New Scientist reporter Andy Coghlan writes that MIT researchers have engineered bacteria to produce full-color, living photocopies. Coghlan explains that the technique could “enable finer control of the bacteria grown in fermenters to churn out vital drugs, antibodies and materials. Another application could be using light to sculpt living biomaterials, such as tissues and organs for transplant.”
MIT researchers have developed a workout suit with vents that are triggered by bacteria to automatically open in response to sweat, reports Rob Verger for Popular Science. Verger explains that the researchers hope to apply the technology to create clothing that can, “produce a pleasant smell when you sweat.”
In an article for The Hill, Prof. Valerie Karplus highlights the economic risks of ignoring the emerging market for clean energy. Karplus writes that, “abandoning the fight against climate change…will take away U.S. jobs.”
Writing for The Wall Street Journal about businesses investing in green power, Brian Baskin highlights how MIT joined forces with two Boston-based organizations to buy power from a solar farm in North Carolina. “We saw it as an opportunity where we could set an example,” says Joe Higgins, MIT's director of infrastructure business operations.
CSAIL researchers have developed a new system that allows camera-equipped drones to maintain certain framing parameters of an aerial shot, Sean O’Kane for The Verge. O’Kane explains that the system allows directors to define basic parameters of a shot and to alter the “settings on the fly and the drone will adjust how it’s filming accordingly.”
Susan Hockfield, president emerita of MIT, has been named to U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 STEM Leadership Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors leaders, “who have achieved measurable results in the science, technology, engineering and math fields; challenged established processes and conventional wisdom; inspired a shared vision; and motivated aspiring STEM professionals.”
CSAIL researchers have developed a system that allows robots to teach one another learned skills, reports Grace Williams for FOX News. Williams explains that the system, “gives non-coders the ability to teach robots various tasks using information about manipulating objects in a single demonstration. These skills can then be passed along to other robots that move in different ways.”
Dr. Phil Erickson of the Haystack Observatory speaks with Sarah Fecht of Popular Science about a study he co-authored showing that radio waves may protect the Earth’s atmosphere from space weather. “In the first hours to a couple of days into a solar storm, the waves seem to halt the electrons from coming in further,” says Erickson.
Daily Mail reporter Colin Fernandez writes that MIT researchers have developed a self-ventilating workout suit that can help keep athletes cool and dry while they exercise. Fernandez explains that the suit is embedded with harmless microbes that contract when they sense heat or cold, triggering flaps in the suit to open and close.
Wall Street Journal reporter James Hagerty writes about the life and legacy of Henri Termeer, a life member of the MIT Corporation known for his work as a pioneering leader in the field of biotechnology.
Timandra Harkness of BBC Radio 4’s FutureProofing series spoke with research affiliate Gio Traverso and postdoc Phillip Nadeau about their ingestible electronic device that uses stomach acid to power tiny sensors. “Once you have the capacity to have a smart system sitting in your stomach that one can communicate with, it opens up the door to homing in on the individual patient,” said Traverso.
A new analysis by MIT researchers shows that immigrants are a vital part of the Boston area’s economy, writes Katie Johnston for The Boston Globe. “It’s very hard to imagine our economy succeeding without immigration,” says Prof. Paul Osterman. “The economy would be strengthened if immigration increased from its present level.”
Anant Agarwal, president of edX, and Kalyan Veeramachaneni, a principal research scientist at LIDS, are featured on Fast Company’s 2017 list of the “Most Creative People in Business.” Agarwal is celebrated for “mastering online education,” and Veeramachaneni for developing a system that enables humans and AI to work together to detect possible security threats.
John Wasik of Forbes explains Prof. Robert Merton’s funded retirement ratio, which determines whether an investor will have enough retirement funds based on money saved, rate of return, and planned retirement. Checking this number allows time to improve it by “saving more, working later and adding more stocks to your portfolio,” explains Wasik.
MIT was named one of “America’s Best Employers” in Forbes’ annual ranking of the top 500 workplaces around the country, reports CBS Boston.