| Science Leaders | | | | | | United States President Joseph Biden has tapped two faculty leaders — Broad Institute Director Eric Lander and Vice President for Research Maria Zuber— for top science and technology posts. “This is a banner day for science,” MIT President L. Rafael Reif says. Full story via MIT News → |
| What must the US do to sustain its democracy? MIT scholars discuss what is needed for the country to support its longstanding form of government. Full story via MIT News → | |
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| How chess plays out at MIT For decades, experts at the Institute have been shaping the future of the game. Full story via MIT News → | |
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| Why cancer cells waste so much energy |
An MIT study sheds light on the longstanding question of why cancer cells get their energy from fermentation. Full story via MIT News → |
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| “Futurizing” undergraduate teaching Associate Professor Michael Short’s innovative approach can be seen in the two nuclear science and engineering courses he’s transformed. Full story via MIT News → | |
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| Improving MIT life and learning during a pandemic |
A weekend hackathon inspires hundreds of MIT students to find ways to improve the upcoming semester. Full story via MIT News → | |
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| Electric cars are better for the planet — and often your budget, too // The New York Times |
MIT researchers developed an online tool aimed at helping consumers quantify the true costs of buying an electric or gas-powered vehicle. The tool demonstrates how electric vehicles may initially be more expensive, but are often cheaper in the long-run. Full story via The New York Times→ |
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| Why nations fail, America edition // Planet Money |
Institute Professor Daron Acemoglu discusses his research on democracy and how politicians can create more shared prosperity through a “good jobs” agenda. “We are still at a point where we can reverse things,” Acemoglu says. “But I think if we paper over these issues, we will most likely see a huge deterioration in institutions. And it can happen very rapidly.” Full story via Planet Money→ |
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| Harvard, MIT, others advance $100 million biologics manufacturing center in Watertown // The Boston Globe MIT, Harvard University, and several research hospitals and life-sciences companies have selected a site for a new biologics manufacturing and innovation center. Full story via The Boston Globe → |
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| Opinion: “When can I schedule a Covid-19 vaccine appointment?” Why the government can’t answer this simple question // Fast Company Associate Professor Ramesh Raskar and Hana Schank at New America explore how to help improve distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine. Full story via Fast Company→ |
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| | | As we near the end of an historic week in the United States, we take a moment to note a high-profile Brass Rat spotted in Congress on Wednesday. Shortly after the inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the latter swore in three new U.S. senators, including Alex Padilla ’94, who replaces Harris as senator from California. Padilla, the former California secretary of state who was selected to serve the rest of Harris’ term by Governor Gavin Newsom, is the first Latinx senator to represent the Golden State. Watch the video→ |
| 98 | | Percentage of Covid-19 inpatients in one study showing at least mild olfactory dysfunction compared to age- and sex-matched controls Full story via MIT Medical→ |
| | | When the coronavirus pandemic shut down offices, labs, and classrooms across the MIT campus last spring, many members of the MIT community found it challenging to remain connected to one another in meaningful ways. Motivated by a desire to bring the neuroscience community back together, the McGovern Institute hosted a virtual storytelling competition featuring a selection of postdocs, grad students, and staff from across the institute. Watch the slam | Learn more via the McGovern Institute → |
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