MIT News Newsletter

	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
October 6, 2016
MIT News: top stories
A weekly digest of the Institute’s research and innovation

Scientists identify neurons devoted to social memory

Cells in the hippocampus store memories of acquaintances, a new study reports.

Beaver-inspired wetsuits in the works

Rubbery hair-lined wetsuits may help keep surfers warm.

3-D-printed robots with shock-absorbing skins

By “programming” customized soft materials, CSAIL team can 3-D print safer, nimbler, more durable robots.

Nanosensors could help determine tumors’ ability to remodel tissue

Measuring enzyme levels could help doctors select appropriate treatments.

Toward visible-light-based imaging for medical devices, autonomous vehicles

System accounts for the deflection of light particles passing through animal tissue or fog.

In the Media

A study by Prof. Antoinette Schoar finds that hiring a CEO whose first job was during a recession can help boost a company’s shares, writes Alina Dizik for The Wall Street Journal. The researchers found a close connection between “starting one’s career in a recession and developing a reputation as a conservative, low-risk manager.”

Writing for Sports Illustrated, Prof. John Leonard explains his analysis of the science behind Deflategate. Leonard writes that he is, “100% convinced that there was no illegal deflation. Understanding why is a tale of two inexpensive digital pressure gauges—the so-called Logo Gauge and the Non-Logo Gauge.”

STAT reporter Sharon Begley writes that MIT will share the One Brave Idea research award, which is focused on supporting research aimed at fighting heart disease. The award recipients plan “to hunt down so-far unrecognized signals marking the transition from a healthy heart to one on the road to disease.”