Scientific American reporter Prachi Patel writes that a new study by Prof. Elsa Olivetti found that demand for cobalt, which is critical to electric vehicle batteries, could soon outstrip supply. “The best lithium battery cathodes [negative electrodes] all contain cobalt, and its production is limited,” Olivetti explains.
HuffPost reporter Sophie Gallagher writes that MIT researchers have developed a new capsule that would allow patients to take a week’s worth of HIV medications in one dose. The researchers believe that, “the innovation could improve the efficacy of HIV preventative treatment by approximately 20%.”
MIT researchers have developed a new slow-release capsule that could free HIV patients from having to take a daily dose of medication, according to the BBC. “Changing a medication so it only needs to be taken once a week rather than once a day should be more convenient and improve compliance,” explains research affiliate Giovanni Traverso.
UPI reporter Alan Mozes writes that MIT researchers have developed a new capsule that could be used to deliver a week’s worth of HIV medications in a single dose. “The new pill sits in the stomach for a full week, as each of seven pill compartments opens up, one-by-one, to deliver a 24-hour dose of three HAART drugs,” Mozes explains.
During a broad-ranging conversation with Tom Moroney of Bloomberg News, President L. Rafael Reif discusses why education, the free-flow of talent and federal investment in fundamental scientific research are key components to America's success. Reif explains that, in his view, the foundation of our future is, “talent and believing that our research and investments will benefit the American economy.”
Prof. Michael Strano spoke with CNN’s Nicola Davison about his recent work making plants glow. "We're thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the devices that we encounter every day. The things that we make out of plastic and circuit boards -- can we replace those with a living plant?" said Strano.
In a Vox article about the increasing scalability of solar photovoltaic power, David Roberts highlights solar cells developed by Prof. Vladimir Bulovic. The solar cells are, “so small and light they could sit atop a soap bubble without popping it,” explains Roberts.
Tony Dokoupil of CBS This Morning visits MIT to learn more about how researchers are working on developing robots that will improve our daily lives. Dokoupil highlights how researchers are, “perfecting the material for a new breed of robot – one that's light and flexible,” adding that the researchers hope, “we'll be able to wear the robot like Tony Stark in ‘Iron Man’."
Reuters Video visits MIT to learn more about how researchers have developed a new robot, dubbed Jackal, which can navigate pedestrian traffic. Graduate student Michael Everett explains that the robot was designed to operate, “just like people do, so [it] fits in with the flow of traffic.”
Reporting for WBUR on the future of digital fabrication, Bruce Gellerman highlights a solar-powered architectural robot developed by MIT researchers. The robot can quickly design and build shelters for use in disaster-response situations or space exploration using a 3-D printing process.
Scientific American reporter Annie Sneed writes that MIT researchers are developing a new airplane design aimed at reducing aircraft emissions and improving fuel efficiency. Alterations such as moving the location of the engine, “would make the aircraft use 37 percent less fuel than a typical passenger jet.”
In an article for The Wall Street Journal, Greg Ip highlights a new study by Prof. Erik Brynjolfsson and graduate student Daniel Rock that examines why advances in technology have not yet led to increases in productivity. Ip writes that, “the authors blame these lags on the cost and time it takes for businesses to adapt to new technologies.”
In this video, Reuters reporter Elly Park spotlights a new technique developed by MIT researchers to purify contaminated water. Park explains that the, “highly-selective process can even capture micropollutants, things that can exist in small, but potentially dangerous amounts in water.”
Fortune reporter David Morris writes that MIT researchers have tricked an artificial intelligence system into thinking that a photo of a machine gun was a helicopter. Morris explains that, “the research points towards potential vulnerabilities in the systems behind technology like self-driving cars, automated security screening systems, or facial-recognition tools.”
National Geographic reporter Christina Nunez writes that MIT researchers have found that the total solar eclipse in August 2017 caused boat-like ripples in the Earth’s atmosphere. The researchers explained that the findings reveal, “complex interconnections between the sun, moon, and Earth's neutral atmosphere and ionosphere.”