In an interview, MIT Prof. Gang Chen described the potential applications of his new spongelike structure to Kiley Kroh of ClimateProgress. "Think about water treatment, desalination or treating wastewater," Chen said. "One typical way is to evaporate the water, condense it; of course, you need an energy source to do that. In this case, if we can use solar energy, it could produce better technology."
CNET reporter Stephen Beachman highlights the new robotic glove that adds two extra fingers to the human hand. The fingers are supposed to act and react like a natural extension of your hand and allow the user to pick up much larger and heaver than a normal human hand could, Beachman reports.
Professor Jim Walsh writes for WBUR about Israeli strategy in the current Gaza crisis, cautioning that continuous, periodic military offensives do not constitute a viable solution. “A political solution is the only realistic path to peace and stability for Israel and the region,” writes Walsh.
In a piece for The Huffington Post about the problems associated with defining a poverty threshold, Murtaza Haider, an associate professor of management at Ryerson University, highlights Prof. Abhijit Banerjee and Prof. Esther Duflo’s book Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty.
Dietary changes can alter human gut bacteria, Mary Elizabeth Dallas reports in a U.S. News & World Report article on a new MIT study on the role of bacteria in the digestive tract. “These fluctuations could lead to monitoring systems that might help detect and ease flare-ups for people with certain chronic illnesses, such as inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease),” Dallas writes.
“A new technology creates steam by harnessing solar energy, using a relatively cheap sponge-like material, and it does it with greater efficiency that ever previously achieved,” writes Douglas Main in a piece for Popular Science about a new solar sponge created by MIT scientists.
Liz Stinson writes for Wired about a new phase-changing material developed by MIT researchers that could be used to develop squishy, shape-shifting robots. “Hosoi envisions this principle could ultimately be beneficial in the medical field, where soft, deforming objects could easily move through the body,” Stinson reports.
Wired reporter Nick Stockton reports on Prof. Pedro Reis’ work developing a morphable surface that could be used to increase the efficiency and speed of vehicles. The surface can, “wrinkle into a dimpled pattern similar to a golf ball’s, with similar aerodynamic properties.”
“There are now 108 known places in the genome which point us towards genes that are involved in causation. And, as you suggest, while most are in the nervous system, some of them, very intriguingly, point to the immune system as being involved,” Dr. Steven Hyman says of the new findings on schizophrenia during an interview with the PBS Newshour.
“I think this kind of technology could have a major effect and revolutionize various aspects of medicine, including birth control,” Professor Bob Langer says in an interview with Mallika Marshall of WBZ about technology from the biotech firm MicroCHIPS that could allow for implantable, remote-controlled, birth control.
In a piece for The Guardian, Charles Darwent looks back at the life and work of Professor Emeritus Otto Peine, the former director of the MIT Center for Advanced Visual Studies. Peine, who died last week in Berlin at the age of 86, was one of the pioneers of the ‘Zero’ art movement in postwar Germany.
Thomas Kochan speaks with Sasha Pfeiffer and Anthony Brooks of WBUR about Market Basket employees striking on behalf of ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas. Kochan argues the protests offer important lessons to corporate America.
Professor Kenneth Oye speaks with WBUR’s Sacha Pfeiffer about his recent research that details a new way to alter the genomes of organisms and the need for a public discussion about the potential implications and benefits of this new technology.
“A new diode laser that can cut metal may soon find its way onto the market, thanks to a few former MIT scientists looking to commercialize their research,” writes Brooke Hays for UPI about Lincoln Laboratory spinout TeraDiode’s multi-kilowatt diode laser system.
Boston Magazine reporter Steve Annear writes about a new robot, designed by MIT undergraduate Patrick McCabe, that can play the game Connect Four. “It’s kind of a magical thing with computer science and technology, being able to leverage that to actually make something smarter than you are,” said McCabe of the device, which can beat its creator.