August 14, 2021
Greetings! Here’s a roundup of the latest from the MIT community.
 
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Covid Saliva Test
 
Engineers have designed a small device that can detect Covid-19 from a saliva sample in an hour. The device can be assembled for about $15, is as accurate as PCR tests, and can be repurposed “quite quickly” to detect new variants, says Professor James Collins.
Top Headlines
3 Questions: Making the 2021-22 school year work for students
Associate Professor Justin Reich co-authors a new report on reimagining K-12 schools for a post-pandemic world.
MIT Heat Island
How authoritarian leaders maintain support
Research finds public anticorruption campaigns bolster leaders, even when such measures lack tangible results.
Bio-inspired, blood-repelling tissue glue could seal wounds quickly
A new adhesive that mimics the sticky substance barnacles use to cling to rocks may offer a better way to treat traumatic injuries.
MIT Heat Island
Using aluminum and water to make clean hydrogen fuel — when and where it’s needed
An MIT team produces practical guidelines for generating hydrogen using scrap aluminum.
MIT Heat Island
MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team wins 2021 American Solar Challenge
The student-designed Nimbus solar car traveled 1,109 miles in five days, averaging 38.4 miles per hour.
#ThisisMIT
In the Media
An MIT professor whose cheers were heard throughout Fenway Park, Paul Lagacé dies at 63 // The Boston Globe
Professor Paul Lagacé, who came to MIT as a first-year student and stayed at the Institute throughout his career, is remembered for his aeronautics expertise, his distinctive Fenway Park cheers for Red Sox star Wade Boggs, and his commitment and dedication to MIT.
Study of Earth’s deep past reveals terrifying global warming warning // Vice
A study by MIT scientists examining extreme climate events in the Earth’s history finds that as the planet warms we could be even more susceptible to volatile climate extremes.
New device can quickly detect Covid variants in saliva samples // CBS Boston
A tabletop device created by researchers at MIT and other institutions can identify Covid-19 variants in a person’s saliva.
The world needs more vaccines, faster. A tiny tube could make all the difference. // National Geographic
Professor Richard Braatz and his colleagues are working on developing continuous manufacturing processes that could help boost global vaccine availability.
Common Ground
Many residents of Malden, Massachusetts — about six miles north of Boston — never even knew there was a river in their city. Now the Malden River Works project, recipient of the inaugural Leventhal City Prize from MIT’s Norman B. Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism, is bringing the river into view — boosting social resilience and climate mitigation along the way. The project, redesigning Malden’s Department of Public Works site along the Malden River, seeks to change the model for how cities address civic growth, community engagement, equitable climate resilience, and environmental justice.
“
In the process of learning to become a better listener, I also started feeling so much better overall: less inwardness, more acceptance and awareness that made daily pandemic life more enjoyable and that equipped me to become a better friend, student, and mentee.
—Grace in a recent essay, “Learning Mindfulness,” on the MindHandHeart student blog
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