Cat Zakrzewski writes for TechCrunch that a new report co-authored by MIT researchers details how giving law enforcement agencies access to encrypted communications could pose security risks. The report, “tells us that a backdoor for the government and law enforcement also provides an opening that could be exploited by hackers.”
Danny Yadron, Damian Paletta and Jennifer Valentino-Devries write for The Wall Street Journal that in a new report MIT cybersecurity experts argue that allowing governments access to encrypted data is “technically impractical and would expose consumers and business to a greater risk of data breaches.”
Government proposals for access to data would put digital communications at risk, according to a paper by CSAIL security experts. The New York Times’ Nicole Perlroth calls the report “the first in-depth technical analysis of government proposals by leading cryptographers and security thinkers.”
A new report produced by MIT researchers and the EPA finds that reducing greenhouse gas emissions “could prevent tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds of billions in economic losses in the United States,” writes William Yardley for The Los Angeles Times.
Washington Post reporter Joby Warrick reports on a new study by researchers from MIT and the EPA that found that inaction on climate change will cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars. The report “concludes that every region of the country could be spared severe economic disruptions that would result if greenhouse gas concentrations continue to soar.”
Alan Neuhauser of U.S. News & World Report writes about a new report by researchers from MIT, the EPA and other institutions that examines the costs of climate change and the economic benefits of climate action. The report “asserts that restraining global warming to 2 degrees Celsius…will save close to a trillion dollars by 2100.”
A new report by researchers from MIT and the EPA quantifies the impacts of climate change on the U.S. economy, reports Coral Davenport for The New York Times. The report found that the U.S. may face “up to $180 billion in economic losses because of drought and water shortages.”
A new study co-authored by MIT Prof. Joseph Doyle found that juveniles who were incarcerated were less likely to return to school and more likely to return to jail as adults, reports Chris Sweeney for Boston Magazine. “If you want to be tough on crime, locking up juvenile offenders is counterproductive,” says Doyle.
Professor Kerry Emanuel weighs in on President Obama’s statements on the relationship between climate change and extreme weather events, writes Chris Mooney for The Washington Post. “In his remarks at the National Hurricane center, President Obama presented a balanced view of how climate change is expected to affect hurricanes,” explains Emanuel.
John Tirman, executive director of the MIT Center for International Studies, writes for WBUR about opposition within the Republican party to immigration reform. “Opposition to immigration reform is one of the more perplexing symptoms of Washington paralysis nowadays,” says Tirman.
Prof. Robert Langer, winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, speaks with Joel Brown of The Boston Globe about his current research and the need for government support for basic research. “So much good stuff has come out of basic research, research that you don’t really know where it’s going to go. So you want people to be able to get grants to do that,” explains Langer.
Washington Post reporter Joby Warrick writes that a team of MIT engineers has won top prize in a competition designed to spur innovation in desalination technologies for a solar-powered system they developed. “The system, when fully operational, can supply the basic water needs of a village of between 2,000 and 5,000 people,” Warrick explains.
Eleanor Clift writes for The Daily Beast about the role U.S. Energy Secretary and MIT Professor Emeritus Ernie Moniz plays in President Obama’s cabinet. Describing his relationship with Congress, Moniz says, “Maintaining open communications channels and using them early and often helps.”
Megan Smith, the White House CTO and an MIT alumna, speaks with Wired reporter Jessi Hempel about how she became interested in science, her experience at MIT and her goals for her time at the White House.
Rohan Banerjee writes for The Tech about a new MIT report that examines 15 areas of research that would benefit from increased government support. Prof. Marc Kastner explains that the report is aimed at informing political leaders of the importance of basic research. “It’s important to remind Congress and the public that the health of the country depends on doing research,” he says.