Wired reporter Sarah Zhang reports on how MIT researchers developed a new computer model that they used to examine the public health impacts of Volkswagen cheating on emissions standards tests. Zhang explains that the researchers’ model “allows scientists to estimate the impact of extra NOx in any 50 km by 50 km square of the world.”
Writing for Popular Science, Mary Beth Griggs reports that researchers from MIT CSAIL have developed a robotic cube that can jump over rough terrain. The researchers hope that one day the cube "can be fitted with small cameras, making them excellent for exploring rough areas like disaster zones, or other tight spaces.”
A new study by researchers from MIT and Harvard shows that pollution from Volkswagen vehicles could lead to premature deaths in the U.S., reports Tom Randall for Bloomberg News. “Volkswagen's deception allowed some 482,000 U.S. diesel cars to pass emissions tests even as they polluted as much as 40 times the legal limit,” writes Randall.
Bret Stetka writes for The Atlantic about how MIT researchers have studied how harbor seals are able to use their whiskers to track prey. Prof. Michael Triantafyllou explains that his team’s findings could be used to develop new technologies that, for example, could “detect plumes underwater, such as in oil spills, or other plumes polluting the environment.”
Huffington Post reporter Nitya Rajan writes that MIT researchers have developed a device that can see through walls. Rajan explains that the device works by “sending wireless signals through a wall and capturing whatever bounces back off to put together an image of the person on the other side of the wall.”
Justin Worland of TIME reports on a new MIT study examining the public health impacts of Volkswagen’s software designed to evade emissions standards. “The emissions problem will also add nearly half a billion dollars in social costs,” writes Worland.
Alexandra Ossola reports for Popular Science that MIT researchers have determined that by cheating on emissions tests, Volkswagen could cause 60 premature deaths in the U.S. “The researchers estimated the impact on public health…by calculating the effects of more fine particulates, ozone, and nitrous oxide,” writes Ossola.
Researchers at MIT and Harvard have determined that emissions resulting from Volkswagen’s rigged inspections will cause 60 premature deaths in the U.S., reports Robert Preidt for U.S. News & World Report. The researchers found that “if VW recalls every affected vehicle by the end of 2016, more than 130 additional deaths may be prevented,” writes Preidt.
CNBC reporter Robert Ferris writes about a study by researchers from MIT and Harvard that examines the impacts of Volkswagen cheating on emissions tests. “Volkswagen's cars have emitted 40 times the amount of noxious nitrogen oxide (NOx) than the limit proscribed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” Ferris explains.
Nina Godlewski writes for Boston.com that a new study co-authored by MIT researchers found that approximately 60 people in the U.S. will die prematurely due to Volkswagen’s cheating on emissions tests. Godlewski explains that, “if the automaker fails to recall all of the affected vehicles by the end of 2016, more deaths may occur.”
Atlantic reporter Robinson Meyer speaks with Prof. Steven Barrett about his research showing that 140 people will die prematurely if Volkswagen vehicles outfitted with emissions-cheating devices are not recalled. Barrett says that if the cars are returned, “most of those 140 deaths would be averted.”
Researchers from the MIT Media Lab have developed a new type of clothing that becomes more breathable as the wearer’s body heat increases, reports Liz Stinson for Wired. The clothing was developed as part of a project focused on examining how, “we can grow actuators that control the interfaces around us instead of manufacturing them in a factory.”
A new study co-authored by MIT researchers examines if consumers would be comfortable buying a self-driving car programmed for utilitarianism, reports Sarah Kaplan for The Washington Post. The researchers found that “participants largely agreed autonomous vehicles should be utilitarian, they didn’t necessarily believe the cars would be programmed that way.”
Prof. Yossi Sheffi writes for The Wall Street Journal that businesses need to safeguard their supply chains against “black swan” events, rare situations that wreak havoc. Sheffi explains that the “changing nature of supply chains has made it more important to consider the potential impact of the black-swan event.”
In an article for Stat, Andrew Joseph writes that the Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research is committing $20 million to the Bridge Project, which funds research at the Koch Institute and Dana-Farber. “We’re looking for the best people, regardless of where they are, to tackle these very important problems,” explains Tyler Jacks, director of the Koch Institute.