| Spreading False News | | | | | MIT systems scientists in IDSS and LIDS built a model to study how news circulates in a social network. Their finding: The more polarized and hyperconnected a social network is, the more likely misinformation will spread. |
| “Newer, nimbler, faster:” Venus probe will search for signs of life in clouds of sulfuric acid A report led by MIT scientists details a suite of privately-funded missions to hunt for life on Earth’s sibling planet. |  |
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| Expanding the conversation about sustainability Senior Stacy Godfreey-Igwe seeks to make marginalized communities more visible in the fight against climate change. |  |
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| Harmonix keeps innovating, with lasting impact |
The musical MIT spinout has been releasing iconic video games for more than 25 years. |  |
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| The power of economics to explain and shape the world |
In 14.009, a first-year class taught by Nobel laureates, MIT students discover how economics helps solve major societal problems. |  |
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| David Li wins 2022 Marshall Scholarship The MIT senior in electrical engineering and computer science will pursue graduate studies in the U.K., at Cambridge and Oxford universities. |  |
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| Top colleges in the Northeast by size // The Wall Street Journal MIT has been named to the number 2 spot in the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings of the best midsized colleges in the Northeast. |
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| Mary, Queen of Scots “locked” final letter using paper-folding, research finds // The Guardian An international team of researchers has found that Mary, Queen of Scots, used a complicated paper-folding technique called letterlocking to conceal the contents of her final letter. |
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| Climate tech’s newest unicorn makes chemicals from sugar, not fossil fuels // Fast Company Sean Hunt MEng ’13, PhD ’16 co-founded Solugen after discovering a way to make chemicals from corn syrup instead of fossil fuels. “[T]he company estimates that it could theoretically produce 90% of the chemicals that are now produced by fossil fuels.” |
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| MIT-backed venture fund The Engine expands into Somerville // The Boston Globe The Engine has expanded into a 42,000-square-foot space in the Somernova Innovation Hub in Somerville, Massachusetts. |
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| | | “There’s a really compelling link between neuroscience and art,” Professor Pawan Sinha says. Students in 9.72 (Vision in Art and Neuroscience) delve into one facet of visual perception as part of developing an artwork for exhibition. |
| 27 | | Days left before the deadline for all MIT community members to submit proof of their Covid-19 booster vaccination. The MIT booster requirement applies to all eligible individuals ages 16 and older who study, work, or live on MIT’s campuses, or who access MIT facilities. |
| | | Per annual tradition, President L. Rafael Reif and Christine Reif recently wished all of MIT well with a video honoring our community for the holiday season. In this year’s video, music, craftsmanship, warmth, and light are on full display. Seasons greetings to all! |
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The MIT Weekly will return on Jan. 8. Thanks for reading, enjoy the holidays, and happy new year!
—MIT News Office |
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