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.
TechCrunch reporter Kirsten Korosec writes that MIT researchers have found that changes in how roads are resurfaced could improve gas mileage for heavy vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers found “making pavements stiffer improves mileage efficiency,” writes Korosec.
Sanjay Sarma, Vice President for Open Learning, speaks with CNN’s Kristie Lu Stout about the future of online learning. “We will use simulations, we will use virtual reality, you can explore a virtual world, maybe you can go to ancient Greece and see Socrates speaks,” says Sarma of how educators can use technology to make online learning more interactive in the future.
Writing for The Wall Street Journal, Visiting Lecturer Irving Wladawsky-Berger highlights “Building the New Economy,” a book by Prof. Alex “Sandy” Pentland, technology officer Thomas Hardjono and others. “Building a new post-pandemic economy requires the creation of more agile, resilient systems and institutions to help us better adapt to an unpredictable future and withstand turbulent events like Covid-19,” writes Wladawsky-Berger.
A study co-authored by MIT researchers examines the impact of social distancing on adolescents, reports Philippa Roxby for BBC News. The researchers found “reduced face-to-face contact among teenagers and their friends during the pandemic could have damaging long-term consequences.”