Evaporation surprise + liver discovery + new space molecule

[view in browser]( MIT Weekly [MIT Logo] April 27, 2024 Greetings! Here’s a roundup of the latest from the MIT community.  Want a daily dose of MIT in your inbox? [Subscribe to the MIT Daily](. Rethinking Evaporation #[Guangxin Lv, Gang Chen, James Zhang stand in the lab and pose for a photo. Lv’s arm rests on a large gas tank.]( Evaporation is all around us, but it turns out we’ve been missing a major part of the picture: MIT researchers have now demonstrated that heat isn’t alone in causing water to evaporate. Light, striking the water’s surface where air and water meet, can cause evaporation in the absence of a heat source. The astonishing discovery could have a wide range of significant implications. [Full story via MIT News →]( Top Headlines Circadian rhythms can influence drugs’ effectiveness MIT researchers find circadian variations in liver function play an important role in how drugs are broken down in the body. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( New flight procedures to reduce noise from aircraft departing and arriving at Boston Logan Airport The results of a six-year collaboration between MIT researchers, the FAA, and Massport will reduce aircraft noise in local communities while maintaining or improving fuel efficiency. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( Researchers detect a new molecule in space Such discoveries help researchers better understand the development of molecular complexity in space during star formation. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( New major crosses disciplines to address climate change Combining engineering, earth system science, and the social sciences, Course 1-12 prepares students to develop climate solutions. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( “No one can work in civil engineering alone” For senior Mikayla Britsch, civil and environmental engineering is a vocation that requires both technical and people skills. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( Advancing technology for aquaculture MIT Sea Grant students apply machine learning to support local aquaculture hatcheries. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( #ThisisMIT #[Six members of MIT’s and Northeastern’s Sigma Kappa chapters pose for portrait while holding trash bags with gloved hands. The Charles River and cityscape is in the background. Text via @‌mitsigmakappa: In honor of Earth Day we met up with members of the Northeastern Chapter to help keep our community clean and take care of our planet.]( [Follow @mitsigmakappa on Instagram→]( In the Media By 2100, some destinations will lose half their nice weather days // Bloomberg News MIT researchers developed a metric called “outdoor days,” which describes the number of days per year in which temperatures are comfortable enough for outdoor activities in specific locations around the world. [Full story via Bloomberg News→]( Boston startup building safer way to send money abroad // Axios Kura, an MIT startup, is “developing a platform to help immigrants safely deliver money to loved ones back home.” [Full story via Axios→]( The pros and pitfalls of hydrogen power, according to MIT energy expert // GBH News Robert Stoner, interim director of the MIT Energy Initiative, discusses how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act provides funding for hydrogen hubs around the country to create networks of hydrogen fuel producers. [Full story via GBH News→]( Opinion: What economists miss about inflation // The Wall Street Journal Professor S.P. Kothari and Senior Lecturer Robert Pozen explore why U.S. consumers “continue to feel they are suffering from inflation, although the annual rate of inflation dropped sharply during 2023.” [Full story via The Wall Street Journal→]( Did You Know? #[Closeup of a hand holding biochar, a type of black, rich soil]( Biochar is a type of processed carbon-rich plant matter. As plants grow, they breathe in CO2 from the air, using carbon to build their tissues. Then they die and decompose, releasing CO2 into the air again. But if they are turned into charcoal-like biochar, the carbon is instead converted into a solid, which can stay locked in soil for many years. Once produced, biochar can be added to soil for farming: Plants can draw climate-warming CO2 out of the air and store it in the ground. While its ability to address climate change faces certain challenges, the use of biochar is thought to be a promising “carbon removal” technique. [Learn more via MIT Climate Portal→]( Digit 300+ Number of MIT’s 1,080 faculty members working on projects to address climate change [Learn more→]( Methane Mitigation #[Six cows on pasture during sunny day]( With a newly developed catalyst, researchers are working to set up systems to reduce methane in the air at dairy farms and other sites. “Methane emission removal is the fastest way that we can ensure immediate results for reduced global warming,” graduate student Audrey Parker says. [Watch the video→]( This edition of the MIT Weekly was brought to you by [a helpful guide to food waste disposal at MIT](. ♻️ Have feedback to share? Email mitdailyeditor@mit.edu. Thanks for reading, and have a great week! —MIT News [Forward This Email]( [Subscribe]( [MIT Logo] This email was sent to {EMAIL} because of your affiliation with MIT, or because you signed up for our newsletters. 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