Scientific American reporter Lindsay Brownell writes that MIT researchers have developed a technique to enlarge pathology samples. “Not only are expanded samples easier to see because they are larger and more transparent, fluorescent tags and other labels can also be added to track individual molecules of interest.”
A new study co-authored by MIT researchers finds that underground magma triggered the world’s largest mass extinction, reports Howard Lee for The Guardian. Based off their findings, the researchers believe that, “greenhouse gas emissions triggered by magma intrusions...caused the extinction through abrupt global warming and ocean acidification.”
Wired reporter Sian Bradley writes that a study co-authored by MIT researchers shows that the world’s largest mass-extinction was triggered by a massive underground magma pulse. The magma pulse “released dangerous levels of carbon dioxide, methane and sulphur dioxide into the environment and triggered the end of the Permian period.”
In an article published by Wired, Natalie Wolchover highlights how Prof. Jeremy England and his colleagues are using computer simulations to test England’s theory that the origin of life is rooted in physics. “The outcomes of both computer experiments appear to back England’s general thesis about dissipation-driven adaptation, though the implications for real life remain speculative.”
Boston Globe reporter Alex Kingsbury writes that a new study by MIT researchers shows that Indian monsoons have been getting stronger over the past 15 years. Kingsbury explains that the findings, “came as quite a surprise: Since the 1950s, conventional wisdom has been that India was drying up.”
In an article for The Washington Post, Stephen Pettigrew and Mayya Komisarchik of the MIT Election Data and Science Lab examine the problem with trying to identify duplicate voter registrations using limited information. They write that, “working with registration records that lack essential details…could cause us to draw wildly inaccurate conclusions about the potential for voter fraud.”
Aaron Schrank reports for Marketplace that the textile industry is experiencing a revival as it creates more technologically advanced fabrics. Schrank highlights the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) Institute, led by Prof. Yoel Fink, where researchers have developed programmable backpacks that should be able to “send you an email when they get lost."
A team of researchers from MIT and Princeton participating in the Amazon Robotics Challenge are using GelSight technology to give robots a sense of touch, reports Tom Simonite for Wired. Simonite explains that the, “rubbery membranes on the robot’s fingers are tracked from the inside by tiny cameras as they are deformed by objects it touches.”
USA Today reporter Sydney C. Greene highlights a new piece of wearable technology developed by MIT researchers that was designed to help prevent sexual assault. Greene explains that the researchers developed a “sticker that integrates with clothing to respond to signs of assault such as forced disrobing.”
Inside Higher Ed reporter Carl Straumsheim writes about the results from the first group of students to participate in MIT’s MicroMasters in Supply Chain Management. Sanjay Sarma, MIT’s vice president for open learning, explains that the MicroMasters model has proven to be, “an extraordinary fishing line for talent.”
In this video for USA Today, Sean Dowling highlights Pic2Recipe, the artificial intelligence system developed by CSAIL researchers that can predict recipes based off images of food. The researchers hope the app could one day be used to help, “people track daily nutrition by seeing what’s in their food.”
In an article for Forbes, Jimmy Soni highlights some of the late MIT Prof. Claude Shannon’s most important contributions to math and technology. Soni notes that Shannon is known as the “father of the information age” thanks to his work “in the 1930s and 1940s that helped to lay the groundwork for the digital world we live in.”
Boston Herald reporter Lindsay Kalter writes that MIT researchers have developed a hydrogel-based capsule that can slowly release medications over several days and could help patients follow complex treatment regimens. “A lot of people do not take their medication as prescribed,” explains postdoc Jinyao Liu. “With this, you just need a single dose.”
Inverse reporter Dan Robitzski writes that MIT researchers have created a new gel-like coating that can be used to make medical devices feel more natural. The researchers, “developed the hydrogels to manufacture products that feel like the part of the body they contact — say, a catheter that feels like the inside of a urethra.”
FOX 25 reporter Bob Dumas features a dance-party lamp developed by MIT researchers aimed at getting girls interested in STEM fields. “There’s research that shows girls, around middle school age, their participation in STEM classes and curriculum starts to drop off," explains Prof. Maria Yang. She adds that she wants to, "get girls back on the STEM train by engaging their interests.”