MIT researchers have developed a new drug-delivering gel that could make it easier for children and adults to swallow their medicine, reports Gwen Egan for Boston.com. The gel could be made in a variety of different textures and can be stored without refrigeration.
A new paper from Prof. Roberto Rigobon, research associate Florian Berg, and research affiliate Julian Kolbel explores what causes aggregate confusion among ESG rating agencies, reports Robin Wigglesworth for the Financial Times. The paper “highlights just how tricky it is to come up with an objective, rigorous ESG investing framework,” writes Wigglesworth.
Prof. Kerry Emanuel speaks with AP reporter Seth Borenstein about the upcoming hurricane season and his research showing an increase in Atlantic storms over the past 150 years.
Professor Kristala Prather speaks with Radio Boston host Tiziana Dearing about her work using synthetic biology to develop new materials that function like plastic, but don’t rely on fossil fuels and biodegrade when no longer in use. Prather also explores how the Kendall Square innovation ecosystem has helped fuel her work. “Our end goal is to try to still give us those materials, those plastics that are plasticy when we need them, but to pre design them such that at their end of life they are much more environmentally responsible,” explains Prather.
Researchers from MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a gel that can be mixed into medicine to make it easier to swallow, reports CBS Boston. “The gel is made out of plant-based oils and doesn’t have to be refrigerated,” says CBS Boston. “The hope is that it can one day be used to help children and adults who have trouble swallowing pills.”
Jake Guglin MBA ’19, Jasper Lienhard PhD ’22, Prof. Chris Schuh and University of California Irvine Prof. Tim Rupert have founded Foundation Alloy, a vertically integrated metal part production platform specializing in manufacturing high performing metal parts, reports Ariyana Griffin for Forbes. “By creating stronger metals, we can make lighter parts for planes, cars [which] will make those existing products greener and more efficient,” says Guglin.
Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank spotlights postdoctoral research associate Brian Guay’s research examining why “Republicans share between 200 percent and 500 percent more fake news (fabrications published by sites masquerading as news outlets) than Democrats.” Guay explains that “the issue primarily seems to be a supply issue. There’s just way more fake news on the right than the left.”
MIT researchers have developed a flexible and paper-thin speaker that can turn any surface into an audio source, reports New Scientist. “The lightweight loudspeaker uses only a fraction of the energy of a regular speaker and can generate sound regardless of the surface it is attached to,” writes New Scientist.
Prof. Erin Kara speaks with Harry Smith of NBC News about the data sonification of the black hole at the center of the Perseus Galaxy. Kara notes that data sonification is “a really exciting way to hear the universe and think about it in a new way.”
Principal Research Scientist Andrew McAfee speaks with Innovator News reporter Jennifer L. Schenker about his upcoming book, “The Geek Way,” which explores how tech companies found the best way to operate their businesses. “If you want your company to be a tech company, then you will be competing against geeks,” says McAfee. “These are people who look at things differently, go deep on a problem, get obsessed with it and fiercely work at it until they think they find a good solution.”
Joseph Coughlin, director of the MIT AgeLab, writes for Forbes about the new meaning of a career and how employers, parents, institutions must adapt in the new age of technology. “Institutions must prepare young people to learn for a lifetime – not just for one profession that may be in high demand today, only to fade tomorrow,” writes Coughlin.
TechCrunch reporters Kyle Wiggers and Devin Coldewey spotlight how MIT researchers developed a new technique for simulating an overall system of independent agents: self-driving cars. “The idea is that if you have a good amount of cars on the road, you can have them work together not just to avoid collisions but to prevent idling and unnecessary stops at lights,” write Wiggers and Coldewey.
A time capsule buried in 1957 by former MIT President James R. Killian and Prof. Harold Edgerton will be unveiled in 2957 a full millennium after its burial, writes Michele Debczak for Salon.
Writing for The Washington Post, Prof. Charles Stewart III provides evidence that hand counting paper ballots is less accurate than using ballot scanners to tabulate results. “Computers — which ballot scanners rely on — are very good at tedious, repetitive tasks,” writes Stewart. “Humans are bad at them. And counting votes is tedious and repetitive.”
MIT celebrated the Classes of 2020 and 2021 during a special ceremony on May 28 that featured an address by Kealoha Wong ’99, Hawaii’s first poet laureate, reports Laura Crimaldi for The Boston Globe. “We may make some esoteric discovery or some small contribution to our industries, but most likely, our most significant impact will be in our communities and in our families,” Kealoha said. “Our impact will be felt in the way that we treat others and the way that we treat ourselves.”