A new study on cancer drug development by MIT researchers found that pharmaceutical firms overlook drugs for early-stage tumors, writes Jordan Graham for The Boston Herald. “There’s dramatically more investments in the late-stage treatments,” says Prof. Benjamin Roin.
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman writes about the growing influence of MIT economists in policy positions and in policy discourse. “M.I.T.-trained economists, especially Ph.D.s from the 1970s, play an outsized role at policy institutions and in policy discussion across the Western world,” Krugman explains.
MIT Lecturer B.D. Colen speaks with Boston Magazine reporter Chris Sweeney about his new photography exhibit, “Alone, Together,” which looks at how people riding the MBTA attempt to find some privacy. Colen explains that the idea behind the exhibit “isn’t to invade people’s privacy. You’re in public, and I’m just documenting how people behave under these circumstances.”
John Tirman, executive director of the Center for International Studies, writes for The Huffington Post about the negotiations behind the Iran nuclear deal. Tirman draws parallels between the successful negotiations with Iran and the political circumstances that brought about the end of the Cold War.
Boston Magazine reporter Paul Albani-Burgio speaks with two of MIT’s newest Institute Professors, Sally “Penny” Chisholm and Marcus Thompson. Chisholm says that one of the most rewarding aspects of her job is working with MIT students. “They’re just a constant source of renewal and excitement,” she explains.
Comedian Aziz Ansari consulted Professor Natasha Dow Schull for his new book, “Modern Romance: An Investigation,” writes Mackenzie Cummings-Grady for The Boston Globe. Ansari’s book looks at relationships in the digital age and draws on work Schull’s work on addiction.
Professor Junot Díaz will be honored as one of this year’s We Are Boston Award recipients for embracing “diversity and immigrant heritage,” writes Jennifer Usovicz for The Boston Globe. “Boston is beautiful precisely because of our immigrant communities,” says Díaz. “Our energy and sacrifice is the dynamo that drives the city forward.”
In an article for The New York Times Magazine, Prof. Junot Díaz writes about how being attacked when he was in the seventh grade impacted him psychologically. “Before that attack, I had felt fear plenty of times — which poor immigrant kid hasn’t? — but after my beating, I became afraid. And at any age, that is a dismal place to be,” writes Díaz.
Professor Kenneth Oye co-authored a commentary that urges regulators to work to prevent abuse following a study that finds that opioids can be home-manufactured by genetically engineering yeast, reports Eryn Brown for The Los Angeles Times. “[A]ll of these technical steps should be done beforehand,” says Oye. “Afterwards, it's too late."
According to The Economist, a new paper from Prof. Daron Acemoglu compared growth rates and levels of political freedom, and found that countries undergoing a democratic transition grow faster than their autocratic counterparts. Acemoglu found that permanent democratization, “leads to an increase in GDP per person of about 20% in the subsequent 25 years.”
Geoffrey Pullum writes for The Chronicle of Higher Education about the re-release and 50th anniversary of Professor Noam Chomsky’s book “Aspects of the Theory of Syntax.” “Every page presents bold new ideas and strikingly original insights; every section inspired new research programs,” Pullum writes.
The Economist reviews Prof. Marcia Bartusiak’s new book, “Black Hole: How an Idea Abandoned by Newtonians, Hated by Einstein and Gambled on by Hawking Became Loved.” “Ms Bartusiak weaves scientific concepts to create a portrait of the scientific institution itself, showing how its norms and personalities served to shape the path taken by the idea.”
In an article for The Wall Street Journal, Chris Jacobs writes about a study co-authored by Prof. Amy Finkelstein that examines the utility and efficiency of Medicaid coverage. The study “found that beneficiaries valued Medicaid at 20 cents to 40 cents on the dollar,” writes Jacobs.
Professor Barry Posen speaks with Tom Ashbrook, host of NPR’s On Point, about the new American military push in Iraq against ISIS. Posen argues that there is no military solution to ISIS and that the, “Islamic State problem is basically a political problem.”
Wall Street Journal reporter Jason Zweig writes about anti-poverty research, highlighting an MIT study that showed intervention methods can be effective at alleviating poverty. Prof. Esther Duflo says that, “We are trying to promote a culture of learning that will permeate governments and NGOs and businesses to such an extent that it will become par for the course.”