Q&A: John Harbison on his new album, “Diotima”
The MIT composer endows his orchestral works with “unexpected” musical elements, while evoking aspiration, hope, and loss.
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Is watching believing?
In spreading politics, videos may not be much more persuasive than their text-based counterparts.
Cures for the health insurance enrollment blues
An experiment in Indonesia shows how much subsidies and in-person assistance spur people to get insurance — and how many people stop trying.
Ingenuity, design, and human spirit
A new book from the MIT Future Heritage Lab goes inside a Syrian refugee camp to uncover the creative lives of its inhabitants.
Improving management everywhere
From farmers to supply chains, Associate Professor Karen Zheng tackles operations issues from around the globe.
Punishment for the people
Professor Lily Tsai’s new book explains how “retributive justice,” the high-profile sanctioning of some in society, helps authoritarians solidify public support.
MIT economist Joshua Angrist shares Nobel Prize
Cited for work building the foundations of “natural experiments” in economic research, Angrist is honored along with David Card and Guido Imbens.
Tool for predicting pedestrian flow expands its reach
Long-term study of Melbourne, Australia, shows how urban development and change affects pedestrians, not just automobiles.
3 Questions: An anthropologist and a filmmaker on working-class lives in Chicago
A storytelling project by Christine Walley and Chris Boebel explores the social impacts of late 20th century deindustrialization.
What’s the next chapter in Afghanistan?
A panel of foreign-policy experts surveys the uncertainties facing the country as it returns to Taliban rule.
Study: As a population gets older, automation accelerates
Economists find companies’ adoption of robots is partly due to shortages in middle-aged labor.
Study: Crowds can wise up to fake news
Experiment with Facebook-flagged content shows groups of laypeople reliably rate stories as effectively as fact-checkers do.
Comparing seniors who relocate long-distance shows where you live affects your longevity
Analysis of Medicare data finds location matters, not just past health behavior.
Study: Ending an eviction moratorium increases Covid-19 hazard
Results show infection rates increase across communities; individuals in low-income areas and those in poor health are at highest risk.
A serious plea for playful design
In their new book, “Urban Play,” MIT researchers advance the idea of using technology to make urban life creative and unpredictable.