Washington Post reporter Ben Guarino writes that a study by research scientist Nick Obradovich provides evidence that rising temperatures caused by climate change could increase the number of nights where people have difficulty sleeping. The researchers found that “increasing temperatures could add six additional restless nights per month per 100 people, and 14 nights by 2099.”
In an article for The New York Times about the growing number of autonomous public transportation programs in Europe, Mark Scott highlights Prof. Carlo Ratti’s work testing driverless boats in Amsterdam. In addition to ferrying people and goods, the driverless boats will also be able to “automatically dock with each other, creating on-demand bridges and walkways whenever necessary."
Graduate student Joy Buolamwini speaks with Guardian reporter Ian Tucker about her work fighting algorithmic biases. Buolamwini explains that she is, “trying to identify bias, to point out cases where bias can occur so people can know what to look out for, but also develop tools where the creators of systems can check for a bias in their design.”
Anant Agarwal, president of edX, speaks with Goldie Blumenstyk of The Chronicle of Higher Education about edX’s commitment to expanding access to education. EdX is focused on maximizing, “the impact and the good that we can do to the world,” says Agarwal, adding that edX is working with universities to “reimagine education, both on university campuses and online.”
Research engineer Bryan Reimer speaks with Asma Khalid and Tanya Mosely of Radio Boston about a study showing that consumers are growing less comfortable with the prospect of autonomous vehicles.
Writing for The Los Angeles Times, Deborah Netburn examines a study by MIT researchers that shows climate change could affect how well people sleep at night. “There are going to be lots and lots of impacts of climate change and this is just another factor in a mosaic of negative factors,” says research scientist Nick Obradovich.
A study by research scientist Nick Obradovich finds that increasing temperatures caused by climate change could impact sleep quality, particularly for the poor and elderly, reports Marlene Cimons for Popular Science. Obradovich explains that the study shows, “ambient temperature can play a role in disrupting sleep but also that climate change might make the situation worse by driving up rates of sleep loss.”
Popular Science reporter Rachel Feltman writes that MIT researchers have developed shape-changing noodles that transform from a flat sheet into 3-D shapes when submerged in water. Feltman explains that by packing pasta in flat sheets, “manufacturers could cut packaging sizes in half—cutting down on wasted cardboard and shipping container space.”
Newsweek’s Anthony Cuthbertson writes about new research from a team at the Media Lab’s Tangible Media Group, who have “created flat sheets of gelatin and starch that transform into 3D shapes, such as flowers and pasta forms, when submerged in water.”
Writing for NOVA Next, Annette Choi talks with MITEI Director Robert Armstrong and research scientist Apurba Sakti about the value of developing energy storage solutions to maximize the potential of renewable energy technologies and make the electric grid more reliable, flexible, and adaptable.
In this Bloomberg video, MIT professor Jonathan Gruber discusses the discrimination in health insurance that increases costs for sick consumers. “For the very healthiest people premiums have gone up a lot, and that’s because they were essentially benefiting from discrimination and they no longer get to,” explains Prof. Gruber.
Lauren Camera of U.S. News & World Report speaks to 2017 U.S. News & World Report STEM Leadership Hall of Fame recipients about how to create more interest in STEM fields. President Emerita Susan Hockfield suggests finding a way to ignite a passion for STEM fields because “people are motivated by mission and purpose rather than what they're made to do."
The Economist writes about new research from Prof. Chris Voigt, in which “he and his colleagues demonstrate how to control customised cells with coloured light.”
A study from the AgeLab found that most people would not buy a completely driverless car. “Respondents said they're uncomfortable with the loss of control and don't trust the technology. They also don't feel self-driving cars are safe,” writes Zeninjor Enwemeka for WBUR.
MIT professor and former U.S. Sec. of Energy, Ernest Moniz, contributed this op-ed in The Hill, voicing his concerns about what President Trump's proposed budget means for U.S. energy security and low-carbon innovation. The administration's stance, he says, is "at odds with the preponderance of scientific evidence and the positions of almost all other nations of the world."