TIME reporter Alice Park writes that in a Nature commentary, an international group of scientists has called for a temporary ban on studies using gene-editing on human embryos. “Our question is, how should nations make decisions about technologies like gene editing going forward?” says Prof. Eric Lander, director of the Broad Institute and one of the authors of the commentary.
Associated Press reporter Malcom Ritter writes that an international team of scientists – including a number of MIT researchers – has called for a moratorium on making babies with genetically engineered DNA. “The moratorium would allow time for discussion of technical, scientific, societal and ethical issues that must be considered,” explains Ritter.
Financial Times reporter Hannah Kuchler writes that researchers from MIT and a number of other institutions have called for a moratorium on editing inheritable human genes. Kuchler writes that the researchers called for the establishment of “an international framework on the conditions in which such editing could be allowed.”
TechCrunch reporter Brian Heater writes that researchers at CSAIL and Harvard have developed a soft robotic gripper that can both handle delicate objects and lift items up to 100 times its own weight. “The gripper itself is made of an origami-inspired skeletal structure, covered in either fabric or a deflated balloon,” explains Heater.
Gizmodo reporter Ed Cara writes about a study by MIT researchers have finds “inactive” ingredients in pills could trigger a patient’s allergies or intolerances. “We’re not saying that everyone should stop taking these medications,” explains Prof. Giovanni Traverso. “But people with an allergy or intolerance should definitely have the opportunity to find out if they have to worry about certain medications.”
MIT researchers have found that companies with experienced technologists on their boards tend to have better financial outcomes, reports Sara Castellanos and Angus Loten for The Wall Street Journal. “Directors on digitally savvy boards have an understanding, tested by experience, of how digital technologies impact the way that companies will succeed in the next decade,” explains research scientist Stephanie Woerner.
MIT researchers have found that many pills contain “inactive” ingredients that could be troublesome for patients, reports Richard Harris for NPR. Prof. Giovanni Traverso explains that if a patient with lactose intolerance takes a pill containing lactose, “it's probably not going to manifest in any significant symptoms. But as the number of pills you're taking [increases], then certainly you might cross that threshold."
AP reporter Lauran Neergaard writes that a new study by MIT researchers finds that pills often contain “inactive” ingredients capable of causing allergic or gastrointestinal reactions. The researchers found that “it’s hard for those patients, or even their doctors, to tell if a pill contains an extra ingredient they should avoid,” Neergaard explains.
In an article for Fast Company, Clifton Mark highlights a study by Prof. Emilio Castilla examining the impact of meritocratic practices. Castilla and his colleagues found that “in companies that explicitly held meritocracy as a core value, managers assigned greater rewards to male employees over female employees with identical performance evaluations.”
In an article marking the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web, Vox reporter Aja Romano highlights how in 1961 two MIT graduate students developed the concept for ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet. Romano writes that Leonard Kleinrock “developed his thesis around the idea that computers could talk to each other if they could carve up their information into tiny, easily transferrable packets.”
In an article for Wired, Media Lab director Joi Ito, a professor of the practice at MIT, discusses his decision to allow his young daughter to have screen time and the potential impact of technology on children. Ito argues that tech leaders should focus on “creating technology that makes screen entertainment healthier and fun for all families.”
Writing for The Washington Post, research affiliate Ashley Nunes examines the impact of countries around the world banning the Boeing 737 Max 8 from operating in their airspace. “If airlines start to believe that there is something inherently wrong with Boeing’s prized offering — or, even worse, if consumers start to identify the new 737 models as unsafe — it will have serious ramifications for Boeing,” writes Nunes.
TechCrunch reporter Devin Coldewey writes about the Ethics and Governance in AI Initiative, a research program developed by the Media Lab and Harvard. Coldewey notes that the initiative just announced funding for a number of projects “aimed at using technology to keep people informed, or informing people about technology.”
MIT researchers have developed an interactive map that exhibits how income inequality plays a part in the shops, restaurants and public spaces that people frequent, reports Benjamin Swasey for WBUR. "We want to raise the point that segregation is happening at very short [distances], like even just 25 meters, just across the street," says visiting professor Esteban Moro.
Axios reporter Andrew Freedman writes about a study by MIT researchers examining solar geoengineering. “Contrary to earlier studies that focused on solar geoengineering schemes that would aim to cancel out all human-caused global warming,” Freedman writes, “the new study found that halving the amount of warming would not have widespread, significant negative impacts on temperature, water availability, the intensity of hurricanes or extreme precipitation."