June 25, 2022
Greetings! Here’s a roundup of the latest from the MIT community.
 
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Data for Social Good
 
Erin Walk studies the impact of social media on the Syrian conflict as a PhD student in social and engineering systems. “My path was much less linear than I expected,” she says. “I don’t think I even realized that a field like this existed.”
Top Headlines
Artificial neural networks model face processing in autism
A new computational model could explain differences in recognizing facial emotions.
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New model helps identify mutations that drive cancer
The system rapidly scans the genome of cancer cells, could help researchers find targets for new drugs.
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A new board game highlights the colonized experience
Departing from games that glorify European conquest, “Promesa” helps players understand Puerto Rico as a modern-day colony.
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MIT finishes fourth in 2022 Division III LEARFIELD Directors' Cup standings
The Engineers post their second-highest finish in program history after claiming 11 NEWMAC titles.
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Robotic lightning bugs take flight
Inspired by fireflies, researchers create insect-scale robots that can emit light when they fly, which enables motion tracking and communication.
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#ThisisMIT
In the Media
How the brain reacts to unexpected events and the role of norepinephrine // Popular Mechanics
Researchers at MIT have found that the brain can send a burst of noradrenaline when it requires you to pay attention to something crucial. The researchers discovered that “one important function of noradrenaline, commonly known as norepinephrine, is to assist the brain in learning from unexpected results.”
Now, a push to bring more culture — and connection — to Kendall Square // The Boston Globe
Boston Globe reporter Tim Logan spotlights MIT’s efforts to increase connections with the neighborhoods surrounding Kendall Square. MIT is “running shuttles from nearby neighborhoods to help people get to community events at its newly built plaza off Main Street, and it’s working on ways to get Cambridge kids better engaged with the MIT Museum when it reopens in its new location,” notes Logan.
Opinion: Here’s how to meet Biden’s 2030 climate goals and dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions // The Conversation
“By exploiting declining costs of zero- and low-carbon energy sources in a more aggressive and focused way, the U.S. can meet its target within eight years, all while substantially reducing its dependence on fossil fuels, including high-priced gasoline, and cutting back the air pollution, climate and health impacts resulting from their combustion,” writes John Reilly, co-director emeritus of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change.
How the sugars in spit tame the body’s unruly fungi // Wired
Professor Katharina Ribbeck and her research lab are deconstructing how glycans hidden inside mucus can work to keep specific organisms healthy.
Trailblazer, innovator, and path builder // Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Shirley Ann Jackson ’68, PhD ’73, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is featured for her work as a “transformative leader in academia, industry, and government.”
Summertime
For those in the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice took place Monday morning this week at 5:15 a.m. EDT. Enjoy the summer rays this weekend!
 
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