In the Media

Fast Company reporter Kristin Toussaint highlights how members of Afghanistan’s all-girls robotics team are building emergency ventilators based off of a prototype developed by the MIT E-vent team.

Boston Globe reporter Caroline Enos writes that MIT researchers are developing a face mask that could potentially detect coronavirus when a person coughs, sneezes or breathes. Enos explains that the mask could “create a fluorescent signal when it detects particles of the coronavirus in a saliva sample.”

Bill Gates has included “Good Economics for Hard Times” by Profs. Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo on his recommended summer reading list, reports Adele Peters for Fast Company. Peters notes that Banerjee and Duflo “wrote this book to examine the latest research on major issues like immigration, climate change, and inequality.”

CNN reporter Ashley Strickland writes that data from the TESS mission has helped astronomers detect a pattern in the pulsations of 60 stars. “The findings have opened up entirely new horizons for better understanding a whole class of stars,” explains George Ricker, TESS principal investigator and a senior research scientist at Kavli.

A study by researchers from MIT and Harvard examines how weather conditions impact the spread of the coronavirus, reports Andrew Freedman and Joel Achenbach for The Washington Post. The researchers found that “average temperatures above 77 degrees are associated with a reduction in the virus’s transmission,” but noted that “transition to summer weather won’t be sufficient to completely contain the virus’s transmission.”

Boston.com reporter Deyscha Smith highlights how as part of an effort to encourage students to remain active, Nick Jewell, an administrative assistant for club sports at MIT, created the Patriots logo during a bike ride around Bostonusing a GPS-based app. “I really wanted to give Boston something to look at in this time of very little sports,” said Jewell.

Audiences will be able to enjoy the vocal stylings of the MIT Logarhythms, the oldest acapella group at MIT, during a virtual concert on Friday, May 22, reports The Boston Globe.

A new study led by research scientist Michael Person provides insight into the layers of haze in Pluto’s atmosphere, reports Jamie Carter for Forbes. “Pluto is a mysterious object that is constantly surprising us,” says Person.

Space.com reporter Mike Wall writes that a study co-authored by MIT researchers finds that Pluto’s atmosphere may be more resilient than scientists originally thought. Research scientist Michael Person explains that, "Pluto’s atmosphere may collapse more slowly than previously predicted, or perhaps not at all. We have to keep monitoring it to find out."

The Economist features WiTricity, an MIT startup that is developing technology to enable wireless power.

The Washington Post spotlights “Speak Italian With Your Mouth Full,” an MIT OpenCourseWare class taught by lecturer Paola Rebusco, who dishes up a taste of Italian language, culture and cooking. “Come to class hungry for trivia about each dish, plus background about its place in Italian culture. Before cooking begins, there’s a vocabulary lesson on how to pronounce such ingredients as formaggio.”

WBUR’s Christian Burno spotlights how audiences around the world will be able to listen to Prof. Tod Machover’s symphony, “Philadelphia Voices,” when it is streamed this weekend on the Philadelphia Orchestra’s website. Burno explains that Machover took “samplings of cityscapes, vocalizations and texts from Philadelphians” to create the piece.

Researchers from MIT and Harvard are developing a face mask that would light up when it detects Covid-19, reports Aria Bendix for Business Insider. “As we open up our transit system, you could envision it being used in airports as we go through security, as we wait to get on a plane," explains Prof. James Collins.

Boston 25 reporter Chris Flanagan highlights Safe Paths, an app developed by MIT researchers. that can help track the spread of Covid-19. “If you’re exposed then the app can help you discuss with public health or with your own doctor what you can do next,” explains Prof. Ramesh Raskar.

Marc Zissman, associate head of MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Cyber Security and Information Science Division, speaks with IEEE Spectrum reporter Megan Scudellari about PACT, a Bluetooth contact tracing system being developed by MIT researchers. “Our role is to show how the technology could work and then try to answer questions for government organizations who might use it,” says Zissman.