STAT lists “The Exceptions: Sixteen Women, MIT, and the Fight for Equality in Science,” by Kate Zernicke as a “best book on health and science to check out this summer.” The book focuses on Prof. Nancy Hopkins’ “career, which culminates in not only numerous scientific successes but also a collaborative effort with 15 other women faculty demonstrating evidence of gender discrimination at MIT,” explains STAT. “This work led to studies to address gender equity at nine other universities.”
Writing for Forbes, lecturer Guadalupe Hayes-Mota '08, SM '16, MBA '16 explores the role of artificial intelligence and biotechnology in transforming the healthcare industry specifically for venture capitalists (VCs). “The fusion of AI and biotechnology presents a wealth of opportunities for venture capitalists,” writes Hayes-Mota. “By staying attuned to emerging trends and adopting strategies for impactful investments, VCs can drive innovation and create transformative changes in healthcare.”
Wall Street Journal reporter Justin Lahart spotlights the work of Prof. David Autor, an economist whose “thinking helped change our understanding of the American labor market.” Harvard Prof. Lawrence Katz says Autor has “probably been the most insightful and influential scholar of the labor market” in decades. “To me, the labor market is the central institution of any society,” says Autor. “The fastest way to improve people’s welfare is to improve the labor market.”
Prof. Sherry Turkle warns against AI systems that simulate deceased partners, making it hard for the bereaved to “let go,” reports Dan Milmo for The Guardian. Breakthroughs in generative AI are enabling realistic conversations, but experts harbor concerns about the vulnerability of users and lack of regulation. “It’s something we are inflicting on ourselves because it’s such a seductive technology,” Turkle says.
Prof. Sara Seager, Prof. Robert Langer and Prof. Nancy Kanwisher have been awarded the 2024 Kavli Prize for their work in the three award categories: astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience, respectively, reports Michael T. Nietzel for Forbes. According to the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, this award honors scientists with outstanding research “that has broadened our understanding of the big, the small and the complex,” writes Nietzel.
NBC News reporter Alex Koller spotlights Noubar Afeyan PhD '87 and the messages he shared as commencement speaker for the 2024 MIT graduating class. "I'm utterly unreasonable and an eternal optimist," said Afeyan, adding that to tackle improbable challenges having "a special kind of optimism" can help.
MIT startup, 24M, has designed an EV battery with a range of 1,000 miles on a single charge, reports Adele Peters for Fast Company. “The extra-long range also can help the car’s battery last much longer,” explains Peters. “If you use a rapid charger to fully charge a battery, it can damage the battery, meaning it won’t last as long. Because it has such a long range, the new battery should rarely need a full rapid charge.”
Prof. Susan Solomon speaks with Guardian reporter Killian Fox about her new book “Solvable: How We Healed the Earth, and How We Can Do It Again,” and her research addressing climate change. “For goodness sake, let’s not give up now, we’re right on the cusp of success,” says Solomon. “That’s the fundamental message of the book.”
Prof. Kristala Prather, head of MIT's Department of Chemical Engineering, speaks with Nature reporter Alessio Lavino about what inspired her research on metabolic engineering and how her work in industry helped shape her career in academia. “The potential to educate, encourage and support the next generation of scientists and engineers in an educational setting gives me a chance to amplify my impact far beyond what I could ever personally do as an individual,” says Prather. “I cannot think of any higher honor than serving in a capacity that enables me to facilitate their emergence.”
Prof. Susan Solomon speaks with Times Higher Education reporter Matthew Reisz about her work “researching, teaching and communicating climate science while also leading seemingly endless international environmental negotiations.” Solomon recently published a new book, “Solvable: How We Healed the Earth, and How We Can Do It Again,” in which she outlines her “hope for the planet.” Says Solomon: “We are in a world bursting with change. So it’s a perfect time to be a climate scientist and study all those things.”
Prof. Albert Saiz speaks with USA Today reporter Bailey Schulz about the growing popularity of build-to-rent communities. With the U.S. estimated to be short anywhere between 1 million and 7 million single-family homes, depending on the source, “more housing is always better,” Saiz notes. He adds: “If you did not have this built-to-rent outlet for development, you wouldn't have these developments happen.”
The California Institute of Technology has announced the eight distinguished scientists who will be this year’s Brown Investigators, each receiving up to $2 million over five years to support research on fundamental challenges in the physical sciences, writes Michael T. Nietzel for Forbes. Recipient Prof. Nuh Gedik will, “develop a new kind of microscopy that images electrons photo-emitted from a surface while also measuring their energy and momentum.”
Writing for STAT, Prof. Kevin Esvelt explores how, “the immense potential benefits of biotechnology are profoundly vulnerable to misuse. A pandemic caused by a virus made from synthetic DNA — or even a lesser instance of synthetic bioterrorism — would not only generate a public health crisis but also trigger crippling restrictions on research.” Esvelt adds: “The world has too much to gain from the life sciences to continue letting just anyone obtain DNA sufficient to cause a pandemic.”
Prof. Earl K. Miller speaks with CBS News host Susan Spencer about multitasking, fear of laziness, and the importance of downtime. “A lot of times some of your best thoughts come to you when your conscious mind is out of the way, when you allow the unconscious thoughts to bubble up,” says Miller. “And sometimes it’s good to be lazy – not lazy, but to tune out a bit and let these thoughts bubble up.”
Writing for Project Syndicate, Institute Prof. Daron Acemoglu and Prof. Simon Johnson draw upon the work of economist David Ricardo and his insights on the Industrial Revolution to explore how to respond to the challenge posed by AI to good jobs. “It is still possible to have pro-worker AI, but only if we can change the direction of innovation in the tech industry and introduce new regulations and institutions,” they write.