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Life in the aftermath

MIT historian’s book explores life for Armenians in modern Turkey.

January 8, 2016

“I was always very interested in current events and fascinated by what was happening in the world around me,” MIT historian Tanalís Padilla says. “My parents were very political. I considered myself quite a political being. … I think [living in] Mexico and the United States and seeing the contrast to be so great, especially in rural Mexico, made me aware [of politics] early on.”

Past and present

MIT’s Tanalís Padilla brings alive the history of political struggles in Mexico.

January 4, 2016

Researchers have discovered how some organisms can safely process oxalate, which is found in many fruits and vegetables. This discovery could lead to new ways to lessen the harmful effects that can occur when oxalate builds up in humans, who cannot metabolize this molecule.

A healthy breakdown

Researchers discover how some organisms process oxalate, a molecule that can harm humans.

December 28, 2015

“If you’re the kind of person who bought something that really didn’t resonate with the market, say, coffee-flavored Coca-Cola, then that also means you’re more likely to buy a type of toothpaste or laundry detergent that fails to resonate with the market,” MIT professor Catherine Tucker says.

Are you a “harbinger of failure”?

Study: Some consumers have an unerring knack for buying unpopular products.

December 23, 2015

People building their own devices for transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have often invested substantial time looking at academic research on the subject. “They do look to scientific papers and in a lot of ways they do follow scientific precedent,” PhD student Anna Wexler says. “In other ways, they do their own thing.”

Stimulus plan?

Interest is growing in brain stimulation devices — and regulating them may prove tricky.

December 18, 2015

“Symbolically, the IMF has raised the status of the renminbi by placing it in the same category as the dollar, euro, yen, and pound,” David Singer says.

3 Questions: David Singer on China and the renminbi

MIT political scientist looks beyond the headlines about China’s new currency status.

December 4, 2015

Photo of half a dozen people sitting around a table in a white conference room

Defense Secretary Carter visits MIT for innovation discussion

Dialogue with defense secretary focuses on bolstering leading-edge manufacturing.

December 2, 2015

MIT political scientists Christopher Warshaw and Devin Caughey have developed a new method to assess historical shifts in U.S. state politics. The chart shows the position of state policies on the political spectrum, in both 1936 and 2014, with more liberal aggregate policies at left, and more conservative aggregate policies at right. The two maps show the political orientation of states in 1940 a...

Mapping the history of U.S. state politics

Unique new study shows political orientation of all 50 U.S. states over time.

December 1, 2015

Illuminating urban planning

Jennifer Light studies how Cold War military analysis and New Deal resource analysis shaped cities.

November 23, 2015

A group of Burmese woman grow rice on a rice paddy. A new study indicates that agriculture in Mynamar and other countries will experience substantial productivity declines in the next 30 years due to climate change.

Grow your own way

Study: Trade may not help a warming planet fight its farming failures.

November 20, 2015

"Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age" (Penguin Press) by Sherry Turkle (pictured)

3 Questions: Sherry Turkle on “Reclaiming Conversation”

MIT professor talks about our need for face-to-face dialogue, in families, classrooms, and workplaces.

November 17, 2015

Good thinking

MIT philosopher Kieran Setiya analyzes the sources of moral action.

November 13, 2015

Game for climate adaptation

MIT-led project shows a new method to help communities manage climate risks.

November 5, 2015

The Hunt for Vulcan (Penguin Random House) by Thomas Levenson (pictured)

3Q: Thomas Levenson on the hunt for Vulcan, the missing planet

New book details the scientific search for a planet — before Albert Einstein halted the quest.

November 3, 2015

(From left) Serena Parekh, Jennifer Leaning, Nahuel Arenas, and Ali Al Jundi

Facing the global refugee crisis

At MIT event, scholars and relief workers warn current problems could be “the tip of the iceberg.”

October 22, 2015

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