Long-haul diseases + clean energy 24/7 + competitive math

[view in browser]( MIT Weekly [MIT Logo] May 4, 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](. Long-Haul Diseases #[Michal Tal sits in chair while holding a helmet-like device with diamond-shaped accents. A whiteboard with writing is behind her]( “Long Covid looks exactly, and I mean exactly, like chronic Lyme,” says Principal Research Scientist Michal “Mikki” Tal. [Her group]( investigates why some people develop chronic illness from acute infections, and works to identify biomarkers for chronic Lyme and long Covid. [Full story via MIT Technology Review→]( Top Headlines Offering clean energy around the clock MIT spinout 247Solar is building high-temperature concentrated solar power systems that use overnight thermal energy storage to provide power and heat. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( MIT report details new cybersecurity risks Cloud misconfigurations, more sophisticated ransomware, and vendor exploitation attacks are contributing to rising cyberattacks. [Full story via MIT Sloan→]( [News thumbnail]( Studies in empathy and analytics Senior James Simon wants to effect change in two ways: by quantifying societal issues and working directly with disadvantaged communities. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( Competitive math Since 1981, MIT students have been squaring off at the annual MIT Integration Bee. [Full story via MIT Technology Review→]( [News thumbnail]( Weaving memory into textiles For the MIT Visiting Artist Chloé Bensahel, fabric itself tells the story. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( Lasagna Love spreads layers of kindness Founded by Rhiannon Menn MBA ’14 in 2020, the meal-delivery nonprofit now has 50,000 volunteers providing lasagnas to families in need. [Full story via Slice of MIT→]( [News thumbnail]( #ThisisMIT #[Four members of the MIT Softball team pose for portrait outside in front of overhead scoreboard and field. Two graduation cap icons hover atop each person. Text via @‌mitsoftball: Saturday was for the seniors! We loved honoring our seniors and their families who have given so much to this sport and program!!]( [Follow @mitsoftball on Instagram→]( In the Media MIT’s new powerful chip thwarts millions of data theft attacks in tests // Interesting Engineering MIT researchers developed a machine-learning accelerator chip to make health-monitoring apps more secure. [Full story via Interesting Engineering→]( Take it easy — the importance of being lazy // CBS News Professor Earl Miller discusses multitasking, fear of laziness, and the importance of downtime. [Full story via CBS News→]( Opinion: China already manufactures too much. Now it wants to make more. // The Washington Post MIT Innovation Fellow Brian Deese lays out a framework for responding to China’s focus on increasing manufacturing. [Full story via The Washington Post→]( A silver tsunami: Challenges and opportunities of global aging // PRX Joseph Coughlin, director of the MIT AgeLab, discusses the potential impacts of greater life expectancy and the role technology might play in assisting aging Americans. [Full story via PRX→]( Watch This #[Daniela Rus stands on a stage with the word “TED” in red letters behind her]( The convergence of AI and robotics will unlock a new world of possibilities in everyday life, according to Professor [Daniela Rus]( director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, at the 2024 TED Conference. Diving into the way machines think, she reveals how “liquid networks” — a revolutionary class of AI that mimics the neural processes of simple organisms — could help intelligent machines process information more efficiently and give rise to “physical intelligence” that will enable AI to operate beyond digital confines and engage dynamically in the real world. [Watch the video→]( Meet Your MIT Neighbor #[Headshot of Sunny Das]( Name: Sunny Das Affiliation: Postdoc at the Whitehead Institute What do you investigate? I primarily work on breast cancer. Specifically, I’m working on a subgroup of breast cancer, known as estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, and trying to understand the molecular mechanisms that dictate how these breast cancer cells colonize liver tissue. When did you become interested in a career in research? I had always been interested in biology. It’s fascinating to me that we’ve sent people to outer space and the moon, but there’s so much we still don’t know about what’s going on inside of our own cells, where thousands of processes are continually in motion, programmed almost to perfection. What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a singer at one point. In India, movies are a big influence and songs are an integral part of our movies, so we’ve grown up listening to those songs quite a bit. When I got a little older, I wanted to be a chef, because I really like cooking. [Full interview via Whitehead Institute]( This edition of the MIT Weekly was brought to you by [an AI discussion gone strangely awry](. 🤭 Have feedback to share? Email mitdailyeditor@mit.edu. Thanks for reading, and May the 4th be with you! —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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