MIT researchers have devised a system that repairs software bugs similar to the way a surgeon applies skin grafts, writes Jonathan Vanian for Fortune. “The new system detects bugs, takes healthy code from a publicly available source, and then grafts it onto the sick software,” Vanian explains.
Last weekend Institute Professor Mildred Dresselhaus became the first woman to receive the IEEE Medal of Honor for her pioneering work with carbon materials, reports Melissa Lott for Scientific American. Lotts writes that Dresselhaus is known “for her work with buckminsterfullerenes (buckyballs), nanotubes and graphene as well as her dedicated work ethic and caring nature.”
In a special issue on the Internet of Things, Politico’s Danny Vinik compiles an oral history to describe the origins of the Internet of Things. “I’m sure there’s a sci-fi novel somewhere that talks about this,” quips Sarma, who features prominently in the piece, which also references MIT’s Auto-ID Lab.
Professor César Hidalgo writes for The Huffington Post about his new book “Why Information Grows: The Evolution of Order, from Atoms to Economies.” Hidalgo explains his view that, “by understanding economies as computers we get much more than a predictive theory of future economic growth.”
Politico editor Steve Heuser compiles a special series on the policy questions raised by the Internet of Things. In it, Prof. Sanjay Sarma calls attention to security concerns, writing, “if leaders don’t think this through, and don’t create a framework for it to succeed, there’s a real chance that the full potential of the Internet of Things could be compromised.”
Writing for Fortune, Barb Darrow reports on the Cybersecurity Factory, an eight-week program developed by students from MIT CSAIL and Highland Capital Partners. The program is, “aimed at helping fledging cybersecurity companies get off the ground “The goal is to give these novice entrepreneurs some structure and advice on building and pitching their products,” Darrow explains.
Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Akst writes about a study by researchers at MIT and Northwestern that identified consumers who purchased new products likely to fail. If consumers with high “flop affinity” scores bought a product “that was a good sign that the item would be a bust.”
Kelsey D. Atherton writes for Popular Science about Explorer, a camera ball designed by MIT alumnus Francisco Aguilar that can be used by first responders to survey an area. “Rescue workers could drop Explorers into nooks and crannies that are otherwise inaccessible for larger tools."
Andrew Zaleski writes for CNBC about the thriving robotics industry in Massachusetts, highlighting the success of MIT startups like iRobot and Boston Dynamics. "There's a domain expertise in Massachusetts that's around how you make these robots useful, practical and affordable," explains Russ Campanello of iRobot.
In an article for The New York Times Magazine, Prof. Junot Díaz writes about how being attacked when he was in the seventh grade impacted him psychologically. “Before that attack, I had felt fear plenty of times — which poor immigrant kid hasn’t? — but after my beating, I became afraid. And at any age, that is a dismal place to be,” writes Díaz.
Professor Kenneth Oye co-authored a commentary that urges regulators to work to prevent abuse following a study that finds that opioids can be home-manufactured by genetically engineering yeast, reports Eryn Brown for The Los Angeles Times. “[A]ll of these technical steps should be done beforehand,” says Oye. “Afterwards, it's too late."
According to The Economist, a new paper from Prof. Daron Acemoglu compared growth rates and levels of political freedom, and found that countries undergoing a democratic transition grow faster than their autocratic counterparts. Acemoglu found that permanent democratization, “leads to an increase in GDP per person of about 20% in the subsequent 25 years.”
The Broad Institute is teaming up with Google to “create a simpler way to help far-flung scientists pursue their own research online,” reports Robert Weisman for BetaBoston. “Our mission is to empower the biomedical revolution that’s happening around the world,” explains Prof. Eric Lander, founding director of the Broad Institute.
Hal Gregersen, a senior lecturer at MIT and executive director of the MIT Leadership Center, writes for Fortune about the importance of asking questions. “Questioning is not a means to an end, but the creative intersection where a whole new solution – an innovative moment of truth – can catch fire,” Gregersen writes.
MIT engineers have developed an ultralow-power circuit that can efficiently harvest energy from solar power, reports Robert Ferris for CNBC. Ferris explains that the circuit “lends itself well to creating self-powering electronic sensors that can be used in a wide range of applications.”