Straits Times reporter Nadia Chevroulet writes that researchers from MIT and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) have uncovered how certain bacteria evade the body’s defenses. The findings could provide “new ways to counter tuberculosis, and possibly a new generation of drugs to battle antibiotic resistance.”
Writing for WBUR’s Bostonomix blog, Bruce Gellerman speaks with Senior Lecturer Bill Aulet about how a new administration in Washington might impact Boston’s innovation economy. Aulet explains that he tries to teach student entrepreneurs how to adapt to change and become what he calls, “anti-fragile.”
Gabrielle Emanuel reports for WGBH that MIT students shared their hopes and fears following the 2016 election on sheets of paper wrapped around columns in Lobby 7. “It wasn’t long before the sheets were filled with notes scribbled in many different languages. There were famous quotes and personal confessions. There were pleas for understanding and calls for action.”
In an article for The New York Times Magazine about design challenges, Jon Gertner highlights Prof. Skylar Tibbits’ idea to reimagine cell towers. By making cell towers responsive to external stimuli, Tibbits believes they can gain in flexibility and functionality, and will have “personality and an aesthetic of movement.”
Boston Globe reporter Priyanka Dayal McCluskey writes that researchers from the Broad Institute and IBM are joining forces to examine why many cancer patients become resistant to drugs. The researchers hope this new effort could “help doctors prescribe more effective combinations of drugs for cancer patients.”
Olivia Quintana writes for The Boston Globe that after learning the results of the 2016 presidential election, MIT students put up giant posters in Lobby 7, allowing members of the community to share their hopes and fears. Undergraduate Caroline Mak explained that “seeing all of these different voices, all of these different concerns was very impactful.”
Graduate student Maimuna Majumder writes for Wired about her research examining how the 2016 presidential election impacted the mental health of people in different states around the U.S. Majumder and her colleagues found that while susceptibility varies across groups, the presidential campaign, “has likely had adverse effects on the mental health and wellbeing of American citizens.”
MIT researchers have developed a software system that allows scooters, cars and golf carts to operate autonomously, writes Dyllan Furness of Digital Trends. Prof. Daniela Rus explains that the system works both indoors and outdoors and “provides an end-to-end solution starting with the home or hospital room all the way to the destination.”
Prof. Susan Lindquist, who conducted research on yeast in an effort to better understand human disease, died on Oct. 27, writes James Hagerty of The Wall Street Journal. “Her studies of deformed proteins have spurred research that may lead to treatments for certain types of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis."
In an article for The Washington Post, Prof. Charles Stewart explains that provisional ballots could delay this year’s election results. “We should be prepared for the possibility that provisional ballots take us into extra innings. This won’t be a sign that the system is ‘rigged,’ but that it’s working as designed,” Stewart explains.
Writing for The New York Times, David Leonhardt highlights a study by MIT researchers that examines the effectiveness of charter schools. Prof. Joshua Angrist explains that the study found that “relative to other things that social scientists and education policy people have tried to boost performance — class sizes, tracking, new buildings — these schools are producing spectacular gains.”
Scientists at MIT have developed spinach plants that can detect and alert people about explosives, reports Matthew Gunther for Scientific American. Grad student Min Hao Wong explains that plants are good sensors as “through the transpiration process, plants draw up water and other analytes from the ground, and can accumulate even trace levels of analytes within [their] tissues.”
President L. Rafael Reif speaks with Cory Johnson of Bloomberg TV about The Engine, a new entity from MIT to support startups tackling humanity’s biggest problems. Reif explains that our innovation ecosystem is geared toward maximizing profits, "but we have a lot of innovation and ideas that are to maximize societal impact and those ought to find a way to the marketplace.”
Wall Street Journal reporter Robert Lee Hotz writes that MIT engineers have developed a flexible airplane wing that could improve a plane’s fuel consumption by improving the wing’s aerodynamics. Hotz explains that the wing’s “elastic airfoil can morph continuously to reduce drag, increase stall angle, and reduce vibration control flutter.”
In a letter to The Boston Globe, graduate student Elizabeth Setren writes about her study examining whether charter schools can help benefit special education and English-language learners. Setren writes that her findings “paint a picture of impressive gains and increased inclusion for special-education students and English-language learners at Boston charters.”