In the Media

MIT’s Green Building was lit up with a blue “5” after the Patriot’s fifth Super Bowl win, reports Jaclyn Reiss of The Boston Globe.

CSAIL researchers have developed a wearable AI system that allows users to detect the tone of a conversation in real-time, reports Janet Burns for Forbes. Using two algorithms to analyze data, the researchers were able to “classify each five-second chunk of conversation as positive, neutral, or negative,” explains Burns.

Prof. Bob Weinberg of the Whitehead Institute spoke with Karen Weintraub at WBUR about the best ways to prevent cancer. Reducing obesity and smoking will lead to “decreases in cancer mortality, at least over the next decade or two, that dwarf anything I and my colleagues can produce in terms of new, miraculous cures,” he said.

An MIT study finds that online and in-store goods are sold at the same price 70 percent of the time, reports Meghan Woolhouse of The Boston Globe. Prof. Alberto Cavallo believes online and in store prices are typically the same because shoppers would likely react badly “to price differences for the same goods from the same retailer.”

Before she even graduates from MIT, senior Tiera Guinn is working for NASA’s Space Launch System, writes Zahara Hill of The Huffington Post. Guinn, who designs and analyzes parts for the rocket that will transport people to Mars, advises young girls with similar aspirations to “look forward to your dream and you can’t let anybody get in the way of it.”

A new study by Prof. John Van Reenen finds that Britain’s exit from the European Union could cause a “negative impact on gross domestic product per capita of almost four times that of previous estimates,” reports Lucy Meakin for Bloomberg. 

CNBC reporter Karen Gilchrist writes that a study by Prof. John Van Reenen shows that Brexit could end up reducing the incomes of people living in Great Britain by as much as 9.5 percent. “The report points to a 6.3 to 9.5 percent reduction in GDP per capita with the U.K. outside of the EU's single market,” Gilchrist explains. 

Boston Globe reporter Dan Adams writes that a new General Electric commercial featuring Prof. Mildred Dresselhaus imagines what it would be like if scientists were celebrities. The ad shows "adoring fans dressing up as Dresselhaus for Halloween, texting Dresselhaus emojis to one another, and chasing her down the street for a selfie.”

Prof. David Autor writes for The Huffington Post that imposing tariffs could slow the U.S.’s economic growth. A better solution, he writes, is smarter trade policy and to “aggressively enforce our current policies to protect intellectual property, enforce rule of law, and require equal treatment from our trading partners.”

Dan Misener of CBC News writes that a wearable device developed by MIT researchers detects the tone of conversation by listening to the interaction and measuring the physiological responses of the user. “All of that data is fed into a neural network that's been trained to identify certain cues,” explains Misener. 

MIT researchers have developed a new drug capsule that can deliver doses of medication over the course of several weeks, reports Robby Berman for Slate. Berman explains that the star-shaped device is like “a little pharmacy stationed in the stomach, ready to dispense doses at the desired times.”

In this FOX 25 segment, Prof. John Leonard explains why he created an online lesson that demonstrates the science behind the Deflategate controversy. He notes that the lesson is aimed at giving “students the tools so they can be the scientists,” adding that he also hopes to “get more young people excited about math and science.”

In this Wired video, Prof. Anette “Peko” Hosoi explains how she and her team designed a material, inspired by semiaquatic mammals, to help keep surfers warm. “We want to understand the physical mechanisms behind the biological solution and then adapt those mechanisms into engineering design." 

CSAIL researchers have developed a wearable system that can gauge the tone of a conversation based on a person’s speech patterns and vitals with 83 percent accuracy, writes Brian Barrett for Wired. The system could be useful for people with social anxiety or Asperger’s, Barrett explains. 

Prof. Nicholas Ashford writes for The Huffington Post about a new executive order concerning regulatory agencies. Ashford writes that new businesses, the economy, and the public benefit from “regulations that protect public health, safety, and the environment.”