Clive Cookson of the Financial Times spotlights the work of Institute Professor Emerita Mildred Dresselhaus, who died at 86. Known as the “Queen of Carbon,” Dresselhaus’ research “led the way to round molecules with 60 carbon atoms, known as fullerenes or buckyballs, and ultimately to graphene,” explains Cookson.
Joshua Cassidy of KQED highlights an MIT study about how cats use their tongues to drink. The researchers created a model that mimics how cats drink and determined that “house cats tend to lap water about four times a second while larger species of cats, like lions and tigers, lap slower as their body mass increases.”
NPR reporter Colin Dwyer writes about the life and work of Institute Professor Emerita Mildred Dresselhaus, who died at 86. Dwyer writes that “during her celebrated career, she sought to prepare a path for potential successors — the female scientists whom she mentored and opened doors for across decades.”
Institute Prof. Emerita Mildred Dresselhaus, known for her work deciphering the secrets of carbon, died at 86, reports Bryan Marquard for The Boston Globe. Dresselhaus’ granddaughter Leora Cooper, an MIT graduate student, explained that by being a role model for women in STEM, “she encouraged me to not just see the changes that needed to be made, but to start making them.”
New York Times reporter Natalie Angier memorializes the life and work of Institute Professor Emerita Mildred Dresselhaus, affectionately nicknamed the “Queen of Carbon” for her pioneering research into the fundamental properties of carbon. Angier notes that Dresselhaus was also “renowned for her efforts to promote the cause of women in science.”
A study by Prof. Michael McDonald details how a black hole in the Phoenix cluster is producing star-making fuel, reports Andy Rosen for The Boston Globe. “It’s an extreme system that doesn’t seem to follow all the rules that we’ve found, so it gives us a clue to what the rules are,” McDonald explains.
Institute Professor Emerita Mildred Dresselhaus, who was known as the “queen of carbon science” and was an advocate for women in STEM, died at 86, reports Mark Anderson for IEEE Spectrum. Dresselhaus “pioneered the study of carbon nanostructures at a time when studying physical and material properties of commonplace atoms like carbon was out of favor.”
MIT researchers have used starlight to test Einstein’s “spooky action” theory and have presented a strong demonstration of quantum entanglement, reports Calla Cofield for CBS News. Cofield explains that the researchers “measured about 100,000 pairs of entangled photons…and their results suggested that the particles were truly entangled.”
A study by MIT researchers provides evidence that gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn formed within the first 4 million years of the solar system’s development, reports Samantha Mathewson for Scientific American. "We obtained an accurate and precise age for the lifetime of our solar system's ancient [solar] nebula and the magnetic field," explains Prof. Benjamin Weiss.
The Atlantic’s Natalie Wolchover writes that MIT physicists have presented a demonstration of quantum entanglement, addressing a loophole in quantum theory. Prof. Andrew Friedman says his team will continue testing the loophole, explaining, “either we close the loophole more…or we see something that could point toward new physics.”
In this FOX 25 segment, Prof. John Leonard explains why he created an online lesson that demonstrates the science behind the Deflategate controversy. He notes that the lesson is aimed at giving “students the tools so they can be the scientists,” adding that he also hopes to “get more young people excited about math and science.”
Rick Shaffer highlights WiTricity, an MIT spinout, in a Boston Herald article about affordable, easily accessible alternative energy. The company is developing wireless charging pads for electric and hybrid vehicles, which will prevent people from “forgetting to plug a charging cord into their vehicle when they return home.”
Prof. John Leonard prepared a free video lesson explaining the science behind the Deflategate controversy, writes Adam Vaccaro for The Boston Globe. Vaccaro writes that Leonard explained he hopes the lesson will help students “understand the physics of air pressure and temperature by connecting them to a major event in popular culture.”
Inside Higher Ed reporter Carl Straumsheim writes that researchers from MIT and Harvard have released the latest findings from an ongoing study analyzing learner engagement and behavior in 290 MOOCs. Among other findings, researchers found that “about one-third (32 percent) of the people who participate in edX MOOCs work or used to work as teachers.”
MIT researchers have developed a new technique to improve atom interferometers, which are used to measure gravity, reports Brooks Hays for UPI. The researchers “found a way to improve the precision of atom interferometers by augmenting the condensates.”