New York Times reporter Eve Kahn writes about how Jana Dambrogio, a conservator at the MIT Libraries, is researching how letter writers kept their correspondence sealed and private, a process she refers to as “letterlocking.” “This is such a brand-new field of study,” Dambrogio relates.
In a special issue on the Internet of Things, Politico’s Danny Vinik compiles an oral history to describe the origins of the Internet of Things. “I’m sure there’s a sci-fi novel somewhere that talks about this,” quips Sarma, who features prominently in the piece, which also references MIT’s Auto-ID Lab.
Shannon Fischer writes for BetaBoston about MIT Professor John Sheehan’s work synthesizing penicillin. “The scientific importance of synthesizing such a compound that had baffled the best chemists of a generation was a great incentive, for I knew that someone would solve the problem eventually. I wanted to be that person,” Sheehan explained in his book “The Enchanted Ring.”
Christopher Capozzola, an associate professor of history at MIT, has written extensively about the relationship between military policies and civilian politics. In his latest article, published by The Diplomat, Capozzola writes about extended relations between the U.S. and Philippine militaries and the handling of an alleged murder by a U.S. service member.
Jeffrey Brown of the PBS News Hour speaks with Professor Craig Wilder about the recent $40 million settlement received by five black and Latino men wrongly convicted of rape and assault in New York City 25 years ago.
New York Times reporter Colin Nickerson writes about Professor Linn Hobbs’ research into whether the ancient Egyptians used a synthetic material to build the Great Pyramids. "It could be they used less sweat and more smarts," Hobbs told The New York Times.
Institute Prof. Sheila Widnall, the first woman to lead the Air Force, and Linguistics alumna Jessie “Little Doe” Baird, an indigenous language preservationist, are two of the 10 accomplished women chosen to represent Massachusetts in USA Today’s Women of the Century series, reports Nicole Simmons. Baird was also included in the paper’s nationwide list of 100 Women of the Century.