January 23, 2021
Greetings! Here’s a roundup of the latest from the MIT community.
 
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Science Leaders
 
United States President Joseph Biden has tapped two faculty leaders — Broad Institute Director Eric Lander and Vice President for Research Maria Zuber— for top science and technology posts. “This is a banner day for science,” MIT President L. Rafael Reif says.
Top Headlines
What must the US do to sustain its democracy?
MIT scholars discuss what is needed for the country to support its longstanding form of government.
MIT Heat Island
How chess plays out at MIT
For decades, experts at the Institute have been shaping the future of the game.
MIT Heat Island
Why cancer cells waste so much energy
An MIT study sheds light on the longstanding question of why cancer cells get their energy from fermentation.
“Futurizing” undergraduate teaching
Associate Professor Michael Short’s innovative approach can be seen in the two nuclear science and engineering courses he’s transformed.
MIT Heat Island
Improving MIT life and learning during a pandemic
A weekend hackathon inspires hundreds of MIT students to find ways to improve the upcoming semester.
MIT Heat Island
#ThisisMIT
In the Media
Electric cars are better for the planet — and often your budget, too // The New York Times
MIT researchers developed an online tool aimed at helping consumers quantify the true costs of buying an electric or gas-powered vehicle. The tool demonstrates how electric vehicles may initially be more expensive, but are often cheaper in the long-run.
Why nations fail, America edition // Planet Money
Institute Professor Daron Acemoglu discusses his research on democracy and how politicians can create more shared prosperity through a “good jobs” agenda. “We are still at a point where we can reverse things,” Acemoglu says. “But I think if we paper over these issues, we will most likely see a huge deterioration in institutions. And it can happen very rapidly.”
Harvard, MIT, others advance $100 million biologics manufacturing center in Watertown // The Boston Globe
MIT, Harvard University, and several research hospitals and life-sciences companies have selected a site for a new biologics manufacturing and innovation center.
Opinion: “When can I schedule a Covid-19 vaccine appointment?” Why the government can’t answer this simple question // Fast Company
Associate Professor Ramesh Raskar and Hana Schank at New America explore how to help improve distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Brass Rat
As we near the end of an historic week in the United States, we take a moment to note a high-profile Brass Rat spotted in Congress on Wednesday. Shortly after the inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the latter swore in three new U.S. senators, including Alex Padilla ’94, who replaces Harris as senator from California. Padilla, the former California secretary of state who was selected to serve the rest of Harris’ term by Governor Gavin Newsom, is the first Latinx senator to represent the Golden State.
Digit
98
Percentage of Covid-19 inpatients in one study showing at least mild olfactory dysfunction compared to age- and sex-matched controls
Watch This
When the coronavirus pandemic shut down offices, labs, and classrooms across the MIT campus last spring, many members of the MIT community found it challenging to remain connected to one another in meaningful ways. Motivated by a desire to bring the neuroscience community back together, the McGovern Institute hosted a virtual storytelling competition featuring a selection of postdocs, grad students, and staff from across the institute.
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