Tue, 09/10/2013 - 17:26
Moore’s Law predicts that every two years the cost of computing will fall by half. That’s one reason why tomorrow’s gadgets may be better, and cheaper, too. But in American hospitals and doctors’ offices, a very different law seems to hold sway:…
Fri, 08/30/2013 - 10:25
Computer scientists at MIT and the National University of Ireland (NUI) at Maynooth have developed a mapping algorithm that creates dense, highly detailed 3D maps of indoor and outdoor environments in real time.
The researchers tested their…
Wed, 08/28/2013 - 09:56
Although factory labor rules are notoriously hard to enforce, a new study shows how some inspectors are able to uphold workplace standards.
The recent factory collapse in Bangladesh has renewed attention to the global issue of workplace standards…
Thu, 08/22/2013 - 16:20
Scholars have long been interested in tracking “knowledge spillovers,” the way technical and intellectual advances spread among communities of researchers and innovators. A significant body of work has shown that distance matters when it comes to…
Thu, 08/22/2013 - 16:10
MIT chemical engineers have discovered that arrays of billions of nanoscale sensors have unique properties that could help pharmaceutical companies produce drugs—especially those based on antibodies—more safely and efficiently.
Using these sensors…
Mon, 08/12/2013 - 15:19
MIT professor emeritus Rodney Brooks gained fame during the 1990s for co-founding iRobot, an MIT spin-off that brought the Roomba and other innovative, helpful robots to the world. He’s since moved on to robots that are bigger, but no less…
Wed, 07/10/2013 - 12:41
In 2006, when Tomás Palacios completed his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering at the University of California at Santa Barbara, he was torn between taking a job in academia or in industry.
“I wanted to make sure that the new ideas that we…
Thu, 06/20/2013 - 15:08
You may have seen little squares of Tcho chocolate in their brightly colored wrappers decorated with futuristic parabolas of gold and silver. They’re easily found: Starbucks has sold them; Whole Foods sells them now.
Those usually aren’t the…
Wed, 06/19/2013 - 12:12
Editor’s note: This is part two of a two-part series on how technology is, in part, behind the sluggish employment growth of the last 10 to 15 years. To read part one, click here.
To get some insight into Harvard economist Lawrence Katz’s question…
Wed, 06/19/2013 - 10:26
Editor’s note: This is part one of a two-part series on how technology is, in part, behind the sluggish employment growth of the last 10 to 15 years. To read part two, click here.
Given his calm and reasoned academic demeanor, it is easy to miss…