In the Media

Wired reporter Alex Lee writes that researchers from MIT and other institutions have designed a new T-shirt “with a kaleidoscopic patch of colour that renders the wearer undetectable to AI.”

Prof. Peter Fisher is leading a new study that examines how to safely reopen academic research labs during the Covid-19 pandemic, reports Jeffrey Mervis for Science. “We want to not only analyze the basic science, but we also want to provide technical guidance and rules of thumb that labs can use to operate more safely,” says Fisher.

Lisa DeLong, fine arts registrar for the MIT List Visual Arts Center, speaks with Art in America about the List’s art collections, the Student Lending Art Program and the center’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. “This crisis was unexpected,” says DeLong, “but the experience showed what we can accomplish when we come together as a community.”

Writing for The New York Times, Prof. Bernardo Zacka explores the cultural significance of balconies. “The genius of the balcony is to assemble people who live within proximity, but who are otherwise strangers, around a common world of events, experiences and issues,” writes Zacka. “The balcony is fulfilling this role to great acclaim today.”

A study by researchers from the Sloan School of Management finds that heat and humidity may not impact the spread of the coronavirus, reports Martin Finucane for The Boston Globe. “Even though high temperatures and humidity can moderately reduce the transmission rates of coronavirus, the pandemic is not likely to diminish solely due to summer weather,” says Prof. Hazhir Rahmandad.

A CRISPR-based diagnostic tool for Covid-19 developed by researchers from MIT and other institutions has been granted emergency FDA approval, reports Joel Achenbach and Laurie McGinley for The Washington Post. “We think this has a lot of potential. The test doesn’t require any complicated or expensive equipment,” explains Prof. Feng Zhang.

Boston Globe reporter Jonathan Saltzman writes that a Covid-19 diagnostic test developed by MIT researchers has received FDA approval. Saltzman explains that the test works by “programming a molecule to detect the presence of a specific genetic signature ― in this case, the signature for the coronavirus. When the signature is found, an enzyme is activated and releases a detectable signal.”

Writing for The Washington Post, Prof. M. Taylor Fravel examines whether the Covid-19 pandemic is providing China an opportunity to improve its position in the South China Sea. Fravel writes that, “China’s actions in the South China Sea reflect continuity, not opportunism.”

Writing for New Statesman, Prof. Kiernan Setiya examines the potential impact on our sense of identity caused by the transition to communicating and connecting with one another virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic. Setiya notes that he hopes “our isolation leads us to appreciate what we really are, as well as what it means to be with others, in person — as bodies, and not just minds.”

MIT startup Ministry of Supply is producing 3-D printed facemasks that come with lab-certified filters, reports Abbey Niezgoda for NECN. Co-founder and alumnus Gihan Amarasiriwardena says that, "We were born out of MIT, so science is on our roots, and we take an engineering approach to any product we create."

Forbes contributor Deborah Quilter highlights how AgeLab researchers have launched a survey, called CareHive, of nonprofessional caregivers to assess what they are experiencing and what they need. Quilter writes that, “because of its deep examination of the hidden details of life, CareHive exposes obstacles that caregivers don’t necessarily think to mention.”

Prof. Eric Alm speaks with Wall Street Journal reporter David Winning about how wastewater could be used to help track the spread of Covid-19. “The flu is pretty tricky to test in wastewater,” says Alm. “For Covid-19, we’re fortunate that it is excreted in large enough amounts.”

Fourth-year student Steven Truong discusses the challenges he has faced during the Covid-19 pandemic and his hopes for the future of scientific research. Truong hopes, "we can take this sense and spirit of collaboration, and go forward and tackle the hardest problems in society and solve the most pressing issues in the world.”

NBC News reporter Celine Bossart spotlights Bright Cellars, a wine delivery service founded by two MIT graduates.

A rapid new diagnostic test built by MIT researchers uses CRISPR to detect Covid-19, reports Joe Palca for NPR. Palca notes that the researchers hope the “simplicity of the test will make it easy to deploy. It also means there could even be a home version someday.”