CSAIL researchers have developed a wearable AI system that allows users to detect the tone of a conversation in real-time, reports Janet Burns for Forbes. Using two algorithms to analyze data, the researchers were able to “classify each five-second chunk of conversation as positive, neutral, or negative,” explains Burns.
Prof. Bob Weinberg of the Whitehead Institute spoke with Karen Weintraub at WBUR about the best ways to prevent cancer. Reducing obesity and smoking will lead to “decreases in cancer mortality, at least over the next decade or two, that dwarf anything I and my colleagues can produce in terms of new, miraculous cures,” he said.
An MIT study finds that online and in-store goods are sold at the same price 70 percent of the time, reports Meghan Woolhouse of The Boston Globe. Prof. Alberto Cavallo believes online and in store prices are typically the same because shoppers would likely react badly “to price differences for the same goods from the same retailer.”
Before she even graduates from MIT, senior Tiera Guinn is working for NASA’s Space Launch System, writes Zahara Hill of The Huffington Post. Guinn, who designs and analyzes parts for the rocket that will transport people to Mars, advises young girls with similar aspirations to “look forward to your dream and you can’t let anybody get in the way of it.”
Dan Misener of CBC News writes that a wearable device developed by MIT researchers detects the tone of conversation by listening to the interaction and measuring the physiological responses of the user. “All of that data is fed into a neural network that's been trained to identify certain cues,” explains Misener.
MIT researchers have developed a new drug capsule that can deliver doses of medication over the course of several weeks, reports Robby Berman for Slate. Berman explains that the star-shaped device is like “a little pharmacy stationed in the stomach, ready to dispense doses at the desired times.”
In this FOX 25 segment, Prof. John Leonard explains why he created an online lesson that demonstrates the science behind the Deflategate controversy. He notes that the lesson is aimed at giving “students the tools so they can be the scientists,” adding that he also hopes to “get more young people excited about math and science.”
In this Wired video, Prof. Anette “Peko” Hosoi explains how she and her team designed a material, inspired by semiaquatic mammals, to help keep surfers warm. “We want to understand the physical mechanisms behind the biological solution and then adapt those mechanisms into engineering design."
CSAIL researchers have developed a wearable system that can gauge the tone of a conversation based on a person’s speech patterns and vitals with 83 percent accuracy, writes Brian Barrett for Wired. The system could be useful for people with social anxiety or Asperger’s, Barrett explains.
Prof. Nicholas Ashford writes for The Huffington Post about a new executive order concerning regulatory agencies. Ashford writes that new businesses, the economy, and the public benefit from “regulations that protect public health, safety, and the environment.”
Hallie Smith writes for Boston Magazine that CSAIL researchers have developed a system that can help detect of the tone of a conversation. The system could be especially useful “for those who struggle with emotional and social cues, such as individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome,” Smith explains.
In this CNN video, Maya Dangerfield highlights the team of students from MIT participating in the SpaceX Hyperloop competition. The MIT team finished among the top three teams, and was honored with the Safety and Reliability Award.
Writing for The Huffington Post, Audrey Henkels spotlights MDaaS (Medical Devices as a Service), which was co-founded by MIT alumnus Oluwasoga Oni. MDaas supplies and services affordable medical equipment for hospitals in Nigeria, which allows them to provide “critical lifesaving tools they need to improve the health outcomes,” Henkels explains.
Prof. Tyler Jacks, director of the Koch Institute, speaks with Meghna Chakrabarti of WBUR’s Radio Boston about cancer research in Boston. Jacks says the large number of researchers in the area “gives us a distinctive advantage,” as it provides researchers the opportunity to interact and collaborate with various institutions.
Patrick Gillespie of CNN highlights the work of Professors Daron Acemoglu and David Autor in a piece about how automation is responsible for more job losses than trade. Acemoglu explains that by preventing trade now, “some of that production might come back, but the employment that comes back will not be for people, it will be for robots."