Author: Ms. R.

The Amazon river basin is known for its immense and lush tropical forests, so one might assume that the Amazon’s land is equally rich. In fact, the soils underlying the forested vegetation, particularly in the hilly uplands, are surprisingly infertile. Much of the Amazon’s soil is acidic and low in nutrients, making it notoriously difficult to farm. But over the years, archaeologists have dug up mysteriously black and fertile patches of ancient soils in hundreds of sites across the……

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With a new academic year under way in the U.S., imagine you have been named superintendent of your local public school district. What changes would you make? How would you make them? That second question matters greatly. Despite supposedly stark differences among people, data show that most U.S. parents like their local public schools. At issue is not so much a shared vision — students pursuing excellence in a good environment — but how to enact it in busy,……

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For diabetes patients who must give themselves frequent insulin injections, the risk of low blood sugar can be life-threatening. A potential solution is a type of engineered insulin that circulates in the body and springs into action only when needed. Researchers working on this type of “glucose-responsive insulin” (GRI) hope that it could be injected less often and help the body maintain normal blood sugar levels for longer periods of time. To help in the efforts to develop this……

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Mariama N’Diaye, a design fellow at the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MAD), works to transform the public sector through design thinking and innovation. With a diverse background in urban planning and business administration — she’s pursuing a dual master’s degree at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) and the MIT Sloan School of Management — N’Diaye has dedicated her career to addressing complex social issues within government systems and uplifting marginalized communities. “Several years ago, my……

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The MIT and Accenture Convergence Initiative for Industry and Technology has selected five new research fellows for 2023-24. Now in its third year, the initiative underscores the ways in which industry and research can collaborate to spur technological innovation. Through its partnership with the School of Engineering, Accenture provides five annual fellowships awarded to graduate students with the aim of generating powerful new insights on the convergence of business and technology with the potential to transform society. The 2023-24……

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Ultrasound that doesn’t require touching patients. A web-based tool that reinvents crew scheduling for the Air Force. Cryptographic hardware that protects sensitive data. And the world’s first practical memory for quantum networking. These four technologies developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, either wholly or with collaborators, received 2023 R&D 100 Awards. The ultrasound technology also received a second award in a special category recognizing market-disrupting products. Bestowed by R&D World magazine, the awards recognize the 100 most significant innovations that……

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