Zofia Niemtus writes for The Guardian about tech startups focused on helping breastfeeding mothers. Niemtus notes that MIT’s second “Make The Breast Pump Not Suck!” hackathon, which focused on marginalized groups in society, resulted in projects like “a pop-up shelf for pumping in unsanitary public places; a lactation kit for use in disaster zones; and a virtual reality app.”
In this video, NBC Mach highlights the robotic cheetah developed by MIT researchers that can navigate without cameras or sensors. While most robots require light to explore their surroundings, the “Cheetah 3 will be able to feel its way through light-less situations such as caves or mines.”
MIT has been named to MONEY’s 2018-2019 Best Colleges list. MONEY notes that MIT is, “one of the world's most respected science schools.”
Reuters reporter Lisa Rapaport writes about a new study that shows back-and-forth conversations between adults and young children could help build speech and language skills. “We found that the most relevant component of children’s language exposure is not the sheer number of words they hear, but the amount of back-and-forth adult-child conversation they experience,” explains research affiliate Rachel Romeo.
Researchers from MIT and Harvard studied how climate change could affect food inspections, traffic accidents and police stops, and found that rising temperatures could reduce safety, reports Susan Scutti for CNN. Research scientist Nick Obradovich explains that he hopes the findings can be used to “adapt or to fix things that might go wrong under a changing climate."
Writing for STAT, Justin Chen spotlights graduate student Eugene Lee’s work mapping the brain of worms in an effort to gain a better understanding of how worms, and animals in general, learn. “With science,” says Lee, “you might not know exactly where the research will take you, but you trust that when you arrive all the effort will have been worth it.”
STAT reporter Orly Nadell Farber writes about a new study by MIT researchers that shows glaucoma might be caused by T-cells, an integral component of the human body’s immune system, attacking retinal cells. Farber explains that, “this discovery could unlock a critical new door for treatment options.”
MIT researchers have developed a machine learning system that could reduce the number of chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments that glioblastoma patients receive, reports the Xinhua News Agency. The system “finds an optimal treatment plan, with the lowest possible potency and frequency of doses that should still reduce tumor sizes,” Xinhua explains.
In an article for NBC News about how climate change could make life unsustainable in the countries along the Persian Gulf and North Africa, Charlene Gubash highlights an MIT study showing that temperatures there and in southwest Asia, “will exceed the threshold for human survival if nations fail to reign in emissions.”
Writing for The New York Times, Prof. Sherry Turkle argues that machines will never be able to replace humans as compassionate companions. “Machines have not known the arc of a human life. They feel nothing of the human loss or love we describe to them,” writes Turkle. “Their conversations about life occupy the realm of the as-if.”
A new study by MIT researchers provides evidence that glaucoma may be caused by an autoimmune disease, according to a HealthDay News piece published by UPI. “Further research will try to determine whether other parts of the immune system play a role in glaucoma, and whether autoimmunity is a factor in degenerative brain diseases.”
Writing for The Boston Globe, Scott Kirsner highlights Perch, a company founded by alumnus Jacob Rothman to help improve safety for weightlifters. Kirsner explains that Perch developed a system for an iPad that allows users to, “log in to a weightlifting station and access a personal routine, which can be crafted by a coach.”
Laney Ruckstuhl of WBUR reports that William Corbett, a former writer-in-residence at MIT, passed away on August 10 at age 75. Corbett, an award-winning poet, is “credited with helping introduce avant-garde poetry to the region's literary scene,” writes Ruckstuhl.
Boston Globe reporter Bette Keva spotlights SeaTrac Systems, Inc., which was founded by MIT alumni Buddy Duncan and James Herman, and has developed an autonomous, solar-powered boat. Herman explains that SeaTrac’s goal is to develop a boat that could be used on “dirty, dull, dangerous, or expensive” missions.
Boston Globe reporter Martin Finucane writes that MIT researchers have identified the region of the brain responsible for generating negative emotions. “The findings could help scientists better understand how some of the effects of depression and anxiety arise, and guide development of new treatments,” Finucane explains.