Boston Globe reporter Michael Levenson writes that Profs. Amy Finkelstein and Lisa Parks have been selected as recipients of the MacArthur “genius grant.” Finkelstein notes that the award will allow her to take more risks with her research, while Parks plans to use the award to “strengthen MIT’s Global Media Technologies and Cultures Lab and deepen the university’s ties to Africa, where she does research,” Levenson explains.
Profs. Amy Finkelstein and Lisa Parks have been named MacArthur Fellows, reports Joe Barrett for The Wall Street Journal. Barett explains that Finkelstein “conducts studies in the economics of health care; among her findings is that Medicaid expansion increases self-reported health and financial security, but also increases use of the emergency room and has no significant impact on many measures of physical health.”
In an article for The Washington Post, Prof. Alan Lightman writes about the importance of wasting time. “Our hyperconnected lifestyle, without downtime, threatens our ‘inner selves,’” Lightman explains. “My inner self is that part of me that imagines, that dreams, that explores, that is constantly questioning who I am and what is important to me.”
Prof. Thomas Levenson participates in a WGBH Living Lab Radio panel discussion about science fiction. “Science fiction is simply literature, Levenson explains. “It might be the leading stream of fiction because we live in a world that is so conditioned by all the ways that both deep scientific ideas and their applications in everyday technology change the way we do everything.”
In an article for The Boston Globe, Prof. Thomas Levenson reviews David Quammen’s new book, “The Tangled Tree.” Levenson writes that the book is, “much more than a report on some cool new scientific facts. It is, rather, a source of wonder.”
Writing for WBUR’s Cognoscenti, Amy Carleton, a lecturer in Comparative Media Studies/Writing, highlights three novels that vividly portray the immigrant experience. Carleton writes that the novels are about, “searching and finding, belonging and wanting — the things that define our human experience regardless of our point of origin.”
Prof. Alan Lightman reviews Adam Frank’s new book, “Light of the Stars,” for The New York Times. Lightman writes that Frank suggests, “we can strengthen our resolve to kick our bad environmental habits by viewing our terrestrial civilization from a cosmic perspective.”
In an article for The Washington Post, Debra Bruno reviews Prof. Alan Lightman’s new book, “In Praise of Wasting Time,” which makes the case for why we need more downtime. Bruno writes that, “Lightman constructs a careful and well-sourced argument, citing the anecdotes of artists, scientists and writers to build his case methodically and convincingly.”
Michael Shermer reviews Prof. Alan Lightman’s new book on science and spirituality, “Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine,” for The New York Times. Shermer calls the book an “elegant and moving paean to our spiritual quest for meaning in an age of science,” adding that it, “reminds us of the centrality of subjectivity in all human endeavors.”
In an article for The Boston Globe, Amy Carleton, a lecturer in the comparative media studies/writing program, writes about the jacket First Lady Melanie Trump wore to visit a shelter for migrant children. Carleton posits that the First Lady, “has demonstrated that she is well-versed in the rhetorical power that fashion possesses.”
In this PBS NewsHour segment, Prof. Alan Lightman discusses his views on science and spirituality. “I’m still a scientist. I still believe that the world is made of atoms and molecules and nothing more. But I also believe in the power and validity of the spiritual experience.”
TechCrunch’s “Technotopia” podcast, hosted by John Biggs, features Prof. Nick Montfort, who has authored a new book, “The Future”. Montfort’s book identifies those whose work impacts the future of culture and technology.
Graduate student Joy Buolamwini is featured on NPR’s TED Radio Hour explaining the racial bias of facial recognition software and how these problems can be rectified. “The minimum thing we can do is actually check for the performance of these systems across groups that we already know have historically been disenfranchised,” says Buolanwini.
TechCrunch reporter Devin Coldewey writes about a new game developed by Prof. D Fox Harrell that is aimed at “identifying and navigating the subtleties of sexism” in the workplace.
Lecturer Amy Carleton speaks with Times Higher Ed reporter Holly Else about how she uses Wikipedia in her courses. Carleton explains that by asking students to write new pieces and add information to existing Wikipedia entries, she is attempting to help students “start to understand how important it is to have a high-quality source to back up any statements that they are making.”