In the Media

The Economist profiles MIT Professor Angela Belcher and her work to “rapidly evolve genetically engineered organisms to manufacture new materials and devices.”

WBUR’s Gabrielle Emanuel reports on OpenBiome’s work to provide safe, reliable fecal transplants to doctors around the country. OpenBiome is a stool bank run by MIT researchers.

WBUR’s Chris Remington writes about Professor Jay Scheib’s unconventional approach to the theater. During performances, Schieb captures the performance on an HD camera, which he uses to develop a simulcast film presentation of the production.

Nature reporter Sid Perkins examines a new technique developed by MIT researchers that shows that how river boundaries are shifting over time. The work could be useful in reconstructing past landscapes and forecasting how Earth’s terrain will look in the future, writes Perkins.

In this Wired piece, Nicholas Tufnell reports on MIT work to analyze animated GIFS in an attempt to create a new language from the animated symbols.  

CSAIL Director Daniela Rus talks to the Boston Business Journal about the future of robotics. “In 10 or 15 years, I think that robots will be as commonplace as smartphones, with personal robots that can help with everything from doing search-and-rescue operations to folding the laundry,” says Rus.

Bloomberg News’ Christopher Martin reports on an MIT startup that is developing liquid-metal batteries that can store power. The technology could allow developers to build wind and solar projects that can deliver power on-demand.

The PBS NewsHour spotlights MIT Professor Sallie (Penny) Chisholm’s work to understand the role of marine phytoplankton in the ocean's "metabolism."

Charles Q. Choi writes about Professor David Kaiser’s research into the last major loophole in quantum physics. “Kaiser and his colleagues have proposed looking for answers from the most remote corners of the known cosmos,” reports Choi.

Boston Magazine reporter Steve Annear spotlights the “Humans of MIT” Facebook page, a portrait blog exploring life at MIT. The project was inspired by the “Humans of New York” photo project and offers a glimpse at the hopes and dreams of MIT students.

Irene Greif talks to The Atlantic’s Rebecca Rosen about being the first woman to receive her Ph.D. in computer science from MIT, her decision to pursue a career as a researcher and her efforts to pioneer the field of computer-supported cooperative work.

Los Angeles Times reporter Amina Khan writes that researchers from MIT have built, “a robotic clam that isn't edible but could be incredibly useful, because it easily outperforms other commercial digging devices.” The RoboClam was designed to mimic the digging technique of the Atlantic razor clam.

NPR’s Joe Palca reports on MIT Professor Rohit Karnik’s work to develop a cheap and effective way to filter water. Karnik’s new solution is a filter made from a pinewood branch peeled of its bark.

“To explore this new world where governments and companies have the ability to amass, analyze and use vast amounts of personal information, the president ordered a comprehensive review of what’s called ‘big data’,” wrote WBUR reporter Bruce Gellerman of the big data privacy workshop held at MIT March 3.

Boston Globe reporter Carolyn Johnson writes that Professor Rohit Karnik has developed a, “promising next-generation water filter that might be effective, cheap, and biodegradable.”