A study by MIT researchers examines how the growth in pet health care spending can provide insights into the increase in human health care costs, writes Austin Frakt for The New York Times. Emotional treatment spending may explain “high and sometimes heroic end-of-life health care spending whether on your dog or on your mother,” explains Prof. Amy Finkelstein.
A new study co-authored by MIT researchers finds that methane lingering in the Earth’s atmosphere could cause sea levels to rise for hundreds of years after emissions have been curbed, reports Chelsea Harvey for The Washington Post. “The study underlines the importance of curbing greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible,” Harvey explains.
By fusing graphene into a porous 3-D form, MIT researchers have created a strong, lightweight material, writes Brooks Hays for UPI. “The findings suggest a 3D material's tensile and compressive properties are dependent on the geometry of its structure, not the strength of the 2D material from which it is derived,” explains Hays.
MIT researchers have designed a strong, lightweight material that is ten times stronger than steel, reports Katharine Schwab for Co.Design. “If we can produce the material in big amounts, we can use that to somehow substitute some of the steel used for construction,” says research scientist Zhao Qin.
A study by MIT researchers provides evidence that California could see an increase in extreme precipitation events due to climate change, according to CBS San Francisco. “Using large scale future projections and factoring in policies to restrict global warming, researchers said the Bay Area could see more of those kinds of storms on a seasonal basis.”
The Boston Globe Magazine’s list of some of the most innovative ideas, people, and companies of 2016 features graduate student Dheeraj Roy, whose research suggests that one day optogenetics could potentially be used to help stimulate memories in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
MIT researchers have found that reduced plasticity in the brains of people with dyslexia may explain why they experience difficulties with reading and with processing spoken speech, writes Kevin Murnane of Forbes. Murnane explains that the findings “indicate that dyslexia is not just about reading. It involves a reduction in neural adaptation to a variety of perceptual stimuli.”
MIT researchers have launched a new project, Treepedia, to catalogue the density of the tree canopy in cities around the world, reports Feargus O’Sullivan for CityLab. O’Sullivan explains that the project is aimed at making “issues of urban and environmental planning (and the data that underpins them) more accessible for non- or semi- professionals.”
CBC News reporter Laura DaSilva writes that MIT researchers have launched a project, called Treepedia, to measure the percentage of land covered by trees in urban areas. Using Google Street View, “the researchers measured the percentage of land covered by trees in 12 cities across the world.”
CSAIL researchers have found that ride-sharing services could reduce the number of cars on the road by 75 percent, reports Marisa Kendall for The Mercury News. The researchers developed an algorithm that can increase service speeds by 20 percent by rerouting cars to “their most efficient routes, including automatically sending idle cars to areas of high demand.”
UPI reporter Brooks Hays writes that MIT researchers have developed a new model that helps predict the frequency of extreme precipitation events. The researchers found that “a rise in global temperature of 4 degrees Celsius will yield an extra three extreme precipitation events per year in California by the end of the century.”
Kevin Slane writes for Boston.com that a number of the honorees recognized on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list are members of the MIT community.
A new study conducted by MIT researchers shows that ride-sharing services could reduce the number of cars on the road in New York City by 75 percent, according to the BBC News. The researchers found that “a fleet of 3,000 four-passenger taxis could do the same job as the current fleet of 13,000 yellow cabs in New York City.”
The 2017 Forbes “30 Under 30” lists, an annual recognition of change-makers and innovators in 20 industries, feature a number of MIT students, alumni and researchers.
A new study by MIT researchers provides evidence that if more people in New York City were willing to carpool, the city would only need 3,000 taxis, reports Hiawatha Bray for The Boston Globe. With carpooling, “we have fewer vehicles, we have less pollution and we have a better travel situation for everyone,” explains Prof. Daniela Rus.