President L. Rafael Reif underscores the importance of a national strategy for strengthening America’s scientific and technological prowess. Reif writes that the Endless Frontiers Act, “would provide a visible, focused and sustained commitment to U.S. research, education and technology transfer, as well as to economic development.”
CNBC reporter Daniel Bukszpan writes about how the MIT E-Vent team developed a prototype open-source low-cost ventilator. Bukszpan notes that the E-Vent design uses an “’Ambu bag,’ or a bag-valve resuscitator, which is a hand-operated resuscitator that’s commonly found in hospital.”
Business Insider writes about Admiral William McRaven’s address to the MIT Class of 2020, during which he called on graduates to help “save the world.” “If we are going to save the world from pandemics, war, climate change, poverty, racism, extremism, intolerance, then you, the brilliant minds of MIT, you are going to have to save the world,” said McRaven.
Second-year student Danielle Geathers has been elected president of the MIT Undergraduate Association (UA), reports David Williams for CNN. Geathers will be the first black woman to serve as president of the UA.
Forbes contributor Chad Orzel spotlights Prof. David Kaiser’s new book, “Quantum Legacies.” Orzel notes that, “this is a very solid work both in terms of the history and the physics discussed in it, and Kaiser is a very engaging writer.”
During his Commencement address, Admiral William McRaven called MIT graduates the “real heroes,” reports Collin Binkley for the AP. As he grew up, “I came to the hard truth that Captain America isn’t coming to the rescue," said McRaven. "You — the brilliant minds of MIT — you are going to have to save the world.”
Boston Globe reporter Marie Morris spotlights how during a virtual event, Paul Ha, director of the MIT List Visual Arts Center, discussed how the List and other local museums are planning to reopen in a world transformed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Forbes contributor Adrian Bridgwater spotlights how MIT researchers are examining supply chain issues to gain a better understanding of the availability of Covid-19 testing equipment and PPE. “Having access to an integrated set of diverse COVID-19 data sources with a common data model can help accelerate analysis of critical supply chain issues in our work with FEMA and other agencies,” says research engineer Tim Russell.
Wired reporter Will Knight writes that researchers from MIT and other institutions have “revealed an AI engine that learned how to recreate the classic game Pac-Man without any of the original code.”
Joel Brenner, a research affiliate at MIT’s Center for International Studies, speaks with Meghna Chakrabarti of NPR’s On Point about the recent firing of the U.S. Inspector General and the implications for political accountability and American democracy.
Wired reporter Will Knight writes that researchers from MIT and other institutions have “revealed an AI engine that learned how to recreate the classic game Pac-Man without any of the original code.”
A study by MIT researchers finds that while vaccines are more likely to advance through clinical trials, "vaccine development for some of the world’s most dangerous diseases has lagged in recent decades, which may present challenges for the pursuit of a Covid-19 vaccine,” reports Travis Anderson for The Boston Globe.
Popular Mechanics Courtney Linder writes that researchers from MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab are working on rebuilding islands in the Maldives using the power of ocean waves to redistribute sand. The scientists hope to eventually “scale their approach to other locations around the world and rebuild heavily populated coastlines, like New York City, as well as the most vulnerable island nations.”
MIT researchers have developed a new precision injection system to help fight diseases and deliver nutrients to plants, reports Jeff Kart for Forbes. Kart explains that the new method “uses an array of microneedles made of a silk-based biomaterial to deliver drugs, nutrients and other molecules to specific parts of a plant.”
New York Times reporters Quoctrung Bui and Emily Badger spotlight how MIT researchers have captured audio recordings of walks through city parks throughout the world and found that ambient urban noise has declined during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s almost like the countryside melody coming into the city,” explains Prof. Carlo Ratti.