The new Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel at MIT, which is capable of reaching wind speeds of up to 230 miles per hour, provides a controlled environment to measure the aerodynamics of an object, reports Matt Shearer for WBZ. "Everybody turns into a little kid when they get into a wind tunnel," says Prof. Mark Drela.
A time capsule buried in 1957 by former MIT President James R. Killian and Prof. Harold Edgerton will be unveiled in 2957 a full millennium after its burial, writes Michele Debczak for Salon.
A coalition of students, faculty and alumni have come together to raise the funds necessary to replace the radome that sits atop the Building 54, reports Hiawatha Bray for The Boston Globe. “Once the overhaul is complete, MIT’s radio buffs, astronomers, and satellite researchers will have a tool that will serve them for decades,” writes Bray. “And they’ll have also preserved one of the school’s most famous landmarks.”
Boston Business Journal reporter Catherine Carlock writes that Boeing will come to Kendall Square to develop a new autonomous flight research center. Boeing is the first major tenant announced as part of MIT’s Kendall Square Initiative. Provost Martin Schmidt explains that Boeing’s presence in Kendall Square, “will create an unprecedented opportunity for new synergies in this industry.”
Boeing will establish a research center in one of MIT’s new buildings in Kendall Square, reports Zeninjor Enwemeka for WBUR. Provost Martin Schmidt explains that Boeing’s proximity to campus offers MIT, “a research partner, somebody who brings very interesting and important problems in future transportation systems.”
In this video, VOA reporter Steve Baragona looks at different methods of harvesting water from fog. Baragona highlights a new system developed by MIT researchers, explaining that in some areas where the water supply is dwindling, “the technology is far cheaper than other options like desalination.”
In an article for The Verge, Angela Chen highlights a new technique developed by MIT researchers to harvest water from fog. In the future, the researchers hope to place the harvesters, “near cooling plumes to collect and reuse water that would otherwise be lost.”
NBC Boston reports that ICE has released MIT custodian Francisco Rodriguez. “Many members of the MIT community have strongly supported that Francisco be released from detention to be with his family so the news of his release is extremely welcome. We also strongly believe Francisco should be allowed to remain in the U.S. permanently," according to a statement from MIT.
MIT custodian Francisco Rodriguez, who has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), wrote a letter to The Boston Globe explaining that his family needs him. “I believe in this country,” writes Rodriguez. “I believe in what people can do here.”
In an article for The Epoch Times, Emel Akpan highlights how The Engine is focused on supporting startups in fields that require time and patient capital. “We have a focus on tough tech,” explains Katie Rae, CEO and president of The Engine. “We think that’s where the resources are limited. But the opportunities can have a lot of impact.”
Writing for The Wall Street Journal about businesses investing in green power, Brian Baskin highlights how MIT joined forces with two Boston-based organizations to buy power from a solar farm in North Carolina. “We saw it as an opportunity where we could set an example,” says Joe Higgins, MIT's director of infrastructure business operations.
Sacha Pfeiffer highlights how MIT began providing employees free MBTA passes for local bus and subway services as part of The Boston Globe’s 2017 “Game Changers” section. Pfeiffer notes that MIT, “true to its high-tech reputation, took a pair of innovative steps last year to dissuade its employees from driving to work.”
WBUR reporter Asma Khalid reports on how The Engine could help the Boston-area innovation ecosystem. Katie Rae, president and CEO of The Engine, explains that The Engine will support startups focused on tough technologies, which “take longer than most venture capital firms want to take bets on."
Katie Rae, president and CEO of The Engine, speaks with Meghna Chakrabarti of Radio Boston about her new role and why The Engine is aimed at addressing the gap between science and commercialization. Rae explains that The Engine will be focused on “investing very early into the translational stage for science-oriented startups.”
Xconomy reporter Jeff Engel writes about The Engine, a new venture MIT launched to provide “resources to startups whose technologies typically take lots of time and capital to develop—think biotech, robotics, advanced manufacturing, medical devices, and energy.”