Research Scientist Stephanie Woerner speaks with Forbes reporter Joe McKendrick about the best ways for companies to develop digital business models. "Companies have to develop new ways of working, really taking evidence into account when making decisions," Woerner explains.
In an article for The Washington Post, Prof. Alan Lightman writes about the importance of wasting time. “Our hyperconnected lifestyle, without downtime, threatens our ‘inner selves,’” Lightman explains. “My inner self is that part of me that imagines, that dreams, that explores, that is constantly questioning who I am and what is important to me.”
In an article for The Boston Globe, Prof. Thomas Levenson reviews David Quammen’s new book, “The Tangled Tree.” Levenson writes that the book is, “much more than a report on some cool new scientific facts. It is, rather, a source of wonder.”
Prof. Alan Lightman reviews Adam Frank’s new book, “Light of the Stars,” for The New York Times. Lightman writes that Frank suggests, “we can strengthen our resolve to kick our bad environmental habits by viewing our terrestrial civilization from a cosmic perspective.”
MIT graduate student Jonny Sun has illustrated a new book by “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. The book, “Gmorning, Gnight! Little Pep Talks for Me & You,” is a collection of “short, uplifting poems that [Miranda] regularly posts on social media early and late in the day,” writes Kevin Slane for Boston.com.
In an article for The Washington Post, Debra Bruno reviews Prof. Alan Lightman’s new book, “In Praise of Wasting Time,” which makes the case for why we need more downtime. Bruno writes that, “Lightman constructs a careful and well-sourced argument, citing the anecdotes of artists, scientists and writers to build his case methodically and convincingly.”
Michael Shermer reviews Prof. Alan Lightman’s new book on science and spirituality, “Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine,” for The New York Times. Shermer calls the book an “elegant and moving paean to our spiritual quest for meaning in an age of science,” adding that it, “reminds us of the centrality of subjectivity in all human endeavors.”
Visiting Lecturer Irving Wladawsky-Berger writes about Prof. Thomas Malone’s book, Superminds, which examines how machines are becoming increasingly able to complement human intelligence. Wladawsky-Berger writes that Malone shows how, “humans can supply the general intelligence and whatever other skills machines don’t have, and machines can supply the vast information, computational power and other specialized capabilities that people don’t have.”
In an article published by Salon, Prof. Heather Paxson examines the American artisanal cheese industry. Paxson writes that, “food-making traditions in the United States are often animated by personal narratives of innovation rather than, as in Europe, adherence to customary tradition.”
In this PBS NewsHour segment, Prof. Alan Lightman discusses his views on science and spirituality. “I’m still a scientist. I still believe that the world is made of atoms and molecules and nothing more. But I also believe in the power and validity of the spiritual experience.”
Bloomberg’s Faye Flam discusses “Superminds,” a new book by Prof. Thomas Malone, and the impact of technology on human intelligence. “One take-home message in "Superminds" is that artificial intelligence is already here, and already changing the world,” writes Flam. “It's beside the point whether a robot with humanlike intelligence is still 20 years away."
Joseph Coughlin, director of the MIT AgeLab, writes for Forbes about challenges facing the children of Baby Boomers, who will eventually need to care for their parents. “[W]hile the Baby Boomers may be aging, they are far from done,” writes Coughlin. “It may be our best gift to our children to develop care plans, options, savings, and innovations today to care for us tomorrow.”
Prof. Daniel Jackson, MIT student Haley Cope and alumna Caterina Colon discuss the book “Portraits of Resilience” on Greater Boston with Jim Braude. According to Jackson, the hope is that by compiling the students’ stories and photographs into a book “people who were suffering could read these stories, look at these faces, and realize they were not alone.”
Jeffrey Brown of PBS Newshour sits down with Prof. Daniel Jackson and students to discuss “Portraits of Resilience,” a collection of portraits and essays about individual experiences with mental health issues. “I hoped to capture the personality and charisma of the person that I was interviewing, the strength and the vulnerability,” says Jackson.
Forbes Contributor Steve Banker highlights Prof. Yossi Sheffi’s new book, Balancing Green, which focuses on sustainability in business. As Sheffi explains, “many companies engage in sustainability initiatives to prevent them from having to react to a rising tide of sentiment,” writes Banker. “Getting ahead of these kinds of campaigns can be at the heart of a robust risk management program.”