Washington Post reporter Annie Gowen writes about how MIT researchers have found that India’s latest swine flu outbreak may have mutated into a more dangerous strain. The researchers found “new mutations in the protein known to make the virus more virulent.”
Professor Ram Sasisekharan and research scientist Kannan Tharakaraman have found that a strain of H1N1 influenza in India is more virulent than health authorities have indicated, writes Rishi Lyengar of Time. “They found mutations in the Indian strains in a protein called hemagglutinin, which binds with receptors on the human body’s respiratory cells,” Lyengar writes.
Jim Nash of Scientific American speaks with Professor W. Craig Carter about why snow squeaks when it’s stepped on. Carter explains that the breaking of tiny bonds formed between individual snowflakes could cause the squeaking noise. “I believe the squeak depends on the fallen snow forming the welds to sinter together,” says Carter of his theory.
Laura Santhanam writes for the PBS NewsHour that MIT researchers have found that a strain of swine flu in India is more dangerous than originally thought. The researchers found that “a mutation in the new H1N1 strain allows this form of swine flu to attack an infected person’s respiratory cells more virulently.”
BBC News reports on the “FingerSynth,” a glove created by graduate student Gershon Dublon “that allows you to hear the sounds of objects through touch.” The device allows the wearer to explore the resonance of different physical objects.
The Boston Globe reports that the MIT List Visual Arts Center has received a gift of $200,000 from the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation to support Joan Jonas’ presentation at the Venice Biennale. Jonas is developing a new multimedia installation for the Biennale incorporating video, drawings, objects and sounds.
MIT is launching three cybersecurity efforts, including one aimed at managing cybersecurity within critical infrastructure, reports Rachael King for The Wall Street Journal. “We’re hoping to develop a number of new approaches and techniques that measure security culture in organizations,” says Prof. Stuart Madnick.
Kirk Carapezza of WGBH reports on the MIT Admissions video that depicts what it would be like if MIT could deliver admissions decisions with drones. “We do know that waiting for admissions decisions can be stressful for students and we wanted to lighten the mood a bit,” says Stuart Schmill, dean of admissions.
Professor Emeritus Jack Ruina, a noted expert on strategic arms control who served as MIT’s vice president for special laboratories and was the first director of MIT’s Security Studies Program, passed away Feb. 4, reports Boston Globe reporter Bryan Marquard. Prof. Emeritus George Rathjens said that “there wasn’t a better faculty member that I knew in the universe.”
Dr. Judah Cohen examines whether climate change could be leading to more extreme snowfall in a piece for The Washington Post. “The influence of climate change may be that the warming brings the atmosphere closer to the 'optimal' profile to generate heavy snowfalls, more so in the present than in the past,” Cohen writes.
Eric Randall writes for Boston Magazine about the video created by the MIT Admissions Office to announce that admissions decisions will be available this weekend. The video shows “Dean of Admissions Stu Schmill releasing an army of drones that carry letters all over the world (and solar system) to bring good news to the future MIT class of 2019.”
Carey Goldberg reports for WBUR on a new study coauthored by MIT researchers that examines how cognitive abilities change with age. Goldberg explains that the researchers found that “various pieces of our intelligence or cognitive ability peak at various times in our lives.”
Justine Hofherr writes for Boston.com about Christina Chase’s work mentoring students at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. Hofherr writes that “Chase’s former students say she’s helped them realize their dreams, and is paving the way for women in tech one class at a time.”
Senior lecturer Steven Spear writes for The Boston Globe about the issues with public transportation in Boston this winter and how the MBTA can avoid similar problems in the future. Spear argues that it is necessary for the MBTA to develop “a high-speed problem- solving capability characteristic of the world’s most resilient organizations.”
The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Prof. Marc Kastner has been appointed the first president of the Science Philanthropy Alliance. The alliance is aimed at increasing “philanthropic giving for basic science by an additional $1-billion annually within five years.”