Priscilla King Gray, an integral part of the fabric at MIT for more than 50 years, died on Feb. 8. She was 89. Gray, who had been the wife of former MIT president Paul Gray ’54, SM ’55, ScD ’60 until his death in 2017, co-founded the MIT Public Service Center — since renamed in her honor as the Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center — and was a champion of public service and a leader in efforts to……
Engineers at MIT and Caltech have demonstrated an ingestible sensor whose location can be monitored as it moves through the digestive tract, an advance that could help doctors more easily diagnose gastrointestinal motility disorders such as constipation, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and gastroparesis. The tiny sensor works by detecting a magnetic field produced by an electromagnetic coil located outside the body. The strength of the field varies with distance from the coil, so the sensor’s position can be calculated based……
UFO Szn After the Pentagon spotted a series of mysterious objects and then shot them out of the sky, an official made a baffling admission: that the military hasn’t ruled out that the objects could have been extraterrestrial in nature. A total of three airborne objects were shot down over just three days, Reuters reports, prompting widespread speculation about their origins. “I’ll let the intel community and the counterintelligence community figure that out,” Air Force general Glen VanHerck told…
ADIYAMAN, Turkey (AP) — Thousands left homeless by a massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria a week ago packed into crowded tents or lined up in the streets for hot meals Monday, while the desperate search for anyone still alive likely entered its last hours. In nearby southern Hatay province, rescuers cheered and clapped as a 13-year-old boy, identified only by his first name, Kaan, was rescued from the rubble 182 hours after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck….
Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week. MOVIES — Just a week after hitting theaters the neo-noir thriller “Sharper,” anchored by Julianne Moore, arrives on Apple TV+ on Friday. No one is quite who they seem in the film, directed by Benjamin Caron, whose credits include “Andor” and “The Crown,” as we delve into myriad cons among New York’s well-heeled set….
Celebrity birthdays for the week of Feb. 19-25: Feb. 19: Actor Carlin Glynn (“Sixteen Candles”) is 83. Singer Smokey Robinson is 83. Singer Lou Christie is 80. Guitarist Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath is 75. Actor Stephen Nichols (“The Young and the Restless”) is 72. Actor Jeff Daniels is 68. Singer-guitarist Dave Wakeling (General Public, English Beat) is 67. Talk show host Lorianne Crook is 66. Actor Leslie David Baker (“The Office”) is 65. Singer Seal is 60. Actor…
This piece was originally published in High Country News and appears here as part of our Climate Desk collaboration. David Cottrell stood on what used to be a 14-foot-high cliff at the crumbled end of Blue Pacific Drive. Just a few years ago, this was the fastest-eroding shoreline on the U.S. Pacific Coast; locals here in North Cove, Washington, dubbed it “Washaway Beach.” But as Cottrell walked toward the water on a sunny November morning, he stepped not off……
The Wangunk were a group of Native peoples who lived along the Connecticut River in a region they called Mattabesett located where the modern towns of Portland, Haddam, East Hampton, and Middletown now lie. They were part of the larger Algonquian language and culture family. When Europeans entered the area, the Wangunk sachem Sowheag sold them some of his people’s land but kept two large patches on both sides of the river, including a large hill on the Western……
Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, we visit the Henry Miller Memorial Library in Big Sur, California, which is neither a lending library nor a memorial, really, but still honors the spirit and works of the American author. Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In under 15 minutes, we’ll take you to an incredible site, and along……
This Atlas Obscura–themed crossword comes from independent crossword constructor Brendan Emmett Quigley. He has been a professional puzzlemaker since 1996, and his pieces have appeared in dozens of publications. He’s also a member of the Boston Typewriter Orchestra. You can solve the puzzle below, or download it in .pdf or .puz. Note that the links in the clues will take you to Atlas Obscura pages that contain the answer. Happy solving!…
NEW YORK (AP) — Advertisers bet big that viewers were turning to the Super Bowl for a comforting escape, and delivered a series of advertisements that relied on familiar celebrity faces, light humor, and plenty of cuddly dogs. This wasn’t a year for edgy humor or experimentation. After the global pandemic, with economic uncertainty looming ahead and the war in Ukraine stretching on, advertisers just wanted people to feel good. And it worked. “This year’s ads took a very…
Rihanna was above it all. And pregnant to boot. She began and ended the Super Bowl 57 halftime show hovering high above the field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The performance lacked the surprise guests stars included in many previous Super Bowl halftimes, save one — her representative revealed afterward that the singer is pregnant with her second child. Rihanna wore a puffy, bright red jumpsuit with tight, rubbery garb underneath that showed a baby bump that…
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles face off in the Super Bowl. Follow for the latest live updates and news from The Associated Press. All times MST. 8:15 p.m. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are the winners of Super Bowl 57. Mahomes — hobbling around on a hurt ankle — led the Chiefs downfield for the winning drive that was capped by Harrison Butker’s 27-yard field goal with 8 seconds left,…
LONDON (AP) — There is no bigger cheerleader of awards season than Richard E. Grant. He brings joy to the red carpet, snapping selfies with stars and posting congratulations to nominees on social media. Now this enthusiasm has been tapped to host the EE BAFTA Film Awards on February 19 at the Royal Festival Hall. “I’m an unabashed fan of movies and of talent and always have been. I’ve never been disingenuous or, you know, blase about that,” he…
A fire broke out in a garage attached to a home in Rockville, Maryland, on Saturday morning. Around 11:45 a.m., neighbors saw smoke coming from the garage of a house on the 15300 block of Delphinium Lane, according to Pete Piringer, a spokesman for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service. More Montgomery County News More Maryland News More Local News The fire caused around $100,000 in moderate damage, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. Seven people, including two…
