In the Media

Reporting for NPR’s Morning Edition, Diaa Hadid highlights how the Afghan Dreamers, an all-girls robotics team, are working on developing an affordable ventilator prototype, based off an open-source design developed by MIT researchers.

MIT researchers have developed a low-cost, water collection device that could enable mail-in testing to detect heavy metals in water, reports Rachel Cromwell for Scientific American. “The device might be able to provide remote communities and well owners,” writes Cromwell, “with a feasible alternative to transporting high-volume liquid samples over long distances.”

Reporting for BBC Future, David Robson spotlights Prof. Li-Huei Tsai’s work developing a new non-invasive treatment that could potentially alleviate symptoms of dementia using a combination of flashing and clicking lights. Robson writes that Tsai’s research “represents a radical new approach to preventing and treating the most common form of dementia.”

A new study by MIT researchers examines the impacts of social isolation on the brain, reports Scott Barry Kaufman for Scientific American. The findings suggest that “people who are forced to be isolated crave social interactions in a similar way as a hungry person craves food.”

Prof. Simon Johnson writes for The Boston Globe about how to protect residents and staff of senior living facilities from Covid-19. “State testing programs should: ensure adequate capacity and supplies are in place for polymerase chain reaction testing; add scaled-up serology testing as an important part of the monitoring toolkit; and provide bridge teams for facilities facing a staffing shortage as a result of COVID-19 testing.”

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.