Haystack postdoc Kazunori Akiyama speaks with Gizmodo reporter Ryan Mandelbaum about the effort to capture the first image of a black hole, and notes that in the future, additional observations should shed light on how the region around the black hole is changing. “By accumulating observations over the next year with additional telescopes, we can identify what’s changing the black hole image,” Akiyama explains.
Science News reporter Maria Temming speaks with researchers from the Event Horizon Telescope about their work capturing the first picture of a black hole. Describing how the image was captured, Haystack research scientist Vincent Fish explains that the team was able to “reconstruct images, even though we don’t have 100 percent of the information, is because we know what images look like” in general.
WCVB-TV’s Rhondella Richardson visits the MIT Haystack Observatory to learn more about how researchers there helped process the data that was compiled to produce the first image of a black hole. “It really does look exactly like what we expected it to, based on Einstein’s model of relativity,” explains Michael Hecht, Haystack’s associate director for research management. “There’s still a sense of awe.”
NESN’s Clubhouse visits Prof. Anette “Peko” Hosoi to explore how a baseball is manufactured. “The best way to understand how a baseball is manufactured is to actually see what’s inside,” Hosoi explains. After cutting the ball in half, Hosoi shows how the ball’s cork center is surrounded by rubber and wool, which is “what gives the baseball its springiness.”
Profs. Jonathan Gruber and Simon Johnson discuss their new book, which argues that investment in scientific research is key to jump-starting the American economy, on Boston Public Radio. “We invest in science, turn that science into jobs,” says Johnson, “and spread that around the country. The coastal superstar cities have become extremely expensive, but there’s a tremendous amount of talent spread across the U.S.”
Fast Company reporter Mark Wilson spotlights Prof. Neri Oxman’s work developing 3-D printed sculptures filled with melanin, the pigment that colors our skin and hair. Wilson writes that Oxman’s work shows how melanin could potentially be used in buildings to protect inhabitants for the elements, generate energy or absorb unwanted environmental materials.
MITEI senior research engineer Howard Herzog speaks with CNBC about his work with carbon capture, storage and utilization. “Climate change is a very difficult problem to solve and we’re going to need as many technologies as possible to help us solve it at an affordable price,” says Herzog.
NBC News reporter Jacob Ward highlights how researchers from MIT, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Microsoft are developing a system that can help predict which pieces of art could most appeal to people based on their social media profiles and preferences.
WBZ-TV’s Anna Meiler spotlights undergraduate Riley Quinn, who is running the Boston Marathon to raise funds for an organization that provides custom prosthetic devices for amputees. “Knowing I’m raising money for a cause that matters so much to me and will impact the lives of others,” says Quinn, “it’s that extra push where it makes me try a little harder.”
CNBC contributor Tom Popomaronis highlights a study by MIT researchers that demonstrates how back-and-forth exchanges could help children develop stronger communications skills.
In an article for Bloomberg News, Noah Smith highlights a study by MIT researchers that examines the factors influencing the decline in solar prices. The researchers found that, “from 1980 to 2001, government-funded research and development was the main factor in bringing down costs, but from 2001 to 2012, the biggest factor was economies of scale,” Smith explains.
Forbes contributor Joe McKendrick writes that MIT researchers have developed a new metric for analyzing the value of the digital goods and services people use. McKendrick writes that the research provides “an idea of what digital goods -- those free or paid-for subscription services available via the internet and mobile -- add to our economy.”
A new study by MIT researchers that sheds light on heat transfer in boiling water could allow nuclear power plants to run more efficiently, reports Jim Efstathiou Jr. for Bloomberg News. “Learning more about how heat is transferred could help safely boost the output from nuclear power plants by as much as 20 percent,” Efstathiou explains.
Wall Street Journal reporter Leigh Kamping-Carder highlights how MIT researchers are developing a number of new technologies aimed at easing the transition to space for future amateur astronauts. A robotic tail developed by Media Lab researchers could help space travelers “grab objects, anchor to surfaces and balance while floating in environments with reduced gravity.”
Prof. Erik Brynjolfsson speaks with Sabri Ben-Achour of Marketplace about his work quantifying the economic benefits of goods and services that GDP does not measure. “We haven’t been measuring the value of the environment or digital goods,” says Brynjolfsson. “That means policy makers, when they are trying to see where is value coming and how is the economy growing, they have been missing that understanding.”