In October, astrophysicist Andrea Ghez ’87 became the fourth woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics and the 38th in the list of MIT graduates with Nobels to their names. Ghez, a professor at UCLA, and Reinhard Genzel, a professor emeritus at UC Berkeley, share half the prize for the discovery of a supermassive […]
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Life on Venus?
The search for extraterrestrial life has largely focused on Mars, but scientists at MIT, Cardiff University, and elsewhere reported surprising findings in September of what may be signs of life in the clouds of Venus. While Venus is similar to Earth in size, mass, and rocky composition, its surface temperatures reach 900 °F, and its […]
Cooking without fire
How did early humans prepare food before they mastered the use of fire? Research led by Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences professor Roger Summons has raised the intriguing possibility that they took advantage of hot springs for boiling. Studying sediments deposited around 1.7 million years ago near Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, where anthropologists have discovered […]
The quinoa evangelist
In the early 1970s, Steve Gorad ’63 had a successful career as a clinical psychologist. He was in charge of the alcohol unit at Boston State Hospital and had a private practice, but he was restless. “It wasn’t enough,” he says. “I was a long-haired hippie writing [draft exemption] letters for people who didn’t want […]
Sustaining our mission, shaping the conversation
Looking back to the start of the pandemic, I am struck by our community’s formidable strength. In March 2020, we did not know what it would take to sustain MIT’s great mission through this crisis. Since then, we have found a way together, and we have made it work. That accomplishment belongs to every member […]
Slowing the spread
From the choir rehearsal in Washington to family gatherings in Chicago, numerous covid-19 “superspreading” events have seen one person infect many others. MIT researchers who studied about 60 such events found that they have a much larger impact than expected. “Superspreading events are likely more important than most of us had initially realized,” says senior […]
The Into the Impossible Podcast Honors Arthur C. Clarke
Physicist Brian Keating, codirector of the Arthur C. Clarke Center for the Human Imagination, started the show to continue the center’s mission of bringing together the world’s top thinkers. Powered by WPeMatico
Google’s Antitrust Cases: A Guide for the Perplexed
The company is facing multiple lawsuits from the Department of Justice and three dozen states. Here’s what you need to know. Powered by WPeMatico
The Best Theragun to Buy (and the Best Alternatives)
Therabody’s percussive therapy devices help soothe achy muscles. Here’s our guide to its lineup, and a cheaper alternative. Powered by WPeMatico
The machines that get walnuts from trees to your mouth
Hal CrainOwner, Crain Ranch nut farm and processing facilityLos Molinos, California I woke up at 4:30 today. Right now, the end of September, this is right in the middle of walnut harvest season. I’m still wearing my work clothes every day, going out into the field every day. This story is one of a series […]