Smithsonian reporter Katherine J. Wu writes that astronomers from MIT have captured a series of photographs of the Pallas asteroid that could shed light on the asteroid’s turbulent history. Wu notes that the findings “reveal Pallas as the most cratered object in the asteroid belt—a title it’s almost certainly earned by bashing into some of its neighbors.”
Verge reporter Russell Brandom writes that a team of MIT researchers has found that the Voatz mobile voting application is vulnerable to outside attacks. “After reverse-engineering Voatz’s Android app, the researchers concluded that an attacker who compromised a voter’s phone would able to observe, suppress, and alter votes nearly at will,” writes Brandom.
Wired reporter Lily Hay Newman writes about a new report by MIT researchers that identifies security vulnerabilities in a mobile voting application. Newman notes that the “MIT research speaks to the pressing need for transparent, auditable voting systems—a point researchers have also strenuously made about existing, in-person voting machines.”
Prof. Alan Lightman speaks with New York Times reporter Dennis Overbye about what inspired him to pursue his interest in writing, alongside his work as a physicist. “I love physics, but what was even more important to me was leading a creative life,” says Lightman. “And I knew that writers could continue doing their best work later in life.”
Fast Company reporter Mark Sullivan spotlights a new study by MIT researchers that provides evidence that a popular voting app could allow hackers to alter, stop or expose how users have voted.
MIT researchers have found that a new mobile voting application has a number of potential security vulnerabilities, reports Hiawatha Bray for The Boston Globe. The researchers found that “a hacking attack on the app could intercept votes, and possibly alter them, before they had been encrypted for secure transmission.”
Artist Christine Sun Kim speaks with Boston Globe reporter Diti Kohli about her exhibit at the MIT List Visual Arts Center and her experiencing signing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. For visitors to her exhibit, Kim says she hopes her work “sits in the back of their mind, and stays with them in terms of respecting our deafness and sign language.”
Writing for The Conversation, Prof. Steven Barrett and research scientist Sebastian Eastham delve into their research exploring how pollution crosses state lines and causes death in other states across the U.S. “Our findings reflect the need not only for ongoing investigation of U.S. cross-state air pollution, but also for federal regulation that’s strong enough to significantly reduce it and help save Americans’ lives,” they write.
A study by MIT researchers provides evidence that half of premature deaths related to air pollution in U.S. states are caused by out-of-state pollution, reports Julie Steenhuysen for Reuters. The researchers found “electric power plants - which emit sulfur dioxide from smokestacks - were the biggest contributor to deaths related to pollution from other states.”
Writing for CNN, Gisela Crespo spotlights how air pollution produced in one state can blow across state lines and contribute to premature deaths in other states. "This situation is a bit like secondhand smoke, but on a national scale," explains Prof. Steven Barrett.
Boston Globe reporter Matt Berg explores how MIT researcher have captured images that could help illuminate historical details of an asteroid with a golf-ball like surface. “We’re seeing a new world for the first time,” says Prof. Richard Binzel. “This is one of the largest asteroids that has been very elusive to explore because of its tilted orbit.”
Bloomberg reporter Leslie Kauffman spotlights a study by MIT researchers that shows roughly half of premature deaths caused by air pollution occur in states where the pollutants did not originate. “The numbers of deaths that are due to cross-state pollution are much bigger than anything we thought,” explains Prof. Steven Barrett.
A study by MIT researchers examines how pollutants carried across state lines have contributed to premature deaths, reports Caroline Enos for The Boston Globe. “There’s a big archive of data we’ve created from this project,” says Prof. Steven Barrett. “We think there are a lot of things that policymakers can dig into, to chart a path to saving the most lives.”
CNBC reporter Cory Stieg spotlights a study by MIT researchers demonstrating how handwashing at airports could significantly curb the spread of disease. The researchers “calculated that if 60% of travelers had clean hands, it has the potential to slow a global disease by 69%. But even if just 30% of travelers kept their hands clean, it could reduce the impact of a disease by 24%.”
Scientific American reporter Jim Daley writes that MIT researchers have found half of the premature deaths linked to poor air quality are caused by out-of-state pollution. The researchers found “nearly 70 percent of deaths related specifically to electric power generation—the sector with the highest cross-border impact on premature mortality—occurred in states other than the one where the involved plant was located.”