| 5G, Explained | | | | | | Most Americans have yet to use a 5G-connected device, but the next-generation cellular network will bring augmented reality, seamless streaming, and the internet of things. “What does this mean? It depends who you are,” says Professor Muriel Médard. |
| President Reif testifies before Congress on U.S. competitiveness “To stay ahead, the U.S. needs to do more to capitalize on our own strengths,” he tells representatives. |  |
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| Mirrored chip could enable handheld dark-field microscopes A simple chip powered by quantum dots allows standard microscopes to visualize difficult-to-image biological organisms. |  |
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| From culinary arts to nuclear engineering Ciara Sivels ’13 has taken an unusual path to a research career in nuclear engineering for national security. |  |
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| To self-drive in the snow, look under the road Weather’s a problem for autonomous cars. MIT’s new system shows promise by using “ground-penetrating radar” instead of cameras or lasers. |  |
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| MIT Solve announces 2020 global challenges Tech-based solutions sought for challenges in work environments, education for girls and women, maternal and newborn health, and sustainable food. |
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| The Engine at MIT is revving up the potential of “tough tech” // The Boston Globe Since launching in 2016, The Engine, which is aimed at supporting “tough-tech” startups, has “managed to create a supremely supportive ecosystem for these startups.” |
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| This NASA engineer is conquering Mars — and gender equality // HuffPost “I want to change the aerospace culture and the way we integrate young female engineers and celebrate differences,” says Farah Alibay PhD ’14, an aerospace engineer who is working on the Mars 2020 rover mission. |
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| New antibiotics to treat drug-resistant diseases // Financial Times Using a new deep-learning algorithm, MIT researchers have discovered an antibiotic that can treat drug-resistant bacteria. |
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| Six must-see spring art exhibitions in and around Boston // Boston Magazine An upcoming exhibit at the MIT List Visual Arts Center featuring the work of artist Rami George was inspired by George’s childhood experience with a New Age cult called the Samaritan Foundation. |
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| 142 | | Number of National Academy of Engineering members, including four new inductees for 2020, who are current or retired members of the MIT faculty and staff, or members of the MIT Corporation |
| | | This Independent Activities Period saw the launch of a new makerspace, MIT Nucleus, in Building NW21. During an IAP workshop, participants created fusors, portable devices that use an electric field to accelerate ions to energies high enough to fuse nuclei, giving off a purple glow. “Small maker projects like these are a really good way to learn more about things that interest you, and to bridge the gap between the theoretical and the physical,” said participating junior Leanne Galanek. A highly controlled facility, the new makerspace is sponsored by the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, and MIT’s Environment, Health, and Safety Office. |
 | | | | What I like about the theater world is we have to do some really unconventional engineering to make things work the way you need them to work. | | —Peter Colao ’89, MArch ’93, a dance floor designer whose projects range from scenic design and construction to elaborate installations for corporate events |
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