Prof. Linda Griffith speaks with Wired reporter Sarah Zhang about her work developing chips that can mimic human organs in an effort to better understand interactions between the immune system and the liver. Griffith is currently working to connect at least 10 miniature organs on a chip to study, for example, how breast cancer can spread to the liver.
In this video, BBC World News reporter Adam Shaw learns about the stretchy, water-based hydrogel MIT researchers developed that could be used as a smart bandage to sense temperatures and deliver medication. “This is a new way to think about this interface between the human body and electronic devices,” explains Prof. Xuanhe Zhao.
MIT graduate student Katie Bouman speaks with Ben Johnson of Marketplace about the algorithm she and her colleagues developed to allow people “to see the first image of a black hole.” Johnson notes the algorithm has uses beyond space exploration and could also potentially be used for MRI imaging.
MIT researchers have developed a new algorithm to compile data gathered by the Event Horizon Telescope and create an image of a black hole, reports James Griffiths for CNN. The algorithm will “fill in the gaps and filter out the interference and noise caused by our own atmosphere,” Griffiths explains.
Washington Post reporter Brian Fung writes that MIT researchers have developed an algorithm to create images of black holes by compiling data from radio telescopes around the world. Fung writes that the algorithm “could give us the first true images of a celestial phenomenon that, for decades, we've left to artists to imagine and describe with pictures.”
In an article for CNN Money about developments in battery technology, Jackie Wattles highlights a new approach developed by MIT researchers that could help pave the way for solid-state lithium-ion batteries. Wattles explains that such technology could “survive hundreds of thousands of charges, store 20% to 30% more power, and isn't as susceptible to overheating.”
An algorithm developed by MIT researchers could help produce the first image of a black hole, reports Ryan Mandelbaum for Popular Science. Mandelbaum explains that the algorithm gathers data from radio telescopes around the globe and then uses “other images from space as references to craft a sort of mosaic that best matches the data from the telescopes.”
Boston Globe reporters J.D. Capelouto and Olivia Arnold write that MIT researchers have developed an algorithm aimed at producing images of black holes. MIT graduate student Katie Bouman notes that while there are predictions of what a black hole might look like, “it’s great to actually be able to probe it and…construct those images.”
A study by Prof. David Atkin finds that migrants are willing to pay more, and consume less, to continue eating the traditional cuisine of their homeland, reports Donald McNeil Jr. for The New York Times. Atkin found that “poor migrants within India stuck with their dietary preferences even when they were nearly malnourished.”
Prof. Daniela Rus speaks with The Boston Globe’s Kevin Hartnett about her goal to create customizable, printable robots. “The idea is anyone could walk into a 24-hour robot manufacturing store with some idea of what they want,” Rus says. “Maybe a robot to entertain the cat while you’re at work or play chess with you or fold your laundry.”
BetaBoston reporter Amanda Burke writes that a survey by MIT AgeLab researchers and the New England Motor Press Association found that consumers are skeptical about autonomous vehicles. “Just 15 percent of those over 55 said they were willing to try a driverless vehicle, even though researchers say the technology could help them remain mobile later in life,” Burke writes.
MIT researchers have discovered that a bacterium found in the human mouth can be used to form a new CRISPR gene-editing system that can target RNA, reports Carl Zimmer for The New York Times. The development “may open up a new front in gene engineering, gaining the ability to precisely adjust the proteins in cells, for instance, or to target cancer cells."
Researchers from MIT and the University of Washington have found that centuries-old ocean currents have been keeping the Southern Ocean cold, reports Sarah Emerson for Motherboard. The researchers found that “Antarctica’s unique currents and strong westerly winds are constantly dredging up ancient currents from deep beneath the ocean’s surface.”
Boston.com reporter Sanjay Salomon writes about how “Duckietown,” a model city developed by MIT researchers, could help make self-driving cars a reality. “We realized if you scale down autonomous driving to something very small there’s lots of research to do on a smaller scale with none of the logistical challenges of real autonomous vehicle research,” explains postdoc Liam Paull.
New Scientist reporter Colin Barras writes that MIT researchers have found they can program C2c2, an enzyme found in bacteria, to serve as an RNA-editing tool. Barras writes that the tool “promises to transform our understanding of RNA’s role in our growth and development, and provide a new avenue for treating infectious diseases and cancer.”