In the Media

Writing for Physics Today, Prof. David Kaiser chronicles his academic and professional career studying physics and the history of science. “Efforts to understand quantum entanglement and to test or constrain various alternatives have enabled generations of physicists to explore the fundamental strangeness of quantum theory,” writes Kaiser. "At the same time, as topics like entanglement and Bell’s inequality have wandered into and out of the mainstream, they enable us to chart the changing boundaries in the field of physics and the shifting place that physicists have occupied in our wider cultures.”   

In an article for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Mai Hassan writes about the current state of the civil war in Sudan and hopes for a cease-fire or peace deal. “Because the conflict is overwhelmingly driven by a struggle over regional power and resources, rather than any larger political vision for the country,” writes Hassan, “it remains likely that alliances will keep shifting, militias will keep defecting, and breakaway groups will keep forming. Sadly, instead of either peace or partition, Sudan’s most likely future is more war.”

Prof. David Autor speaks with Rogé Karma from The Atlantic about the role of tariffs in the American manufacturing industry. “Letting free trade rip is an easy policy,” says Autor. “Putting up giant tariffs is an easy policy. Figuring out some middle path is hard. Deciding what sectors to invest in and protect is hard. Doing the work to build new industries is hard. But this is how great nations lead.” 

Samara Oster MBA '22, founder of Meli, has created the “first beer brewed entirely from quinoa,” reports Eli Chavez for Boston Business Journal. “Part of the journey as of late is, how do we explain this super unique, unexpected thing to people, some of whom are skeptical and really like beers,” says Oster “For me, it's about building this better for you, beer world that kind of doesn't exist in that much of a way, just yet.”

Six MIT faculty members – Prof. Emerita Lotte Bailyn, Prof. Gareth McKinley, Prof. Nasser Rabbat, Prof. Susan Silbey, Prof. Anne Whiston Spirn, and Prof. Catherine Wolfram – have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, reports Sarah Mesdjian for The Boston Globe. “The academy aims to honor accomplished leaders in a wide array of fields and ‘cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people,’” explains Mesdjian. 

Researchers at MIT have developed a “small, hopping robot designed to traverse challenging environments,” reports Emmett Smith for Mashable. “The robot utilizes a spring-loaded leg for propulsion and incorporates flapping wing modules for stability and control,” explains Smith. “This design enables movement across diverse surfaces and the ability to carry loads exceeding its own weight.” 

Writing for The New York Times, MIT Innovation Fellow Brian Deese explains the impact of tariffs and domestic policy on the American auto industry. Deese notes that current policies “risk leaving U.S. automakers isolated and incapable of competing on their own merits as foreign companies bolt ahead. The damage to our economy and national security could be profound.” 

Prof. Rafael Gómez-Bombarelli speaks with The Atlantic reporter Matteo Wong about the current state of artificial intelligence technologies and how the technology might be used in medical care going forward. “Scientists use the tools that are out there for information processing and summarization,” says Gómez-Bombarelli. “Everybody does that; that’s an established win.” 

Researchers at MIT have developed a new technique to fabricate “a metamaterial that is both stretchy and strong,” reports Alex Knapp for Forbes. The researchers also discovered that their new fabrication technique can be applied to the development of new materials, Knapp explains, adding that: “future research will be directed toward developing stretchy glass, ceramics and textiles.” 

Materials World reporter Sarah Morgan spotlights how MIT researchers have “combined the waterproof stickiness of mussel-inspired polymers with the germ-fighting properties of mucus-derived proteins, mucins, to form a cross-linking gel that strongly adheres to surfaces.” The new adhesive could be used to coat medical implants to prevent infection and bacteria build-up. Postdoc George Degen explains: “We demonstrate adhesion to wet tissue and metal-oxide surfaces, important substrates for biomedical applications. Moreover, our mucin-derived hydrogels discourage the formation of bacterial biofilms, raising the possibility of antifouling coatings.” 

Researchers at MIT, including postdoctoral associate Marc Hon and research scientist Avi Shporer, have discovered a new disintegrating planet approximately 140 light-years away from Earth, reports Sarah Mesdjian for The Boston Globe. “The planet got so close to its star that the heat started evaporating its surface,” says Shporer. “The planet is not big enough to hold onto that material with its gravity.”

MIT astronomers have discovered a planet disintegrating at a rapid pace, reports Xinhua. “Roughly the size of Mercury, the planet orbits its host star at an extremely close distance - about 20 times closer than Mercury is to the Sun - completing a full orbit every 30.5 hours,” explains Xinhua. “Due to this intense proximity, researchers believe the planet is likely covered in molten magma, which is vaporizing and streaming into space.” 

Prof. Sherry Turkle speaks with New York Times reporter Sopan Deb about how humans interact with artificial intelligence, specifically chatbots such as ChatGPT. “If an object is alive enough for us to start having intimate conversations, friendly conversations, treating it as a really important person in our lives, even though it’s not, it’s alive enough for us to show courtesy to,” says Turkle. 

Prof. Amos Winter speaks with WBUR reporter Grace Griffin about his work developing a desalination system that relies on solar power. “The majority of water you find in the ground around the world is salty,” says Winter. “The reason we use solar power is that most people around the world are going to be resource-constrained. They may have lower income levels or not have access to grid electricity. So, our technology makes desalination much more accessible in all areas around the world.”

Defense One reporter Patrick Tucker writes that MIT researchers have developed “a new way to make large ultrathin infrared sensors that don’t need cryogenic cooling and could radically change night vision for the military or even autonomous vehicles.” Tucker notes: “This research points to a new kind of vision: not just night vision without cooling, but a production method for faster and cheaper development of night vision equipment with more U.S. components.”