Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss has won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work developing a device that detects gravitational waves, reports the AP. Weiss said that he views the prize as recognition for the entire LIGO team, and “more as a thing that recognizes the work of a thousand people."
Boston Globe reporters Sean Smyth, John Ellement and Eric Moskowitz report that Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss was honored with the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics. Weiss explained that LIGO has helped change, “the way you look at the way you fit into the universe. It makes you understand what’s going on all around us in the vastness of the universe.”
Prof. Emeritus Rainer Weiss has been awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work successfully detecting gravitational waves, reports Dennis Overbye for The New York Times. Weiss explained that thanks to LIGO, which is helping usher in a new era of astronomy, “many of us really expect to learn about things we didn’t know about.”
Francis O'Sullivan, director of research at the MIT Energy Initiative, speaks with Emre Kelly of USA Today about the value of microgrids in increasing resilience to natural disasters. O’Sullivan says that the Caribbean islands impacted by hurricanes Irma and Maria should “look to integrate today’s newer technologies and not simply rebuild the old system we had.”
Prof. Joi Ito, director of the Media Lab, is featured on NPR’s TED Radio Hour explaining how he worked with citizen scientists after the 2011 earthquake in Japan to assess damage. To collect data, Ito and his colleagues created Geiger counters, which were “used by ordinary citizens who would just walk around their neighborhoods and measure the radiation,” explains host Guy Raz.
Boston Globe reporter Alex Kingsbury writes that MIT researchers have developed a paper-based test to diagnose Zika. The test could not only make it easier for doctors to diagnose the disease in developing countries, but also “distinguish between the four types of dengue fever, even if Zika wasn’t present — a useful diagnostic tool for doctors in its own right.”
Scientists at the LIGO and Virgo observatories jointly detected the collision of two black holes, reports Alyssa Meyers for The Boston Globe. Meyers writes that Prof. Nergis Mavalvala explained that the detection was unique as it was recorded, “by a combination of US and European detectors for the first time… [and] because it gave scientists a clear look at the geometry of gravitational waves.”
MIT researchers have developed a portable paper-based test that can diagnose the Zika virus and differentiate between four types of the Dengue virus, writes Rowan Walrath for Boston Magazine. The researchers are, “also working on a diagnostic for the tick-borne Powassan virus, which…causes a severe form of encephalitis.”
Ethan Siegel writes for Forbes about the first successful joint detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO and Virgo observatories. “With three working detectors observing the Universe simultaneously, we can now pinpoint the locations of these sources as never before,” Siegel explains.
A new blood test developed by MIT researchers can distinguish between the Zika and dengue viruses, reports Andrew Joseph for STAT. “Being able to distinguish the four serotypes is very important for epidemiology purposes and to know what viruses are circulating in an environment,” explains Prof. Lee Gehrke.
Amina Khan of The Los Angeles Times examines the first joint detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO and Virgo detectors. Khan notes that the LIGO and Virgo systems are currently being updated to increase their sensitivity to a greater search volume. “There are eight times as many objects in that volume,” explains MIT’s David Shoemaker, LIGO’s spokesperson, increasing the chances of finding gravitational wave sources.
Prof. Lee Gehrke speaks with WBUR’s Carey Goldberg about a new paper-based diagnostic that can detect the Zika virus. “Our technology for screening large numbers of antibodies against a panel of closely related viral proteins has allowed us to specifically identify antibodies that recognize only one of the viral antigens, and that gives us a great deal of specificity.”
The LIGO and Virgo observatories have made their first joint detection of gravitational waves, report Ben Guarino and Sarah Kaplan for The Washington Post. MIT’s David Shoemaker, spokesperson for LIGO, compared the three-detector network for identifying gravitational waves to a camera tripod that allows scientists to zoom in on the waves' source.
MIT researchers have developed a new test that can identify dengue and the Zika virus quickly and cheaply, reports Sophie Hares for Reuters. “Knowing whether these tests are positive or negative is very important for designing the course of clinical care,” explains Prof. Lee Gehrke. “It simplifies the decision tree and, we believe, leads to improved patient care.”
CSAIL researchers have developed a new shape-shifting robot that can change outfits in order to perform different tasks, reports Timothy Revell for New Scientist. “In the future, we imagine robots like this could become mini surgeons, squished into a pill that you swallow,” explains Prof. Daniela Rus.