MIT News Newsletter

	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
December 21, 2017
MIT News: top stories
A weekly digest of the Institute’s research and innovation

Unlocking marine mysteries with artificial intelligence

Students put their AI software for underwater vehicles to the test on the Charles River.

Auto-tuning data science: New research streamlines machine learning

A new automated machine-learning system performs as well or better than its human counterparts — and works 100 times faster.

Inventing the “Google” for predictive analytics

Platform analyzes big data to answer plain-language business queries in minutes instead of months.

New technique allows rapid screening for new types of solar cells

Approach could bypass the time-consuming steps currently needed to test new photovoltaic materials.

New depth sensors could be sensitive enough for self-driving cars

Computational method improves the resolution of time-of-flight depth sensors 1,000-fold.

Street signs

Study shows how seriously investors took the possibility of a democratic revolution during Egypt’s Arab Spring.

In the Media

NBC Boston reports that ICE has released MIT custodian Francisco Rodriguez. “Many members of the MIT community have strongly supported that Francisco be released from detention to be with his family so the news of his release is extremely welcome. We also strongly believe Francisco should be allowed to remain in the U.S. permanently," according to a statement from MIT.

Bloomberg's Tom Moroney spoke with MIT President L. Rafael Reif about the tax bill's impact. Describing the tax as a "budget cut" for MIT, Reif emphasized higher education's vital role in America's innovation economy and said it's counterproductive, "to hurt the institutions that create innovation, create startups, and prepare people for those jobs."

Wall Street Journal reporter Philip Delves Broughton spotlights Visiting Professor and MIT alumnus Jean Tirole’s new book, “Economics for the Common Good.” The book offers, “an ambitious yet accessible summary of his ideas on the proper role of economists and the value of their ideas in informing government, business and social life.”

Pamela Danziger of Forbes highlights research by Visiting Prof. Rogelio Oliva in an article about recent declines in retail staff and the resulting drop in retail sales. Retailers “could generate more sales if they staff at the correct level. Stores should staff to maximize sales and profits, not to minimize costs,” explains Oliva.