Prof. Hugh Herr speaks about his work developing bionic limbs on Popular Science’s Futuropolis podcast. When asked about what sort of capabilities bionics may be able to give humans in the future, Herr explains his view that, “If something is possible given physical law, given the laws of nature, then I think ultimately humans will explore it.”
According to a new MIT study, airlines could handle flight delays more equitably by distributing them among themselves, reports Lloyd Mallison for Boston.com. The new system “would mean that two hypothetical planes could both have a 15-minute delay rather than one having no delay, and one having a 30-minute wait,” Mallison explains.
Boston Magazine reporter Jamie Ducharme writes that MIT researchers have developed a new digitized pen that could be used to improve a test that screens for Alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairments. “What the pen does is capture the writing with considerable temporal and spatial accuracy,” Prof. Randall Davis explains.
A new study by MIT researchers shows how airlines could juggle delays more equitably by distributing disruptions among themselves, reports Bart Jansen for USA Today. The researchers found that airlines could distribute delays “without adding significantly to the overall delays.”
In collaboration with Columbia University and the University of Nairobi, MIT researchers have created a map of Nairobi’s informal matatu (or mini-bus) transit system, writes Shara Ton for Wired. Ton explains that, “Just as New York commuters can plot their subway routes on the service, residents of Nairobi can now jack into the matatu system on their smartphones.”
Senior lecturer Hal Gregersen writes for Fortune that networking can be useful for not only career advancement, but also for sparking big business ideas. “It’s about talking to people with dissimilar backgrounds or perspectives to spark new thinking or solve a problem,” Gregersen explains.
Comparative Media Studies research affiliate Sam Ford writes for The Boston Globe about former Daily Show host Jon Stewart’s recent professional wrestling appearances. “I’m guessing Stewart finds something refreshing about a world where the performance comes with a wink and where fans are invited to be in on the con,” writes Ford.
MIT researchers have designed a multi-material 3-D printer that is relatively inexpensive and user-friendly, reports Michael Rundle for Wired. "The platform opens up new possibilities for manufacturing, giving researchers and hobbyists alike the power to create objects that have previously been difficult or even impossible to print," says research engineer Javier Ramos.
Dominic Basulto writes for The Washington Post about the implications of a new method for 3-D printing glass created by MIT’s Mediated Matter Group. Basulto writes that the technology could eventually give us “the ability to create objects and applications that do not exist today.”
Prof. David Kaiser is a featured expert and narrator on the history of chemistry in the PBS series, “The Mystery of Matter.” “By the middle of the 19th century," begins Kaiser, "there had been an explosion in the numbers of new elements that had been found."
MIT researchers have developed a file system that is guaranteed not to lose data during a computer crash, reports Michael Rundle for Wired. “The research proves the viability of an entirely new type of file-system which is logically unable to forget information accidentally,” explains Rundle.
Brian Barrett writes for Wired about the new, low-cost 3-D printer developed by researchers at MIT CSAIL that can print 10 different materials at once. Research engineer Javier Ramos explains that the team wanted to make the printer, “inexpensive, and a software platform that we would keep open and hackable.”
Motherboard reporter Victoria Turk writes that MIT researchers have developed a 3-D printer that can print up to 10 different materials at once. Turk describes how the printer can create “a lens on top of an LED bulb" and other objects.
Researchers from MIT CSAIL have created a 3-D printer that can print 10 different materials simultaneously, reports Kelsey Atherton for Popular Science. The new printer can also “incorporate other, finished parts directly into the design— all at a fraction of the cost of complex industrial 3D printers.”
Prof. Yasheng Huang writes for The Boston Globe about the Chinese government’s active role in the country’s economy and how this is negatively impacting growth. “Chinese growth in the future will be limited until the government makes fairly substantive structural reforms,” writes Huang.