected to date, and their proximity has allowed the team to pinpoint their source.”
CNBC reporter Taylor Locke spotlights MIT startup Segment and speaks with the company’s founders about the lessons they learned from launching their own company.
AP reporter Mark Pratt writes that Gov. Charlie Baker has nominated Dalila Argaez Wendlandt SM ’93 to fill an open seat on the state’s highest court. Pratt writes that Baker noted, “Wendlandt’s background in science and the law gives her a unique perspective.”
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has nominated Dalila Argaez Wendlandt SM ’93 to the Supreme Judicial Court, reports Katie Lannan for WBUR. "Engineering requires you to look at the data and follow it where it goes, and to roll up your sleeves when there's a problem that looks like it's unsolvable," says Wendlandt. "For me the law is very similar especially when you do high-end legal work. Often, the answer is not clear, but if you're confident in your skills, you roll up your sleeves, you bring out the big guns and you just do your job."
Financial Times reporter John Plender spotlights Prof. Thomas Levenson’s new book, “Money for Nothing.” Plender writes that, “Levenson provides a vivid account of the development of share trading in the coffee shops of Exchange Alley in the City, with fascinating asides such as Newton’s extraordinarily modern management techniques when running the Royal Mint.”