Prof. Yossi Sheffi writes for The Wall Street Journal that students should be learning soft skills such as communications, leadership and teamwork, tools that are necessary for managing organizations and supply-chains successfully. Sheffi writes that, “professionals need to hone their ability to communicate with people working across a wide range of disciplines and a variety of geographies.”
According to Prof. Robert Merton, wealth advisors are unlikely to be replaced by robots, writes Stacey Yuen for CNBC. Merton explains that the problem with replacing wealth managers with robo-advisors is a lack of trust. “What you need to make technology work is to create trust. Technology doesn't create trust on its own,” he notes.
In an article for The Washington Post, Prof. Marcia Bartusiak writes about Scott Kelly’s new memoir of his record-setting year on the International Space Station. Bartusiak writes that the book, “offers Earthlings an informative and gripping look at both the adventures and day-by-day experiences of living in a metal container that is orbiting Earth at 17,500 mph.”
Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Scott Carlson speaks with Prof. Mitchel Resnick about his new book, which highlights the importance of kindergarten. Resnick explains that schools should create a more kindergarten-like environment for all students that enables “kids to follow their own ideas, to have their own agency, to make progress on problems and projects they really care about.”
CBC News reporter Michael MacDonald spotlights the work of Prof. Sara Seager, who he calls a “certified rock star” in her field, describing everything from her interest in astronomy as a young child to her current search for exoplanets and alien life. McDonald writes that, “ultimately, her research could help answer some of the biggest questions facing humankind.”
Wall Street Journal reporter Eric Felten writes about Prof. Kieran Setiya’s new book on midlife crises. Felten notes that Setiya, “hopes to lift sufferers out of this dip and help them flourish by conveying the insights of modern philosophy.”
Bloomberg Businessweek reporter Arianne Cohen spotlights Prof. Andrew Lo’s research examining adaptive markets. Cohen explains that, “Lo’s hypothesis says people act in their own self-interest but frequently make mistakes, figure out where they’ve erred, and change their behaviors. The broader system also adapts.”
During an appearance on WGBH’s Greater Boston, Prof. Regina Barzilay speaks with Jim Braude about her research and the experience of winning a MacArthur grant. Barzilay explains that the techniques she and her colleagues are developing to apply machine learning to medicine, “can be applied to many other areas. In fact, we have started collaborating and expanding.”
Prof. Regina Barzilay, recipient of a 2017 MacArthur grant, speaks to Radio Boston’s Meghna Chakrabarti about her research. Barzilay explains that data is not currently used in the medical field “to select treatments, to personalize it, or to help the patients reduce their uncertainty about the outcomes. I really strongly felt it has to be changed.”
Prof. Regina Barzilay has been named a MacArthur grant recipient for her work in computational linguistics and with applying machine learning to the field of oncology, reports Ellen Gamerman for The Wall Street Journal. “I firmly believe there is a lot of really important information and patterns that are hidden in the data of cancer patients,” said Barzilay.
Boston Globe reporter Laura Crimaldi writes that Prof. Regina Barzilay has been awarded a Macarthur “genius grant” in recognition of her work in the field of computational linguistics. Barzilay said she plans to use the prize, “to continue to work on improving cancer care using machine learning and natural language processing.”
Prof. Pierre Azoulay discusses with Bloomberg reporter Peter Coy his research on how new ideas gain traction in science. “Azoulay found that the death of a star scientist is like the fall of a huge tree. It lets sunshine reach the forest floor through a hole in the leaf canopy, enabling new kinds of vegetation to flourish,” explains Coy.
Prof. Richard Nielsen writes for The Washington Post that while women in Saudi Arabia have been granted the authority to issue state-sanctioned Islamic legal rulings, this move will probably not improve women’s rights. “It is likely that the fatwas coming from female Salafi muftis will be just as restricting to women as those from their male counterparts,” writes Nielsen.
Prof. Max Tegmark speaks with Jonathan Aberman of The Washington Post about his suggested approach to advancements in artificial intelligence. According to Tegmark, “we need to understand that artificial intelligence is not science fiction any more.”
Prof. Max Tegmark writes for NPR about how to ensure that the future of technology augments humankind. “I'm optimistic that we can thrive with advanced AI as long as we win the race between the growing power of our technology and the wisdom with which we manage it. But this requires ditching our outdated strategy of learning from mistakes.”