Sarah Shemkus writes for The Boston Globe about how the MIT Climate CoLab uses crowdsourcing to address climate change. Climate change “is not a problem where one person or one organization can solve the problem alone,” says Prof. Thomas Malone, founder and head of the Climate CoLab.
A group of experts convened by MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel World Water and Food Security Laboratory recently published a report on plans for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, reports William Davison of Bloomberg News. The report’s authors urge greater coordination between Egypt and Ethiopia “to ensure water is shared fairly during periods of reduced flows.”
Jennifer Switzer reports for The Tech on MIT’s fossil-fuel divestment debate. “Divestment has been one of the most strongly debated potential actions of academic institutions in recent times,” said Prof. Roman Stocker, head of the MIT Climate Change Committee. “We decided: Why don’t we tackle it head-on?”
Nidhi Subbaraman writes for The Boston Globe about Grove Labs, an MIT startup aimed at enabling people to grow vegetables at home year-round. The founders fine-tuned their idea at MIT’s Global Founders’ Skills Accelerator for a “high-tech indoor garden.”
Benjamin Hulac reports for Scientific American on a debate held at MIT on whether the Institute should divest its endowment from fossil-fuel companies. The forum included a panel of experts arguing each side of the issue and responding to questions from the audience.
Mark Shanahan writes for The Boston Globe that the organizers of HUBweek, an innovation-themed festival designed to showcase Boston’s leadership in education, medicine, technology and the arts, gathered at a launch party last week. As part of HUBweek, MIT will host “Solve,” an event designed to bring together leaders in a variety of areas to tackle global challenges.
By combining two kinds of photovoltaic material, MIT researchers have developed a more effective solar cell, reports Umair Irfan for Scientific American. Irfan explains that combining the two materials, “generates a higher voltage than either of the layers could do by themselves.”
MIT startup LiquiGlide, which has developed a coating that makes the inside of a bottle slippery, has signed an agreement with the glue-maker Elmer’s, Jim Festante reports for Slate in a new video. The video highlights how the LiquiGlide coating makes it possible for liquids like ketchup, toothpaste and glue to slide right out of the bottle, reducing waste.
LiquiGlide, an MIT startup that produces a slippery coating to help get substances out of bottles, has announced a partnership with glue maker Elmer’s Products, reports Nidhi Subbaraman for BetaBoston. Subbaraman explains that “LiquiGlide’s core technology is a sprayable solid-liquid double-layer,” that prevents liquids from adhering to the walls of containers.
Kenneth Chang writes for The New York Times about LiquiGlide, an MIT startup that has developed a nonstick coating that allows liquids, like ketchup or glue, to slide right out of the bottle. Chang explains that LiquiGlide could have “major environmental payoffs by reducing waste.”
The Cambridge Chronicle reports that alumnus Samuel Tak Lee has donated $118 million to establish a real estate entrepreneurship lab at MIT. The lab will have a particular focus on China, and “will promote social responsibility among entrepreneurs and academics in the real estate profession worldwide.”
MIT researchers have released a report evaluating solar lanterns in Uganda, writes Nidhi Subbaraman for BetaBoston. The group is developing a model to assess products designed for the developing world with the goal of helping organizations “as they make purchases for relief efforts.”
Tech reporter Amy Wang writes about the recent gift from alumnus Samuel Tak Lee that will establish a real estate entrepreneurship lab at MIT. “Real estate and urban planning is very interdisciplinary to begin with, so this donation already is incredibly well positioned to generate opportunities across all fields,” says Prof. Albert Saiz.
Robert Olsen of Forbes profiles MIT alumnus Samuel Tak Lee, who recently made one of the largest gifts in MIT’s history to establish a real estate entrepreneurship lab. “Now that he’s achieved such success, he’s helping others to follow a similar path by supporting the schools he attended,” writes Olsen.
Inside Higher Ed reports on the $118 million gift from MIT alumnus Samuel Tak Lee that will be used to establish a real estate entrepreneurship lab at MIT. The gift, one of the largest in MIT’s history, is aimed at exploring sustainability and social responsibility in the field of real estate.