Financial Times reporter Andrew Jack spotlights MIT alumnus Socrates Rosenfeld, who founded a cannabis distribution startup that has become the subject of a new case study taught at MIT. “We try to create live cases where the answer is not known in advance,” explains Prof. Scott Stern. “They were looking at an industry with a good degree of uncertainty.”
Boston Globe reporter Andy Rosen highlights how MIT startup Cambrian Innovations is working with Tree House Brewing to clean the waste water produced by the facility. Rosen explains that Cambrian Innovations “plans to treat Tree House’s waste water on site, using a microbial system that promises to clean up the outflows while generating gas to heat the brewery.”
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Boston native, will address graduates during MIT’s 2019 Commencement exercises, reports NECN.
Boston Globe reporter Travis Andersen writes reports that Michael Bloomberg – an entrepreneur, philanthropist and former mayor of New York City – will deliver MIT’s 2019 Commencement address.
The Today Show highlights Spyce, a restaurant started by four MIT alumni where “robots prep and cook the meal and a team member completes it,” explains Sheinelle Jones. “What we are automating are the tough, repetitive monotonous jobs,” says co-founder Michael Farid, “to allow people to focus on what people are really good at - customer service, creativity, the presentation of your bowl.”
MIT startup Rivian has announced they are planning to bring two new electric vehicles to the market in 2020: an SUV and pickup truck with four motors, reports Russ Mitchell for the Los Angeles Times.
In an article for Physics World about unique scales of measurement, Stephen Ornes highlights the “smoot,” a measurement of distance equivalent to the height of MIT alumnus Oliver Smoot. Ornes, who spoke with Smoot for the story, notes that he “eventually led the leading organizations behind setting standards of measurement.”
A new exhibit at the MIT Museum spotlights the work of MIT alumnus N.G. Herreshoff, whose work greatly influenced the boatbuilding industry, reports Kari Bodnarchuk for The Boston Globe. Bodnarchuk notes that Herreshoff, “built the first modern catamarans, the first torpedo boats for the US Navy, the country’s first steam-powered fishing vessels, and America’s Cup boats.”
MIT alumnus Francis Desouza, president and CEO of the Illumina Corporation, has been named to Fortune’s list of the top 20 Businesspeople of the Year.
Boston Globe reporter Amy Crawford highlights MIT startup Spoiler Alert, which “helps food businesses manage surplus inventory (its customers include Sysco, the world’s largest food wholesaler) and runs an online marketplace for discounted food sales and tax-deductible donations throughout New England.”
TechCrunch reporter Megan Rose Dickey writes about Atolla, an MIT startup that has developed a machine learning system “to identify skin health issues and then recommend the right skin care products based on what affects your skin.”
Forbes contributor Vivian Nunez speaks with MIT alumna Jessica Marquez about what inspired her to pursue a career in STEM and how she encourages other Latinas to succeed. “I recommend finding mentors,” says Marquez. “I may have never chosen to pursue a PhD at MIT if I had not met Professor Dava Newman – she continues to be a wonderful mentor.”
TechCrunch reporter Ingrid Lunden highlights RapidSOS, an MIT startup that “helps increase the funnel of information that is transmitted to emergency services alongside a call for help.”
Motherboard reporter Jason Koebler writes about how MIT alumnus Ben Adida has started a non-profit aimed at building a safe and open-source voting machine. Koebler explains that Adida plans to use “already existing, commodity hardware and open-source software to compete with the proprietary, expensive, and often insecure voting machines that currently dominate the market.”
Boston Globe reporter Katie Johnston speaks with several MIT researchers about their work developing technology that is aimed at improving collaboration between humans and robots. Prof. Julie Shah notes that offloading easier decisions onto a machine “would allow people to focus on the parts of job that truly require human judgment and experience.”