NPR’s Jason Beaubien speaks with Broad Institute Associate Director Nathan Yozwiak about the current outbreak of the Lassa virus in Nigeria. "What we could be seeing rather than an emerging disease is an emerging diagnosis,” said Yozwiak, explaining that the recent uptick could actually stem from increased awareness and reporting.
Sloan graduate student George Ward writes for WBUR’s Common Health about the decline in America’s “happiness” quotient since the UN began reporting data in 2012. He highlights research from the new book he co-authored, “The Origins of Happiness: The Science of Well-Being Over the Life Course,” which “provides a systematic account of what makes for a satisfying life.”
Brooks Hays for UPI highlights research led by postdoc Dheeraj Pasham from MIT's Kavli Institute, that has captured the rare occurrence of “radio signals produced by a black hole devouring a star.” “This is the first time we've seen a jet that's controlled by a feeding supermassive black hole,” explained Pasham.
Open Style Lab, which started as a project at MIT's Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center, designs tech-based clothes for people with disabilities. "Technology is a big part of the design process at Open Style," reports Magdalena Petrova for CNBC, and the lab looks to "expand its reach by partnering with tech companies and hospitals to bring its designs to life.”
World-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma will deliver an on campus talk titled "Yo-Yo Ma: Culture, Understanding and Survival" as part of MIT's Compton Lecture series. “Ma is a prolific performer who has recorded more than 100 albums and has worked to promote collaboration among artists from different cultures,” notes the Associated Press.
Researchers from the Media Lab and Sloan found that humans are more likely than bots to be “responsible for the spread of fake news,” writes Paul Chadwick for The Guardian. “More openness by the social media giants and greater collaboration by them with suitably qualified partners in tackling the problem of fake news is essential.”
Prof. Zach Hartwig and Bob Mumgaard, CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, discuss the new fusion initiative live on Bloomberg Radio (beginning at 34:40) with hosts Peter Barnes, Tom Moroney and Pat Carroll. "MIT brings 40 years of federally funded expertise in physics to contribute to the project," said Hartwig, "and we see that as a tremendous strength of this new kind of model."
The Economist highlights MIT spinout ClearMotion, which developed a suspension system that utilized bumpy roads to generate electricity. Later, the team realized that their system also created a smoother ride, when ran in reverse. “The effect is to level out a rough road by pushing the wheels down into dips and pulling them up over bumps.”
Forbes contributor Joe McKendrick describes how blockchain applications “may eventually reach into every corner of the business, providing online, ‘smart contracts.’” McKendrick cites research from the Media Lab’s Senior Advisor for Blockchain Opportunities, Michael Casey, whose recent book highlights the World Food Program’s use of blockchain for food distribution.
In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Megan McArdle shares her thoughts on research from the Media Lab and Sloan that identifies “fake news” as traveling six times faster than factual news. “The difference between social media and ‘the media’ is that the gatekeeper model…does care more about the truth than ‘the narrative,’” McArdle writes.
Jordan Webber of The Guardian addresses the rise of “fake news”, citing research from the Media Lab and Sloan. “I believe that social media is a turning point in human communication,” said Sloan Prof. Sinan Aral. “I believe it is having dramatic effect on our democracies, our politics, even our health.”
Researchers at the Broad Institute revealed a new editing technique that utilizes CRISPR enzymes to target RNA for gene therapies. “One of the key features of the new system is that it relies on an enzyme that is physically smaller than those used in previous work,” writes Kristen Brown for Gizmodo.
Pilot, a startup founded by MIT alumni, automates bookkeeping and can integrate data into existing expense tracking software. The service, which still uses humans to organize and structure the data, “has now raised $15 million” in financing, writes Matthew Lynley of TechCrunch.
Researchers have developed a microfluidic platform called “physiome on a chip”, which allows them to determine how certain drugs will affect up to 10 different organs. “Because the animal and human immune systems are different, [drug] testing is difficult in non-human trials,” writes Allen Cone for UPI, “but [this] system could help with that.”
Prof. Alan Lightman celebrates the life of Stephen Hawking in this opinion piece for The Washington Post. “The passing of Stephen Hawking gives us the opportunity to celebrate the best in ourselves, to reaffirm the power of the human mind and the majesty of our desire to know and to understand this strange universe we find ourselves in.”