MIT researchers were able to reverse depression-like behavior by reactivating happy memories, writes Carolyn Gregorie for The Huffington Post. Graduate student and lead author Steve Ramirez “hopes that scientists will one day find a way to prevent depressive symptoms from occurring in the first place.”
The Economist reviews Prof. Marcia Bartusiak’s new book, “Black Hole: How an Idea Abandoned by Newtonians, Hated by Einstein and Gambled on by Hawking Became Loved.” “Ms Bartusiak weaves scientific concepts to create a portrait of the scientific institution itself, showing how its norms and personalities served to shape the path taken by the idea.”
In this video, CNN examines a new printable origami robot developed by MIT researchers that can dissolve in a variety of liquids. CNN explains that the researchers hope that the robot could one day be used to perform medical tasks inside the human body.
Senior lecturer Trond Undheim writes for WBUR’s Cognoscenti about how parenting has prepared him for being an entrepreneur. “As a parent, I often find myself laying down rules and setting expectations, only to end up questioning many of my previously held assumptions. I go through the same process as an entrepreneur,” Undheim explains.
Boston Globe reporter Eryn Carlson writes about MIT visiting artist Anicka Yi’s exhibition, “6,070,430K of Digital Spit,” on display at the List Visual Arts Center. Yi explains that she wants the exhibit, “to be a totally encompassing experience, engaging the senses of taste, sight, smell, hearing.”
Wall Street Journal reporter Gautim Naik interviews Professor Kerry Emanuel about Pope Francis’ encyclical on climate change. “The Pope more or less gets it right on the science,” said Emanuel. “But what struck me was his linking of environmental degradation to cultural, political and social decline.”
Professor Susumu Tonegawa’s research group has found that artificially stimulating positive memories can ease depression, reports Jonathan Webb for BBC News. Webb explains that the research “demonstrates the power of rekindling happy memories.”
In an article for The Wall Street Journal, Chris Jacobs writes about a study co-authored by Prof. Amy Finkelstein that examines the utility and efficiency of Medicaid coverage. The study “found that beneficiaries valued Medicaid at 20 cents to 40 cents on the dollar,” writes Jacobs.
MIT will be collaborating with the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation to examine teacher and school leadership education, reports Jacqueline Thomsen for Inside Higher Ed. “The research will be part of a new institute at MIT, called the MIT PK-12 Initiative, which will provide support to STEM teachers in all levels of K-12 education."
NPR reporter Claudio Sanchez reports on the new collaboration between MIT and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation aimed at helping teachers use new technologies in the classroom. Sanchez explains that MIT researchers will focus on conducting studies to “guide the new curriculum and develop technologies focused on digital learning.”
Washington Post reporter Matt McFarland writes that researchers in the CityFARM group, which is devoted to developing scalable urban farming systems, hope to start an open-source movement for vertical farming. Caleb Harper, founder of CityFARM, explains that his focus “is on getting the tools out there.”
MIT researchers have developed a USB-powered stethoscope, reports Vijee Venkatraman for BetaBoston. Venkatraman explains that the stethoscope's companion app, "transforms the device into a low-cost diagnostic tool" that can be used to diagnose lung disease.
The July/August edition of Foreign Affairs features an in-depth piece by Prof. Daniela Rus on the future of robotics. Rus writes that robots will extend the digital revolution “into the physical realm and deeper into everyday life, with consequences that will be equally profound.”
In an article for TIME, Jeffrey Kluger reports that MIT researchers have uncovered the mystery behind Saturn’s Earth-sized cyclones. The researchers found that lots of mini-storms combine to produce “one massive, long-lived one at the top of the planet.”
Professor Barry Posen speaks with Tom Ashbrook, host of NPR’s On Point, about the new American military push in Iraq against ISIS. Posen argues that there is no military solution to ISIS and that the, “Islamic State problem is basically a political problem.”