Sky News reports that a device developed by Dr. Michael Hecht of MIT to turn carbon dioxide on Mars into breathable oxygen will be included on the rover NASA plans to send to Mars in 2020. The device, “aims to see if Martian air could be converted for astronauts to breathe,” Sky News reports.
“Designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Mars Oxygen ISRU (in situ research utilization) Experiment (MOXIE) aims to see if Martian air could be converted for astronauts to breathe,” the AFP reports. MOXIE will be one of the systems aboard a robotic vehicle slated to go to Mars in 2020.
Sam Sturgis of CityLab examines a new study by MIT Professor Chris Warshaw that shows that municipal governments, regardless of their structure, tend to mirror the ideological preferences of their electorate. The researchers, “aggregated a collection of nationwide survey results to determine the political leanings of 1,600 U.S. cities and towns,” Sturgis writes.
Wired reporter Katie Collins examines the new display technology developed by MIT researchers that automatically corrects for visual defects, allowing individuals to watch TV or use their iPhone without their glasses.
Huffington Post reporter Sara Gates highlights new research that shows tidal and rotational forces have cause the moon to be shaped like a lemon. Gates explains that MIT researchers, “created a topographical model that sealed many of the moon's crevices in order to paint a more complete picture of what the moon looked like billions of years ago."
Marcus Wohlsen of Wired reports on ScratchJr, a new iPad application created by MIT researchers to teach kids how to code. “We wanted to make sure young people aren’t just using tablet for browsing and consuming,” says Prof. Mitchel Resnick.
Forbes reporter Jay McGregor writes that researchers at MIT have developed a new vision-correcting display that automatically adjusts for people with visual impairments. “The idea is that the technology will predict how the users’ eyes will distort whatever is on screen and correct it beforehand,” McGregor explains.
“The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has released a new iPad app that aims to help 5-7 year-old children take their first steps in programming,” writes Stuart Dredge for The Guardian. “ScratchJr is a free app based on MIT’s existing Scratch programming language.”
The Associated Press reports that MOXIE, an MIT device designed to turn carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere into oxygen, will be included on NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. MOXIE will “make about three-quarters of an ounce of oxygen an hour," Dr. Michael Hecht explains.
The Guardian highlights new MIT findings on the impact of climate change and ozone pollution on global food supply. The Guardian reports that as the effect of ozone pollution on crops varies, “pollution-control measures could play a major role in determining outcomes."
Marcelo Gleiser writes for NPR about different theories on furthering our understanding of the universe, including Professor Max Tegmark’s book “Our Mathematical Universe.” “According to Tegmark, math is not just the tool we invent to describe both physical reality and pure rational constructions, but the very essence of nature,” writes Gleiser.
Joe Lazauskas writes for Forbes about MIT being named the top school for students looking to enter information technology fields. “MIT boasted the only perfect score in U.S. News & World Report rankings,” writes Lazauskas.
In a piece for USA Today about College Factual’s list of the top computer science schools in the U.S., Madison Mills writes about MIT being named the top destination for computer science majors. “MIT is in Cambridge, Mass. and offers a breathtaking campus in a mid-size city,” writes Mills.
Professor Marin Soljacic was one of three winners of the prestigious Blavatnik National Awards, reports Nature. Soljacic received the award for his work on electromagnetic phenomena, including wireless charging of batteries.
BBC News reports on a new vision-correcting display developed by MIT researchers that automatically corrects to allow individuals with vision problems to use the technology without glasses. The technology operates by altering the light from individual pictures on the display based on a person’s prescription.