Financial Times reporter Caroline Roux spotlights Prof. Neri Oxman’s new exhibit at the MOMA. “Design as a discipline should not be about ‘beautifying’ the world,” says Oxman, “but one that questions our relationship with the physical world around us.”
Jeremy Gregory, executive director of the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub, speaks with Ira Flatow of Science Friday about creating more sustainable concrete and cement. Gregory explains that researchers are working on developing “concrete that has a net zero or even a negative carbon footprint.”
Prof. Richard Binzel speaks with New York Times reporter Shannon Hall about why leap days would need to be incorporated on other planets to keep calendars in sync. “On Jupiter, it would be hopeless,” says Binzel. “It’s a gas planet and different latitudes have different rotation periods. I think the Jovians would find themselves very confused.”
Fast Company reporter Lauren Steele spotlights Atolla, an MIT startup that is aimed at leveraging “machine learning to deliver personalized skin serums using an individual’s actual skin data.”
Reporting for WBUR, Angus Chen spotlights how Prof. Feng Zhang is currently working on a test strip that could identify pieces of the coronaviruses’ genetic material, speeding the diagnostic. “You see if the strip has one or two lines,” says Zhang,. “We’re working on trying to develop it as quickly as we can.”
Wired reporter Daniela Oberhaus spotlights Prof. Angela Belcher’s work using viruses to assemble lithium-ion batteries, noting that her “approach to biologically-driven nanoengineering holds immense promise.”
New York Times reporter Shola Lawal writes that a study by MIT researchers uncovers evidence that seeding oceans with iron may not be an effective method of combatting climate change. The researchers found that “more iron in the sea would deplete other nutrients, cause plankton death and have negative effects on marine life,” Lawal explains.
Boston 25’s Chris Flanagan visits MIT to learn about how researchers developed a smart diaper that alerts caregivers when moisture is detected. “It can help in identifying skin hydration and prevent rashes from happening on the skin because, if the diaper is left on for too long, it can lead to skin rashes," says research associate Pankhuri Sen.
Writing for the Financial Times, Margaret Heffernan spotlights how a study by Prof. Alex “Sandy” Pentland underscores the importance of social interactions in work environments. Pentland found that during shared coffee breaks “people were sharing information, problem-solving, motivating and helping one another.”
Reporting for CBS Boston, Dr. Mallika Marshall spotlights how MIT researchers have uncovered a new antibiotic using a deep-learning algorithm. Marshall notes that the researchers tested the new antibiotic “against dozens of bacteria in lab dishes and found it could kill many strains that are resistant to treatment.”
Profs. Regina Barzilay and James Collins speak with Angus Chen of WBUR about how they developed a new algorithm to identify an antibiotic that could treat drug-resistant bacteria. “The study shows the power of harnessing artificial intelligence to address the antibiotic resistance crisis,” says Collins.
Boston Globe reporter Scott Kirsner explores the growth and impact of The Engine, highlighting how the venture is “revving up the potential” of tough tech startups. Kirsner notes that The Engine has “managed to create a supremely supportive ecosystem for these startups.”
Writing for Forbes, Joseph Coughlin, director of the MIT AgeLab, explores how AgeLab researchers are examining the work of caregivers as part of an effort to “help us to understand how technology might help caregivers; the many other ways that caregivers need help to provide care to others and to care for themselves; and how to plan for this universally experienced fact of life.”
Prof. Luis Perez-Breva speaks with Forbes contributor Ron Schmelzer about the current state of AI and machine learning.
Neha Narula, director of the Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative, writes for The Wall Street Journal about why she feels the U.S. dollar should be digitized. “The U.S. could help pave the way for faster, cheaper and more secure payments by allowing consumers to hold central-bank-issued digital currency outside of commercial banks,” writes Narula.