Treating Parkinson’s + electron superhighway + MIT ranked No. 1 by QS

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MIT Weekly
June 8, 2024
Greetings! Here’s a roundup of the latest from the MIT community.
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Treating Parkinson’s

A colorful microscopic view of the device focusing on three prongs.

A new approach to deep brain stimulation uses ultrasound waves instead of electricity, which could be a safer way to treat Parkinson’s disease. “This device is thinner than a hair fiber, so there will be negligible tissue damage,” Associate Professor Canan Dagdeviren says.

Full story via MIT News →

Top Headlines

Physicists create a five-lane superhighway for electrons

The work could lead to ultra-efficient electronics and more.

Full story via MIT News →

A modest intervention that helps low-income families beat the poverty trap

Letting people work with a “navigator” dramatically increases how often they move to higher-opportunity neighborhoods.

Full story via MIT News →

QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2024-25

Ranking at the top for the 13th year in a row, the Institute also places first in 11 subject areas.

Full story via MIT News →

School of Engineering welcomes new faculty

Fifteen new faculty members join six of the school’s academic departments.

Full story via MIT News →

Using art and science to depict the MIT family from 1861 to the present

MIT.nano inscribes 340,000 names on a single silicon wafer in latest version of One.MIT.

Full story via MIT News →

#ThisisMIT

Five MIT alumni pose for portrait while holding up Tim the Beaver, graduation year, or “MIT Alumni” signs. Text via @‌mitalumni: This afternoon and evening at Tech Reunions.

Follow @mitalumni on Instagram→

In the Media

How AI could transform medical research and treatment // The Economist

Professor Regina Barzilay joins The Economist’s “Babbage” podcast to discuss how artificial intelligence could enable health care providers to understand and treat diseases in new ways.

Full story via The Economist →

Some metals actually grow more resilient when hot // New Scientist

A study by MIT researchers finds heating metals can sometimes make them stronger, a “surprising phenomenon [that] could lead to a better understanding of important industrial processes and make for tougher aircraft.”

Full story via New Scientist→

Science Adviser Protostars: Marin and Lukas Vogelsang

Postdocs Marin and Lukas Vogelsang discuss their recent research demonstrating that “the poor color vision that newborns normally have actually helps them develop well-rounded vision overall.”

Full story via Science→

A vibrating curtain of silk can stifle noise pollution // Scientific American

MIT researchers created a noise-blocking sheet of silkworm silk that could “greatly streamline the pursuit of silence.”

Full story via Scientific American→

Scene at MIT

Closeup view of the entrance to Building 45, which has glass walls. Inside is lit up and one can see a wooden amphitheater-style stairwell. Outside it is overcast with a few people walking on the sidewalk.

The transparent and outward-looking design of the new Building 45 gives passersby a direct view into the first two floors and the central core. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing building offers state-of-the-art space for computing education while serving as a nexus for interdisciplinary teaching and research. In keeping with MIT’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the building is tracking towards Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification.

Learn more via MIT Spectrum→

Watch This

Sheila Xu, while wearing sunglasses and flight suit, poses for a portrait outside in front of plane

When she earned her sport pilot license, Sheila Xu ’14 became one of about 200 deaf pilots in the U.S. She is now deputy director of development for AstroAccess, which aims to make space travel fully inclusive of people with disabilities. “I want to be a role model,” she says in a new video from the MIT Alumni Association.

Watch the video→

This edition of the MIT Weekly was brought to you by an MIT bucket list. 🪣

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Thanks for reading, and have a great week!

—MIT News

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