Astronomers from MIT and other institutions have detected a repeating pattern of fast radio bursts (FRBs) from 500 million light years away, reports Caroline Enos for The Boston Globe. “FRBs are a mysterious phenomenon that elude an easy ‘origins’ theory,” says graduate student Kaitlyn Shin said. “The observation of periodic activity in this FRB gives us a hint.”
Prof. Li-Huei Tsai speaks with Anthony Everett of WCVB-TV’s Chronicle about her work developing a non-invasive technique that uses the power of light and sound and could potentially help treat or even cure Alzheimer’s disease. “I believe if this is really effective in humans, this will become the most accessible approach for treatment," explains Tsai.
Graduate student Maya Nasr speaks with New York Times reporter Miriam Jordan about her desire to continue working in aerospace engineering in the U.S. “By the time I finish my Ph.D., I will have spent 10 years in the U.S. researching what I am passionate about — getting people to Mars and human space exploration,” said Nasr. “I would really like to stay here and work in this field.”
Forbes contributor Igor Bosilkovski spotlights Wise Systems, an autonomous dispatch and routing system aimed at optimizing delivery operations. Bosilkovski notes that the system, “allows dispatchers and fleet managers options like real-time visibility of all vehicles, status updates on drivers, ability to automatically assign orders to drivers, and rearrange route schedules.”
Prof. Kristin Forbes writes for The Washington Post about how countries can manage debt accumulated during the Covid-19 pandemic. “A better way to put a country’s debt on a sustainable path is to contractually link future debt payments to different growth outcomes using growth-indexed debt,” writes Forbes.
Popular Mechanics reporter Caroline Delbert writes that a new study by MIT researchers sheds light on a classic optical illusion called simultaneous brightness contrast. “Over the course of three experiments, the scientists say they believe the phenomenon occurs in each eye, even before the information from both eyes is merged together,” writes Delbert.
MIT researchers have developed a new technique to make brain tissue more stretchable, compressible, which could enable easier labeling of tissue samples, reports Courtney Linder for Popular Mechanics. The technique could enable researchers to “more quickly and easily conduct fluorescent labeling in cells, proteins, or other genetic materials within organs like the brain or lungs. That, in turn, could enable faster research discoveries.”
In this video, Mashable reporter Emmet Smith spotlights how CSAIL researchers have developed a new spray paint that transforms physical surfaces into interactive displays. Postdoctoral associate Michael Wessely explains that the project is aimed at exploring, “how can we make everything in our world something that we can interactive with and something that can give a response to us.”
Katie Rae, CEO and managing partner for The Engine, speaks with Maria Aspan of Fortune about confronting racism and discrimination in tech and VC. “Without confronting it continuously, you’re not going to get results,” Rae says. “
Rising junior Danielle Geathers, President of the MIT Undergraduate Association (UA), speaks with CNBC reporter Abigail Hess about her childhood, what inspired her to attend MIT and being the first Black woman to hold the position of UA President. Geathers explains that she hopes her presidency helps to make MIT “a more inclusive place and that Black student matriculation goes up next year.”
CSAIL researchers have developed a system that can remotely monitor a patient’s vital signs over time while preserving privacy, reports Darrell Etherington for TechCrunch. Etherington explains that the new technology, “is useful because it could allow for monitoring individuals cohabiting in a group over time, like seniors in a retirement or long-term care facility, for instance.”
Prof. Daron Acemoglu examines the “rapid unraveling of U.S. institutions in the first half of 2020." Acemoglu writes, “The next administration must confront endemic racism as well as economic inequality. Good jobs must once again be on offer for most Americans—even those without college degrees."
CBS Boston reporter Louisa Moller spotlights a study by MIT researchers that finds race is an important indicator in determining who will die of Covid-19. “We controlled for that share of the population that has health insurance, diabetes, smoking, obesity,” explains Prof. Christopher Knittel. “It could be something like the quality of the insurance or the quality of the health care system.”
A study by MIT researchers finds that “race may be as important as age in gauging a person’s likelihood of dying" of Covid-19, writes Sharon Begley for STAT. “If I were a public official,” says Prof. Christopher Knittel, “I’d be looking at differences in the quality of insurance, conditions such as chronic stress, and systemic discrimination.”
Fast Company reporter Arianne Cohen writes that MIT researchers have analyzed 26 types of businesses to help gauge the tradeoffs between economic value and public health risk. “The insightful research aims to guide policymakers in choosing which commerce to reopen, and, as cases rise, which to close first or regulate,” writes Cohen.