Olga Khazan writes for The Atlantic about research by post-doctoral fellow Josh Hartshorne that indicates that different kinds of cognitive abilities peak at different ages. “Four types of proficiencies didn’t fully ripen until people were in their 50s: vocabulary, math, general knowledge, and comprehension,” Khazan explains.
Jane Wakefield reports for BBC News on a system developed by postdoctoral fellow Tal Danino in which bacteria are programmed to detect cancers in the liver. "It is a fascinating universe in our body and we can now program bacteria like we program computers,” Danino says.
MIT researchers have found that the minor planet Chiron may have a system of rings, reports Monte Morin for the Los Angeles Times. The researchers observed Chiron passing in front of a bright star and observed that Chiron's shadow contained some features “that suggested something surrounding the centaur was blocking the light.”
Boston Globe reporter Bella English writes about Dr. Judah Cohen, a research affiliate at MIT and director of seasonal forecasting for Atmospheric and Environmental Research, who accurately predicted this winter’s record-breaking snowfall. Cohen’s seasonal forecasts have been right “75 percent of the time, a rate that tops those of the major government weather centers.”
In a piece for The Boston Globe, Juan Enriquez writes about the groundbreaking research and developments coming out of the Boston-Cambridge region, highlighting the work of several MIT faculty members, including Professors Angela Belcher, Ed Boyden, Robert Langer, Susan Lindquist, David Page and Eric Lander.
Richard Moran writes for The Huffington Post about an MIT study that examines why Silicon Valley is home to so many tech companies. "The entire ecosystem is nurturing and helping companies within Silicon Valley realize their promise on a more guaranteed basis than anywhere else in the state," says Professor Scott Stern.
Karen Kaplan of The Los Angeles Times writes that MIT researchers have calculated that the measles vaccination rate among individuals exposed to the disease during the current outbreak ranges from 50 to 86 percent. “Vaccination rates in many of the communities that have been affected by this outbreak fall well below the necessary threshold to sustain herd immunity,” the researchers explain.
Based on the rapid spread of the measles outbreak, researchers believe that vaccination rates could be as low as 50 percent in some areas, Lisa Rapaport reports for Reuters. That rate “is far below the level necessary to achieve herd immunity,” explains graduate student Maimuna Majumder.
Prof. Nikhil Agarwal has found that a lack of positions at prestigious institutions leads to low salaries among medical residents, reports Angela Chen for The Wall Street Journal. Agarwal found that, "applicants are willing to pay an 'implicit tuition'...to have a prestigious and high-demand residency."
Benedict Carey reports for The New York Times on how MIT researchers have found that different portions of human intelligence peak at different ages. The researchers found that while an older brain may move slower than a younger one, it is “just as accurate in many areas and more adept at reading others’ moods — on top of being more knowledgeable.”
New York Times reporter Hilarie Sheets spotlights Paul Ha, director of the List Visual Arts Center, and his successful efforts to increase awareness of the arts at MIT. Associate Provost Philip Khoury says that Ha has been “getting students and faculty over to the List and building up its reputation.”
Steven Rosenbaum highlights PhD student Abe Davis’ TED talk in a piece for Forbes. Rosenbaum writes that Davis “has co-created the world’s most improbable audio instrument.”
Professor Emeritus Stephan Chorover, a founding faculty member of MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, died on Feb. 20, reports Bryan Marquard for The Boston Globe. “In his writings and in the classroom, Dr. Chorover encouraged scientists and students to look closely at the wider social context of current and historical attempts to control behavior,” Marquard writes.
In the first of a series of conversations, Professor Emeritus Robert Solow speaks with Paul Solman of PBS NewsHour about the past week’s economics news. Solow and Solman discuss recent fluctuations in the stock market, Federal Reserve interest rates and the response to the Greek debt crisis.
Steve Annear writes for The Boston Globe about Pi Day at MIT. “The serendipitous date has led to officials at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology timing the release of student acceptance notifications to go live on the school’s admissions website right when the clock strikes 9:26 Saturday morning,” Annear explains.