BBC News reporter Jonathan Webb writes that researchers from MIT have created child-safe batteries by developing a coating that allows batteries to conduct electricity only when squeezed. The “pressure-sensitive design makes use of a property called quantum tunneling, which is also used in touch pads and screens,” writes Webb.
Alison Bruzek of NPR reports that MIT researchers have developed a shield that can prevent the electrical currents in a battery from damaging the esophagus. The material used to create the shield is already commercially available, NPR reports, making the coating a cheap solution to the issue of children swallowing batteries.
MIT alumnus Tom Magliozzi ‘58, co-host of Car Talk on NPR, has died at 77. In a remembrance on WBUR, Bruce Gellerman highlights a clip from Magliozzi’s 1999 commencement speech at MIT, where he used the speech to elaborate on his famous “theory of life.”
Matt Rocheleau of The Boston Globe writes about how attention being drawn to sexual assault on college campuses is increasing conversation among students about how to tackle the issue. MIT sophomore Charlie Andrews-Jubelt describes how “inspired” he was to overhear classmates who are not activists discussing the topic. “I was really happy to just see it happening organically,” he says.
Boston Globe reporter Carolyn Johnson writes about MIT Professor Richard Binzel’s proposal that asteroids should be the next destination for space travel. “It’s the destination that’s important, not the object,” says Binzel. “Certainly, some objects will be more interesting than others, but the fundamental goal is to have an interplanetary test flight.”
The Washington Post’s Editorial Board writes about the importance of MIT’s survey examining sexual misconduct. “By undertaking such a detailed fact-finding mission — and publishing the results — MIT has signaled that it is serious about finding solutions, and it offered a model that other institutions would do well to emulate.”
Pilita Clark of the Financial Times writes about the battery developed by Dr. Qichao Hu and Professor Donald Sadoway that can extend the driving range and lower the cost of an electric car. The new battery can store “twice as much energy as conventional [battery] cells,” Clark reports.
Writing for The New York Times, Richard Friedman highlights how MIT researchers examined brain activity in adults with A.D.H.D. They found that “adults who had had A.D.H.D as children but no longer had it as adults had a restoration of the normal synchrony pattern, so their brains looked just like those of people who had never had it.”
The Tech calls on students to take strong action to combat sexual assault, following the results of a survey examining sexual misconduct at MIT. “To quote President Reif, sexual assault ‘has no place here’,” writes The Tech. “But if the entire effort is to have a chance at success, students cannot opt out of this conversation — and that’s on us.”
TIME reporter Michael D. Lemonick writes about Professor Richard Binzel’s commentary in Nature that proposes an alternative to NASA’s current plans to capture and examine a small asteroid. Binzel suggests that scientists identify Nearth-Earth asteroids, and then send astronauts out to match their orbit and examine the asteroids.
Alexandre Stipanovich writes for The Huffington Post about Professor Earl Miller’s research into understanding consciousness. "Some parts of consciousness are very subjective, but the most objective thing about conscious thoughts is that it is a limited capacity,” explains Miller.
The Dalai Lama will speak at MIT Friday, reports Philip Marcelo for the Associated Press. The Dalai Lama will participate in panel discussions focused on how individual actions can help address global warming, food security and other global challenges.
Meera Senthilingam writes for CNN about “Underworlds,” a new project aimed at collecting information about microbes in a city’s sewers and predicting epidemics. "We will be able to monitor the microbiome individually, and tell you about your body," says Professor Carlo Ratti, "to monitor and detect this before you fall sick."
Writing for The Boston Globe, MIT President L. Rafael Reif reflects on the life and legacy of long-time Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. “I came to see him as a natural leader, always able to attract people who could make a difference in causes that mattered,” writes Reif.
Amina Khan writes for The Los Angeles Times about Professor Richard Binzel’s opposition to NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM). According to Binzel, the Obama administration “should abandon the ARM mission concept and make an asteroid survey its top priority to provide a basis for future crewed missions."