MIT News Newsletter

	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
May 10, 2017
MIT News: around campus
A weekly digest of the Institute’s community news

Eric Schmidt visits MIT to discuss computing, artificial intelligence, and the future of technology

Former Google CEO, now chairman of parent company Alphabet, speaks to students as part of fireside chat with CSAIL Director Daniela Rus.

MIT opens its energy-use data to the community

Campus energy “dashboard” will provide detailed information to Institute’s faculty, staff, and students.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden visits MIT

Swedish delegation tours Institute, participates in dialogue on innovation.

Engineer, pianist, global citizen

Senior Tiffany Yeh explores health care and poverty through working abroad, and cultivates her love of music while at home.

Channeling Gilbert and Sullivan

A passionate community comes together at MIT to deliver timeless tales through song, dance, and Victorian-era humor.

In the Media

Prof. Eric Lander, founding director of the Broad Institute, writes for The Washington Post about the importance of federal funding for scientific research, noting that scientific advances help drive the American economy. “When scientific breakthroughs spawn new industries and jobs, those benefits occur right here in the United States,” Lander explains.

Fox 25’s Kacie Yearout reports that a team of MIT students has developed a portable tool that converts text to braille in real-time. The students were awarded a Lemelson-MIT prize for their invention, which “uses a small camera with optical character recognition software to scan any printed material and convert it into a braille cell.”

BBC News reporter Roland Pease explores the burgeoning field of synthetic biology. “I think what makes synthetic biology interesting is that it's bringing together engineers and physicists with molecular biologists to model, design, and build molecular components that can then be used to rewire and reprogram living cells for a variety of applications,” explains Prof. James Collins.