Nitasha Tiku of The New York Times interviews Dr. Natalie Rusk of the MIT Media Lab about how to interest young girls in coding. Rusk was one of the developers of Scratch, an open-source programming platform for children.
Forbes reporter Jasper Hamill describes a new technique developed by Prof. Daniela Rus that allows robots to self-assemble when heated. “The components can be produced simply by heating up the plastic, which is cleverly designed so it folds itself into the right form,” writes Hamill.
Irving Wladawsky-Berger writes for The Wall Street Journal about this year’s MIT Sloan CIO Symposium. This year’s symposium focused on the importance of cloud, data science, social and mobile technology that are transforming the economy and driving companies to digitize all aspects of their business, writes Wladawsky-Berger.
The Huffington Post reports on new MIT research examining how sperm cells travel and function. The team’s findings, which show how sperm travel upstream so efficiently, could lead to advances in artificial insemination.
“Eventually she can see a world where people can use an algorithm to analyze an image, create blueprints and print out fully functional robots. This could be a big deal in manufacturing, health care and, yes, toys,” writes NBC News writer Keith Wagstaff of Professor Daniela Rus’ work with self-assembling robots.
The BBC reports on a suit developed by the MIT AgeLab that simulates the aging process and the physical difficulties that come with age. The suit is designed to give young people a better idea of the challenges faced by the elderly.
“The prize for astrophysics goes to Alan Guth of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Andrei Linde of Stanford University, and Alexei Starobinsky of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow,” writes Malcolm Ritter for The Associated Press about this year’s Kavli recipients.
Professor Alan Guth has been awarded the prestigious Kavli Prize in Astrophysics, reports Carolyn Johnson of The Boston Globe. Guth received the award for his work on the theory of cosmic inflation.
New York Times reporter John Markoff discusses the challenges of self-driving cars with Professor John Leonard. “I have amazing respect for Google, but I do worry about public misunderstanding of what has been accomplished," says Leonard.
Anant Agarwal, an MIT electrical engineering and computer science professor who has served as CEO of edX since its establishment, sat down with The Crimson to recount the challenges of creating courses for an online learning environment, discuss how the non-profit can become self-sustaining, and speculate about what the future might hold for edX. EdX is a not-for-profit venture in online learning launched jointly by MIT and Harvard in May 2012.
Teo Kermeliotis and Jessica Ellis write about Sloan alumnus Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, CEO of Wecyclers, a company aimed at solving waste management issues in Lagos, Nigeria. Wecyclers rewards households that participate in recycling with SMS points that can be redeemed for rewards.
A. J. McCarthy writes for Slate about the CityHome mechanical closet developed by Media Lab researchers that is designed to save space in small, urban apartments. The CityHome includes a bed, kitchen appliances, and storage compartments that respond to voice and touch.
MIT will name an asteroid after 16-year-old Jonah Butler for his work transforming byproducts of agricultural waste into renewable energy, reports FOX 25 reporter Paul Blume.
"I'm not really nervous. Of course, once I get out an hour over the ocean for the first time and all I can see is blue, that might change a little," says MIT student Matt Guthmiller in this Huffington Post article.
Professor John Leonard speaks with Bloomberg TV about Google’s self-driving car and the advanced mapping and sensor technology that allows the car to operate.