Writing for Popular Science, Rob Verger highlights how MIT researchers have built and flown “a radically different type of plane that is thrust through the air using just electricity and the movement of ions, a type of silent drive without moving parts out of science fiction.”
Scientific American reporter Angus Chen writes about how Prof. Steven Barrett has created the first-ever airplane that is powered by ionic wind thrusters and has no moving parts. “[Barrett] has demonstrated something truly unique,” says Prof. Mitchell Walker of the Georgia Institute of Technology.
WGBH reporter Gabrielle Emanuel speaks with Research Affiliate Catherine D’Ignazio about how she launched the Make the Breast Pump Not Suck Hackathon as a graduate student at MIT, and how the hackathon inspired new innovations in the breast pump industry. “In no other space of technology would the technology provide for such a terrible experience,” says D’Ignazio of the state of the breast pump.
Katie Kindelan of Good Morning America reports on the “Make the Breast Pump Not Suck” hackathon at the Media Lab, which examined physical, socioeconomic and cultural factors affecting new mothers. “We really thought, ‘How do we attack this problem from all angles, not just technology and design but also policy and access,’” explains researcher Alexis Hope.
Writing for Slate, Sloan alumna Kate Krontiris highlights the issues facing women who breastfeed and previews a hackathon taking place this weekend at the MIT Media Lab. “We are convening hundreds of engineers and designers, doulas and doctors, midwives and mamas to make the breast pump not suck as well as hack other barriers to breastfeeding."
Sophomore Vick Liu speaks with CBS Boston’s Lisa Hughes about the sleeping bag he designed to help Syrian refugees. “For refugees who are living either in camps or resettlement areas, it’s very tough to stay warm,” says Liu. “There was such a large group of people who were suffering, and I was just trying to figure out how can I help.”
Channel 7’s Ryan Schulteis speaks with sophomore Vick Liu about TravelerPack, a lightweight sleeping bag Liu designed to help Syrian refugees withstand freezing winter temperatures. Liu drew on his experience as an Eagle Scout to help create the sleeping bag. “My whole goal in life is really just to impact people in a positive way,” said Liu.
Sophomore Vick Liu speaks with NECN’s Caroline Connolly about what inspired him to develop a new sleeping bag to help Syrian refugees survive harsh winters in the Middle East. "At the end of the day, we didn't start this to make money. We didn't start this to get a ton of prestige," he said. "We just wanted to help people."
Associated Press reporter Collin Binkley writes that Vick Liu, a sophomore at MIT, has developed a new line of sleeping bags designed to help Syrian refugees survive winter in the Middle East. Binkley writes that Liu, “designed the sleeping bag using his backpacking experience as an Eagle Scout but also gathered advice from refugees who fled Syria's civil war.”
The Engine has raised $200 million and financed its first seven companies “in fields such as aerospace, advanced materials, genetic engineering and renewable energy,” reports Michael McDonald of Bloomberg.
Boston Globe reporter Andy Rosen writes that The Engine has raised $200 million to invest in “tough tech” companies. “The interest from private investors reflects a recognition that the venture capital world must find better ways to evaluate the technical promise of emerging technologies, and give them time to succeed,” notes Katie Rae, CEO of The Engine.
The Engine has announced its initial investments in seven startups ranging from alternative energy to space communications, reports Alex Konrad of Forbes. “By helping research teams productize their ideas early, at the pre-seed and seed stages of investment,” The Engine hopes to keep talented students and professors in the Boston area, explains Konrad.
Bloomberg News reporters Tim Loh and Patrick Martin feature Prof. Jeffrey Grossman’s work turning coal into thin strips of durable film that can conduct electricity. “You can get them up to like 300 Celsius (572 degrees Fahrenheit),” Grossman explains. “That is by far much, much better than other kinds of thin-film heaters.’’
Times Higher Ed reporter Matthew Reisz writes about a new study by MIT research that provides evidence that physical proximity helps drive collaboration. Reisz explains that the “research also confirms the importance of designing academic buildings to encourage cross-disciplinary research.”
A study by MIT researchers shows that physical proximity can increase collaboration, reports Colleen Flaherty for Inside Higher Ed. The researchers examined thousands of papers and patents stemming from MIT research and found that “paper collaborators in the same workspace were three times more likely to work together than those located 400 meters apart.”