Boston Globe reporter Jonathan Saltzman spotlights how Institute Prof. Robert Langer, a “prolific” inventor, has mobilized his research efforts towards tackling the Covid-19 pandemic. Saltzman writes that Langer “is the common denominator in a wide range of efforts to fight Covid-19.”
Research scientist Michael Person speaks with Boston Globe reporter Caroline Enos about the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. “The night sky provides a myriad of lovely sights beyond just these two, and I encourage everyone to attempt to become more familiar them and reconnect with the sky just above their heads,” says Person.
A study co-authored by MIT researchers finds that “money in the first round of the Paycheck Protection Program didn't get to the areas of the country most impacted by the coronavirus,” reports Stephen Gandel for CBS News.
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board highlights a working paper by MIT researchers that provides evidence that targeted lockdowns aimed at protecting those most vulnerable to Covid-19 would be best for both public health and the economy. The researchers found that, “a targeted lockdown aimed at seniors combined with other policies like social distancing will reduce the death rate by more.”
A team of MIT students hosted the “Africa Takes on Covid-19” virtual hackathon, which brought together participants from around the world to “create tech driven solutions to address the most critical unmet needs caused by the Covid-19 outbreak across the continent,” reports Claude Grunitzky for True Africa.
Prof. Guoping Feng speaks with STAT reporter Shraddha Chakradhar about how he and his colleagues have developed a new non-invasive technique for manipulating neurons in the brain. “It’s like deep brain stimulation,” says Feng. “But you have a lot more control over neuronal activity.”
Prof. Gregory Rutledge speaks with Wall Street Journal reporters Austen Hufford and Mark Maremont about his work testing the effectiveness of different respirator masks. “There are some good masks out there, but not all are as advertised,” says Rutledge.
Straits Times reporter Audrey Tan writes that researchers from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) are developing a new diagnostic tool for Covid-19 that could yield results in 10 minutes. The test is, “made of paper coated with molecules that ‘recognise’ Sars-CoV-2,” writes Tan. “If the viral proteins are detected, the paper strip changes from white to blue.”
Boston Globe reporter Rebecca Ostriker highlights how the Broad Institute is ramping up to be able to perform thousands of tests coronavirus antibody tests per day. “The importance of antibody testing can’t be stressed enough,” explains Prof. Bruce Walker, director of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard.
Senior lecturer Robert Pozen speaks with Emily Rooney of WGBH’s Greater Boston about how the coronavirus pandemic could impact the future of work, the construction boom in the greater Boston area and what office spaces might look like going forward. “Even when you get the vaccine, I don’t think we are going to see the demand for commercial space be what it is,” says Pozen.
Gizmodo reporter Geoffrey Mann spotlights the MIT Covid-19 Challenge, a virtual hackathon that brought together more than 1,99 participants from 90 countries to develop “solutions for issues such as education online, food availability and emergency responses during COVID-19.”
Third-year student Rona Wang’s first novel, “You Had Me at Hello World” will be published in 2022, reports Grace Griffin for The Boston Globe. “I really hope that readers can see themselves in my stories,” says Wang. “Anybody who has ever felt unsure of themself or anybody with a dream that they tirelessly pursue, I hope they can all get something from my book.”
Marc Zissman, the associate head of MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Cyber Security and Information Science Division, speaks with Axios reporters about how MIT researchers are developing a contact tracing system that uses Bluetooth signals to help maintain privacy.
A team of MIT researchers has uncovered a variety of new ways to use heavy hydrocarbons such as coal, tar and pitch to make new devices, reports Caroline Delbert for Popular Mechanics. Delbert writes that the findings demonstrate how, “a less oil-reliant future offers an opportunity to study these complex chemicals more close up than ever before.”
Prof. Lee Gehrke speaks with NPR’s Rob Stein about his work developing a new diagnostic test for Covid-19 that could deliver results in minutes. "It looks very much like a pregnancy test. And they're very simple,” says Gehrke. “They don't require special chemicals or training to use them. And they can give you a read out in about 15 minutes or so.”