In the Media

Prof. John Goodenough, who worked at MIT Lincoln Laboratory for over 20 years, has been awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contributions to the development of lithium-ion batteries, reports the Associated Press.

Dr. Francis Collins writes for the NIH that MIT researchers have developed an imaging technique that makes it possible to view dozens of proteins in the human brain in rapid succession. The technique, “may shed light on key differences among synapses,” writes Collins, and “provide new clues into the roles that synaptic proteins may play in schizophrenia and various other neurological disorders.”

MIT researchers have developed a capsule to deliver medications that currently have to be injected, reports Steven Reinberg for HealthDay. “This experimental pill can withstand the trip through the gastrointestinal tract,” writes Reinberg. “When it gets to the small intestine, it breaks down into dissolving microneedles that attach to the intestinal wall and release the drug into the bloodstream.”

Prof. David Autor speaks with Boston Globe reporter Marin Finucane about an MIT report on automation and the future of work. “The point of the Task Force has been to bring all of these different parts of MIT together to weigh in on this critical topic for society,” explains Autor, “the roboticists, computer scientists, engineers, and data geeks as well as the political scientists, anthropologists, historians and economists.”

HealthDay reporter Steven Reinberg writes about an MIT study examining the impact of sleep on academic performance. Researchers found that “it's not just how many hours one sleeps that counts, but also the quality of the sleep, including regular sleep times,” Reinberg explains.

Principal research scientist Andrew McAfee appears on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” to discuss his new book, “More from Less: The Surprising Story of How We Learned to Prosper Using Fewer Resources―and What Happens Next.” “There are these assets all over the economy that are underutilized,” says McAfee. “I do think we are going to use software to make much more efficient use out of them.”

CNBC reporter Pippa Stevens spotlights a new art installation in New York’s East River that is collecting real-time information on water quality. Stevens notes that the installation was developed with the help of MIT researchers who installed a water monitoring device and “created an algorithm that sifts through the data and ultimately determines whether or not the water is safe for swimming.”

A study co-authored by Prof. David Rand finds repeated exposure to plausible and implausible statements increases believability, reports Susana Martinez-Conde for Scientific American. “The implications for daily life,” writes Martinez-Conde, “is that even patent lies may slowly become more credible, provided enough repetition.”

A study co-authored by Prof. David Rand finds repeated exposure to plausible and implausible statements increases believability, reports Susana Martinez-Conde for Scientific American. “The implications for daily life,” writes Martinez-Conde, “is that even patent lies may slowly become more credible, provided enough repetition.”

Prof. Eugene Fitzgerald, CEO and director of the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), speaks with Bloomberg News about how researchers have developed a new way to manufacture integrated silicon III-V chips. “We were able to create a technology that allows us to bring in higher-performing semiconductors, but still use the same manufacturing technology,” Fitzgerald explains.

The Economist spotlights “The Redemption of Vanity,” an artwork conceived by MIT artist in residence Diemut Strebe in collaboration with Prof. Brian Wardle, in which a diamond disappears behind the blackest material ever created. The Economist notes that the piece was a “stark demonstration of allotropy—the fact that a single element can come in many guises, depending on the arrangement of its atoms.”

Research affiliate Ashley Nunes writes for BBC Future about the challenges facing the development of autonomous aircraft. “Autonomous does not mean humanless,” writes Nunes. “While sensors and software curb the need for manual labor, that need isn’t – contrary to we’re told – purged entirely.”

CSAIL researchers have developed a new algorithm that could help doctors better analyze the placenta and monitor for potential issues during pregnancy, reports Christine Fischer for Engadget. The algorithm “could allow doctors to diagnose and treat placental issues earlier in pregnancy,” Fisher explains.

A study by MIT researchers underscores the importance of sleep consistency when it comes to academic performance, reports Jamie Ducharme for TIME. “If you can just get the same amount each night, compared to someone who averages the same amount as you but gets less consistent sleep, you’re going to do better,” says Prof. Jeff Grossman.

MIT researchers have developed a 3D-printed mesh structure that can transform from a flat surface into complex shapes in response to temperature changes, reports the Xinhua news agency. “The technique can be used to design deployable structures like tents or coverings that automatically unfurl and inflate, and also be used as scaffolds for artificial tissue or deformable lenses in telescopes.”