In the Media

MIT researchers have developed a self-assembling phone, reports Heather Kelly for CNN. “A phone that assembles itself could help manufacturers cut down on costs, or open the door for more experimental phone designs,” writes Kelly. 

Dan Butin writes for Inside Higher Ed that MITx will begin offering students taking a popular philosophy MOOC the chance to have their work evaluated by professional philosophers. “MITx has solved a real problem in the MOOC world – of quality feedback and engagement – and has done so in a way that sustains the ability to scale,” Butin writes.

Allie Bidwell writes for the National Medals Foundation about MIT’s “secret sauce for excellence.” Ian Waitz, dean of the School of Engineering, explains that MIT fosters “a strong desire to work on things that have a practical impact. We combine scholarship with having a real, tangible impact in the world.” 

David Morris writes for Fortune that researchers at the MIT spinoff SolidEnergy Systems are developing a longer-lasting lithium metal battery for smartphones and wearables. Morris writes that the battery has “about double the energy density of today’s standard lithium-ion battery.”

In a Scientific American article about polymers, Mark Peplow writes about Prof. Jeremiah Johnson’s research on how polymers could be used in drug delivery. “Sequence-controlled polymer could provide a more predictable biological effect, because every strand would be the same length and shape, and its chemistry could be carefully designed to assist its drug cargo,” writes Peplow.

Hae Young Yoo writes for The Boston Globe about MIT spinoff GRIT (Global Research Innovation and Technology), which creates wheelchairs with hand-operated levers for rough terrain, particularly in developing countries. The founders got the idea for using hand-operated levers after studying research “that showed the bench press motion is very efficient and makes good use of upper body muscles.”

Scientists at MIT, Harvard, and Samsung have discovered over 1,000 new molecules that emit blue light and could be used to develop better and cheaper OLEDs, writes Daniel Akst for The Wall Street Journal. Akst explains that the researchers also “demonstrated how computing power can turbocharge science to enable practical advances in technology.”

Boston Herald reporter Lindsay Kalter writes that MIT researchers have developed a technique to record the history of human cells. “Much of our understanding of cancer is not reflective of what’s going on inside the patient,” explains Prof. Timothy Lu. “It’s only with tools like ours you can start testing those hypotheses.”

In this video, CBS Boston highlights how researchers from MIT and Ford will be testing a new on-demand electric shuttle service at MIT. “We want to have the vehicles sort of predicting where people will be so that they’ll be there before you even request the ride,” explains graduate student Justin Miller.

Tim Logan writes for The Boston Globe that in a new paper MIT researchers estimate how much the proposed Green Line extension has boosted property values. Graduate student Austin Paul explains that thus far, “we’ve probably only seen prices go up 40 percent” of where they may ultimately end up.

Sebastian Smee writes for The Boston Globe about a new exhibit of work by Ethan Hayes-Chute on display at the MIT List Visual Arts Center. “The whole installation is a delight — witty, full of subtle details, uncanny,” writes Smee.

Women You Should Know celebrates the 80^th birthday of computer scientist Margaret Hamilton with a video spotlighting her work at MIT developing code for NASA’s Apollo program. Hamilton’s “Apollo code ultimately saved the Apollo 11 astronauts from having to abort their historic moon landing.” 

In an article about technologies that can help detect rotten food, Ryan Mandelbaum writes for Popular Science about a sensor developed by MIT researchers “that can detect the chemicals that come off of spoiled meat or rotting fruits.”

Prof. Evan Apfelbaum writes for Fortune about a study he co-authored examining how businesses can undertake more successful diversity efforts. Apfelbaum explains that his research found that while diversity programs often treat “two underrepresented groups—women and minorities—in the same ways, messaging that motivates one group may actually de-motivate another, leading to failure of diversity programs.”

A study co-authored by Prof. Paul Osterman found that the demand for higher-level skills in U.S. manufacturing jobs is modest, writes Erik Sherman from Forbes. Sherman writes that the skills gap the researchers measured “existed at 16 percent to 25 percent of manufacturing companies.”