Designing customized “brains” for robots
A new system devises hardware architectures to hasten robots’ response time.
3 Questions: Daron Acemoglu on the “dangerous situation” still facing the U.S.
The author of “The Narrow Corridor,” about the battle to sustain democracy, weighs in on the country’s political condition.
Biden taps Eric Lander and Maria Zuber for senior science posts
Lander to take a leave of absence to assume Cabinet-level post; Zuber to co-chair presidential advisory council.
MIT launches Center for Constructive Communication
The cross-campus effort will design human-machine systems that improve communication across divides and increase opportunity for underheard communities.
MIT.nano’s Immersion Lab opens for researchers and students
Facility within MIT.nano offers equipment and capabilities for visualizing data, creating immersive environments.
2020 MIT Water Summit brings international audiences together to discuss resilience
Hundreds of students, researchers, and industry experts from around the world gathered virtually in November for a cross-disciplinary exploration of water resilience.
To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language
Neuroscientists find that interpreting code activates a general-purpose brain network, but not language-processing centers.
Model could help determine quarantine measures needed to reduce Covid-19’s spread
A key finding: Early reopening last spring led to a dramatic drop in “quarantine strength” in southern and west-central U.S. states.
Automating material-matching for movies and video games
Animators spend hours adding textures to objects. A new machine-learning system simplifies the process.
A better kind of cybersecurity strategy
New model shows why countries that retaliate too much against online attacks make things worse for themselves.
Indigenous knowledge and technology at MIT: “Is it wise?”
A week of workshops, lab visits, and pairings matched Indigenous delegates with relevant labs and researchers across MIT.
Leveraging the power of neurodiversity
The startup Ultranauts offers software and data quality engineering services with a team made up mostly of people on the autism spectrum.
3 Questions: Joshua Cohen on the qualities of good jobs
MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future research brief examines what makes for “good jobs,” and the public-private policies that can help shape them.
Lincoln Laboratory establishes Biotechnology and Human Systems Division
Will focus on responding to disasters and humanitarian crises, defending against biothreats, addressing climate change, and improving human health and performance.
3Q: Christine Walley on the evolving perception of robots in the US
Anthropologist touches on the history of tech-related job displacement and explores how other countries approach policies on robots, skills, and learning.