ABC News reporter Gillian Mohney writes that Prof. Lydia Bourouiba has captured footage of a person sneezing, showing how far sneeze droplets can travel. Bourouiba found that “large droplets tended to land within 1 to 2 meters (about 3 to 6 feet) and that small droplets could get as far as 6 to 8 meters away (19 to 26 feet).”
A new WiFi system developed by CSAIL researchers is three times faster than a normal wireless network, writes Thomas Tamblyn for The Huffington Post. The new system allows transmitters “to work together and make sure that they’re sending information that isn’t clashing to each device,” explains Tamblyn.
Prof. Lydia Bourouiba has published a new slow-motion video of a person sneezing as part of her research into how sneezes spread disease, reports Rae Ellen Bichell for NPR. Bichell explains that Bourouiba’s research is aimed at better understanding “how to prevent microbes from moving from a sick person or contaminated surface to somebody else.”
Researchers from MIT and the Masdar Institute of Technology have created a new bubble-wrapped, sponge-like device that can turn water into steam using energy from the sun, reports Mary Beth Griggs for Popular Science. The researchers hope that the design “could one day be used as a component in small desalination or wastewater treatment plants.”
Jason Margolis of PRI’s The World chronicles how MIT alumnus Sorin Grama’s first attempt at a startup paved the way for him to found Promethean Power Systems, which produces milk chillers for regions of India with unreliable power. Margolis notes that this fall Grama will serve as an entrepreneur-in-residence at MIT with a focus on the developing world.
In an article for Forbes, Kevin Murnane writes that a new system developed by MIT researchers significantly improves WiFi performance. Murnane writes that the system “could be used at locations like concert halls and sports stadiums to eliminate the poor WiFi performance people often experience in these venues.”
Matt McFarland writes for CNN that CSAIL researchers have created a new system that can transfer wireless data 3.3 times faster than usual. McFarland explains that to increase the speed of data transfer, researchers “developed algorithms that process a router's signal so that multiple routers can send information on the same wireless spectrum without causing interference.”
MIT researchers have developed a database of annotated English words written by non-native English speakers, reports Kevin Hartnett for The Boston Globe. The database will provide “a platform for the study of learner English and also make it easier to develop technology like better search engines that supports non-native speakers.”
IEEE Spectrum reporter Charles Choi writes that researchers from MIT and the Masdar Institute of Technology have developed a new floating system that can boil water using energy from the sun. "Our demonstration shows a new approach to producing low-cost solar thermal devices," explains graduate student George Ni.
Writing for Science, Robert Service describes how MIT researchers have developed an inexpensive, bubble-wrapped device that could help purify water in developing countries. The device was able to “boil and distill water with no extra solar concentrator,” Service explains, which could pave the way for the development of “large-area solar stills for about one-twentieth the cost of conventional technology.”
David Morris writes for Fortune that researchers at the MIT spinoff SolidEnergy Systems are developing a longer-lasting lithium metal battery for smartphones and wearables. Morris writes that the battery has “about double the energy density of today’s standard lithium-ion battery.”
Hae Young Yoo writes for The Boston Globe about MIT spinoff GRIT (Global Research Innovation and Technology), which creates wheelchairs with hand-operated levers for rough terrain, particularly in developing countries. The founders got the idea for using hand-operated levers after studying research “that showed the bench press motion is very efficient and makes good use of upper body muscles.”
Boston Herald reporter Lindsay Kalter writes that MIT researchers have developed a technique to record the history of human cells. “Much of our understanding of cancer is not reflective of what’s going on inside the patient,” explains Prof. Timothy Lu. “It’s only with tools like ours you can start testing those hypotheses.”
Oscar Williams of The Huffington Post writes that MIT researchers have found that electric vehicles could replace almost 90 percent of cars on the road. Williams notes that mass-scale adoption of electric vehicles could lead to a 30 percent reduction in transportation-related emissions.
MIT researchers have found that electric cars can currently provide enough range for 87 percent of American drivers’ needs on just an overnight charge, writes Robert Ferris for CNBC. “One key finding is that electric vehicle replacement seems to be almost equally feasible in any American city, regardless of climate, topography, or size,” explains Ferris.