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.
New York Times reporter Dennis Overbye writes that the LIGO and Virgo Scientific Collaborations have together detected gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes. Overbye explains that the new Virgo detector, “greatly increases the network’s ability to triangulate the sources of gravitational waves so that optical telescopes can search for any accompanying fireworks in the visible sky.”
Graduate student Elizabeth Dekeyser writes for The Washington Post about why the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s push to reverse Germany’s current citizenship law could backfire. “More inclusive citizenship policy, not less, will encourage greater national identification,” writes Dekeyser, “not just among children who are potential German citizens, but for their families as well.”
MIT researchers have potentially discovered a way to prevent the flu virus from evolving to resist vaccines and treatment, reports Alyssa Meyers for The Boston Globe. The researchers are also, “testing HIV and other rapidly mutating viruses to see if inhibiting chaperones could prevent those viruses from mutating and becoming treatment-resistant.”
A new study co-authored by research affiliate Judah Cohen shows that the extreme winters of the past few years can be attributed to the warming Arctic, writes Kendra Pierre-Louis for Popular Science. While most associate warmer temperatures with climate change, “a warming climate sends ripples of change across the entire climate system, which sometimes means some very cold winters.”
Prof. Neil Thompson speaks with Heather Goldstone of WGBH’s “Living Lab Radio” about his new study showing that Wikipedia influences scientists’ ideas and research. Thompson suggests the scientific community, “embrace Wikipedia and make it better,” which will require experts “getting in there and making contributions.”
In an article published by U.S. News & World Report, Jill Barshay writes about a new study by J-PAL researchers that examines the effectiveness of specific educational technologies. Vincent Quan of J-PAL North American explains that, “we wanted to find all the studies and distill the main lessons so that decision makers can decide which programs to scale up and invest in.”
UPI reporter Brooks Hays writes that MIT researchers have developed a set of mathematical equations to help identify patterns that can lead to extreme events. “If researchers can anticipate the warning signs of extreme events, mitigation efforts could be instigated sooner, potentially preventing loss of life and property,” Hays explains.
Writing for U.S. News & World Report, Alexa Lardieri highlights how Prof. Daniel Rothman has analyzed carbon changes over the past 540 million years and found that the next mass extinction could start in 2100. Rothman found that, “mass extinctions can occur if changes in the carbon cycle over long time periods outpace global ecosystems' abilities to adapt to those changes.”
David Weininger of The Boston Globe writes about the longest instrumental work composed by Prof. Keeril Makan, a 47-minute movement performed by the New York-based chamber ensemble Either/Or. “Makan creates a succession of fresh and inventive colors, especially when he places two unusual instruments — glockenspiel and cimbalom — in dialogue,” writes Weininger.
Boston Herald reporters Jack Encarnacao and Marie Szaniszlo write that students from the MIT Mexican Association have developed a website to help Mexicans impacted by last week’s earthquake. The students are mapping “the GPS coordinates of places where locals can report specific needs, so assistance can be targeted.”