New York Times reporter Steve Lohr profiles the work of Professor Alex “Sandy” Pentland, director of the Human Dynamics Laboratory at the MIT Media Lab, Pentland’s new book, “Social Physics: How Good Ideas Spread – The Lesson From a New Science,” argues that data collected about everyday human interaction can be used to accelerate the pace of innovation.
Rachel Nuwer writes for Scientific American about research from Professor Pedro Reis and his team that allows for more accurate rendering of curly hair in computer animations. “This is the first time someone described the full 3-D configuration of a single naturally curved hair,” explains Reis.
Writing for The Guardian, Sarah Shemkus reports on the MIT Climate CoLab’s approach to tackling climate change. The goal of the lab, a collaborative online community, is to bring together people from around the world to tackle climate change through online contests, Shemkus explains.
Boston Business Journal’s Mary Moore writes that, “A researcher from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management has measured the billions of dollars in tax payments that U.S taxpayers are avoiding, using offshore accounts and through an investment scheme known as ‘round tripping’.”
NPR’s Jim Zarroli reports on new MIT research that explores how tax evasion techniques like round-tripping can hurt the U.S. economy.
“Artist and MIT professor emerita Joan Jonas, 77, has been chosen to represent the United States at the 56th Venice Biennale, the world’s most prestigious exhibition of contemporary art,” writes Sebastian Smee of The Boston Globe. Jonas is considered a pioneer in performance and video art.
Atlantic reporter Todd Woody writes about how MIT researchers have developed a way to store solar energy in molecules. The energy inside the molecules can be stored forever and endlessly re-used so that solar power can be accessed even when the sun is not shining, Woody explains.
Maria Stephanos of FOX 25 speaks with members of the MIT Strong running team about why they are running in this year’s Boston Marathon. “It’s a really excellent way to show support for the MIT community,” says runner and MIT graduate Jenn Gagner.
New York Times reporter Carol Vogel writes that Professor Emerita Joan Jonas has been selected to represent the United States at the 2015 Venice Biennale. Paul C. Ha, director of the MIT List Visual Arts Center, nominated Jonas and will serve as commissioner of the exhibit.
Liz Stinson of Wired reports on Transform, a piece of shape-shifting furniture built by the Tangible Media Group at the MIT Media Lab that metamorphoses based on the motion and emotion of the people around it. Transform is comprised of 1,152 plastic pins controlled by microprocessors that sit underneath.
Writing for Forbes, Leo King reports that an autonomous robotic submarine developed by MIT startup Bluefin Robotics is being deployed in the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370.
MIT researchers have developed a technique that allows nanocrystals to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit goods, reports Wired reporter Liat Clark. The research could have applications in the sale of luxury goods and electronics, as well as vaccine quality control.
Boston.com reporter Matt Rocheleau reports on how Professor Jeffrey Grossman and postdoctoral associate Timothy Kucharski have developed a new material that can produce solar power for times when the sun is not shining.
Dennis Keohane of The Boston Globe writes about the recipients of this year’s Lemelson-MIT National Collegiate Student Prize Competition.
The PBS NewsHour reports on how experts from MIT, Harvard and Columbia have determined that a fragment of papyrus known as the “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” is a relic from ancient times and not a forgery.