Jesse Emspak of Live Science writes that MIT researchers have successfully cooled molecules to just above absolute zero. The researchers found that when the molecules were cooled to 500 nanokelvins they “were quite stable, and tended not to react with other molecules around them.”
New Scientist reporter Rowan Hooper writes about how MIT researchers have developed a 1.7-centimeter long origami robot that can self-fold, walk and swim. Hooper explains that, “using liquid-soluble materials, different versions of the robot can dissolve in either water or acetone, leaving only the permanent magnet behind.”
Financial Times reporter Eric Beinhocker reviews Prof. César Hidalgo’s new book, “Why Information Grows: The Evolution of Order, from Atoms to Economies.” Beinhocker writes that Hidalgo’s book is, “the future of growth theory and his thought-provoking book deserves to be widely read.”
MIT researchers have developed lightweight, inflatable tents that could allow astronauts to spend more time exploring the moon, reports Charles Choi for Popular Science. Choi explains that the “mobile overnight habitat, designed to fit aboard a no-frills lunar rover” would only take up “roughly half as much space as an average refrigerator” when packed.
Prof. Ki Goosens is investigating how the gherlin hormone could possibly be used to develop a vaccine for PTSD, reports Bree Sison for CBS Boston. “If we can pick even just one mental illness and improve the outcome for people who suffer from it, I’d be happy,” says Goosens.
MarketWatch reporter Sally French writes that researchers from MIT CSAIL have developed an algorithm that can be used to predict how memorable a person’s is. “The algorithm was created from a database of more than 2,000 images that were awarded a “memorability score” based on human volunteers’ ability to remember the pictures,” French writes.
In an article for Nautilus, Elizabeth Preston writes about Prof. Lydia Bourouiba’s work examining how rain can spread crop diseases. Through a close examination of high-speed images, Bourouiba found that how raindrops bounce off different plant leaves “is really at the root” of the spread of pathogens among plants.
A new study co-authored by MIT Prof. Joseph Doyle found that juveniles who were incarcerated were less likely to return to school and more likely to return to jail as adults, reports Chris Sweeney for Boston Magazine. “If you want to be tough on crime, locking up juvenile offenders is counterproductive,” says Doyle.
Saki Knafo of The Atlantic interviews Professor Zeynep Ton about the efforts companies are taking to make employees happier and more productive. “A good job is more than just higher wages,” says Ton. “A good job is also a productive job.”
Nidhi Subbaraman writes for BetaBoston about research scientist Felice Frankel, who is credited with making scientific research more accessible through her photos. Prof. John Rogers of the University of Illinois says that Frankel, who is teaching an edX course this summer, has “played a significant role” in advancing science photography.
A team led by Professor Markus Buehler has created a device that can produce spider silk, writes Andrea Alfano for the Tech Times. Buehler explains that silk produced by this new device is, “a lot more modifiable than spider silk,” and could be used to create synthetic organs.
In an article for The New York Times about the increasing demands placed on workers, Tony Schwartz writes about Prof. Zeynep Ton’s research, which indicated that allowing employees to slack can make them more effective. “Employees operating with some slack, Ms. Ton explained, add value that those pushed to the limit cannot,” Schwartz writes.
Wall Street Journal reporter Jason Zweig writes about anti-poverty research, highlighting an MIT study that showed intervention methods can be effective at alleviating poverty. Prof. Esther Duflo says that, “We are trying to promote a culture of learning that will permeate governments and NGOs and businesses to such an extent that it will become par for the course.”
Miles O’Brien of the PBS NewsHour reports on how scientists are developing cheaper and more efficient tests for Ebola, highlighting Prof. Lee Gehrke’s simple diagnostic kits. Gehrke explains that the test his team developed is “very simple, requires no refrigeration, no power, no special training.”
MIT researchers have developed a test that can accurately detect cancer in urine, reports Megan Scudellari for The Boston Globe. “Bacteria can grow in tumors as small as 1 millimeter, so the urine test has the potential to detect liver tumors — which tend to be small and dispersed — very early on, which would improve survival rates for patients,” Scudellari explains.