Scientific American reporter Jeremy Hsu writes that MIT researchers used color-changing fibers to develop a new mathematical model for predicting knot stability. “The nice thing is that with these basic rules, you can get quick intuition about which knots are more stable or less stable,” Prof. Jörn Dunkel explains. “We can also use them as a starting point to explore more accurate models.”
Wall Street Journal reporter Jo Craven McGinty writes that a study co-authored by MIT researchers finds the surge in new drug approvals typically seen every December leads to an increase in hospitalizations, life-threatening events and deaths. McGinty notes that the researchers concluded, “drugs approved during end-of-month or end-of-year surges should receive additional scrutiny.”
Newsweek reporter Hannah Osborne writes that a new study by MIT researchers provides evidence that the moon lost its magnetic field about one billion years ago, when its internal dynamo ceased. "A strong field on the moon may have shielded the surface from the solar wind, the supersonic plasma emitted from the sun," explains Prof. Benjamin Weiss.
Using color-changing fibers, MIT researchers have developed a new mathematical model that can determine a knot’s strength and stability, reports Nell Greenfieldboyce for NPR. "You should be able to look at a knot and how it's tied and guess how stable it's going to be," explains graduate student Vishal Patil.
Popular Science names “Advanced LIGO by MIT and CalTech (2016)” as one of the 20 best tech discoveries of the last decade. “LIGO has captivated people the world over, making them curious about esoteric subjects like the nature of space and origin of, well, everything.”
Graduate student Benjamin Holmes speaks with Boston Magazine reporter Jacqueline Cain about his new effort, FAB Beer, a collection of beers he is creating “for the sake of art and activism.” Holmes explains that, “we’re on a mission to brew beers which are created for the central purpose of supporting the arts and encouraging activist change.”
New York Times reporter Kevin Rose highlights Biobot, an MIT startup that analyzes sewer samples to identify opioid use levels in specific neighborhoods. “Once this data is collected, public health officials can use it to set priorities for treatment programs, detect spikes in use in a neighborhood and monitor the effectiveness of prevention programs over time,” writes Rose.
Prof. Carlo Ratti speaks about the “Eyes of the City” exhibition he curated in Shenzhen, China, which offers “a rare public space for reflection on increasingly pervasive surveillance by tech companies and the government,” reports David Kirton for Reuters. “This is a global issue and the best way to deal with it is to open up these technologies and put them in the hands of the public," said Ratti.
MIT researchers have created a “new laser ultrasound technique [that] utilizes an eye and skin safe laser system to image the inside of a person remotely,” reports Jennifer Kite-Powell for Forbes.
CNN’s Ashley Strickland highlights how MOXIE, a device that the Mars 2020 rover will carry on board to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, could aid future human exploration of Mars. "MOXIE is so you don't have to take an estimated 27 metric tons of oxygen to Mars just to get them off the surface," said Dr. Mike Hecht, principle investigator for MOXIE.
Prof. T.L. Taylor speaks with The Washington Post’s Liz Clarke about the ways in which female gamers are often harassed and excluded. “What we have not fully grappled with is that the right to play extends to the digital space and gaming,” says Taylor. “For me, it is tied to democracy and civic engagement. It’s about participating in culture and having a voice and visibility.”
Researchers from MIT and Google have developed a new system that could be used to help decode and parse ancient languages or how animals communicate, report Mary Lou Jepsen and John Ryan for Wired.
Prof. Jeffrey Hoffman speaks with NPR’s Joe Palca about MOXIE, an instrument developed by MIT researchers to extract oxygen from Mars’ atmosphere. Hoffman explains the idea behind MOXIE, “is to go after the oxygen that is combined with carbon to make up the carbon dioxide, which forms about 95% of the Martian atmosphere.”
Financial Times reporter Lucy Watson spotlights Prof. Timothy Hyde’s book, “Ugliness and Judgement: On Architecture in the Public Eye” on a list of the best interior books to kick off the new year. Watson writes that in the book, Hyde explores “what are considered to be the ‘most vile’ buildings of the past century, and explores the societal (and aesthetic) contexts that make them so.”
In an article for The Boston Globe, Prof. Jonathan Gruber examines how to address the challenges facing the U.S. health care system. “Health care reforms can take any number of iterations in the coming decades,” writes Gruber. “But unless it ensures universal, nondiscriminatory access and recognizes the need for price regulation, it will continue to fail Americans.”