MIT News

Scientists at MIT, Cardiff University, and elsewhere have observed what may be signs of life in the clouds of Venus.

Read the article: https://news.mit.edu/2020/life-venus-phosphine-0914

As the Covid-19 shutdowns and stay- at- home orders brought much of the world’s travel and commerce to a standstill, people around the world started noticing clearer skies as a result of lower levels of air pollution. Now, researchers have been able to demonstrate that those clearer skies had a measurable impact on the output from solar photovoltaic panels, leading to a more than 8 percent increase in the power output from installations in Delhi.

Read the article: http://news.mit.edu/2020/covid-19-solar-output-smog-0722

Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have designed a new face mask that they believe could stop viral particles as effectively as N95 masks. Unlike N95 masks, the new masks were designed to be easily sterilized and used many times.

Read the article: http://news.mit.edu/2020/reusable-silicone-rubber-face-mask-0709

A study co-authored by MIT scholars finds social media sharing affects news judgment, but a quick exercise reduces the problem.

Read the article: http://news.mit.edu/2020/share-covid-19-misinformation-0709

Darien Alexander Williams is a PhD student in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT. His academic research, which focuses on disaster recovery, community organizing, and marginalized populations has taken him to study in locations and with communities across the country and the world. Here he discusses the connections between his work and the current social unrest surrounding police brutality and Black Lives Matter.

Audio transcript: https://news.mit.edu/2020/-transcript-darien-williams-0624

Like this year’s seniors, the Class of 1970 had its final semester disrupted: Fifty years ago, growing unrest over the Vietnam War led to the cancellation of MIT classes. In this podcast, Karen Arenson ’70 and senior Bahrudin Trbalic share their experiences.

Written, directed and produced by: Melanie Gonick/MIT

Co-producer: Christine Daniloff/MIT

Audio news clips courtesy of: CBS Evening News, CNBC Make It, NBC Nightly News

Music featured: "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

MIT does not own the rights to any audio featured.

Read the transcript: http://news.mit.edu/2020/transcript-tale-two-classes-50-years-0528

A paper co-authored by an MIT economist proposes a new way to handle medical shortages during the COVID-19 crisis.

Read the article: http://news.mit.edu/2020/ventilator-priority-system-covid-19-0514

Samantha Farrell is the assistant to Vladimir Bulović, the director of MIT.nano, as well as a professional musician. Here, she talks about how music is keeping her focused, productive, and sane and how in times like these, “. . . the arts really shine, people’s humanity can really shine, and musicians and filmmakers and artists are needed more than ever.”

Watch Split-Screen Quarantine on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2zbot5pUYtuRPooilUIPfg

Featured music in podcast (in order):

“Circles”

Written and performed by Samantha Farrell

“Nocturne”

Written and performed by Samantha Farrell

“Mad About You”

Written by Son Little

Matthew Pezone - electric guitar

Samantha Farrell - vocals

“I Don’t Know What’s Coming”

Written and performed by Samantha Farrell

“Your Heart is as Black as Night”

Written by Melody Gardot

Michael Valdez – piano, upright bass, drums, Wurlitzer

Samantha Farrell - vocals

“I’d Die Without You”

Written by P.M. Dawn

Cameron McLaughlin – bass

Samantha Farrell – vocals

Written and produced by: Melanie Gonick/MIT

Featuring: Samantha Farrell

Audio transcript: https://news.mit.edu/2020/podcast-musician-samantha-farrell-0504

One of the most pressing shortages facing hospitals during the Covid-19 emergency is a lack of ventilators. These machines can keep patients breathing when they no longer can on their own, and they can cost around $30,000 each. Now, a rapidly assembled volunteer team of engineers, physicians, computer scientists, and others, centered at MIT, is working to implement a safe, inexpensive alternative for emergency use, which could be built quickly around the world.

Read the article: http://news.mit.edu/2020/ventilator-covid-deployment-open-source-low-cost-0326

As the world grapples with the public health crises and myriad disruptions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, many efforts to address its impact are underway. Several of those initiatives are being led by companies that were founded by MIT alumni, professors, students, and researchers.

Read the article: http://news.mit.edu/2020/mit-companies-covid-19-0326