New particle + the Great Resignation + improved cancer drugs

MIT Weekly January 15, 2022 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](. Composite Particle # Physicists have detected a hybrid particle that is a mashup of an electron and a [phonon]( “glued” together with an exceptionally strong bond. The discovery could offer a route to smaller, faster electronic devices. [Full story via MIT News →]( Top Headlines Toxic culture is driving the Great Resignation Employee data reveal the top predictors of attrition as well as actions managers can take in the short term. [Full story via MIT Sloan Management Review →]( [MIT Heat Island]( A new method for delivering immune system-stimulating drugs may enhance cancer immunotherapy The targeted approach eliminated tumors in mice, with minimal side effects. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( Understanding air pollution from space Arlene Fiore uses satellite data paired with ground observations to refine our understanding of ozone smog and interactions with meteorology and climate. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( At MIT, learning about the language, history, and art of Arabic Calligrapher Hajj Wafaa shares insights about his craft while MIT Global Languages announces the arrival of Arabic classes. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( Courtney Lesoon and Elizabeth Yarina win Fulbright-Hays Scholarships The prestigious grants will support full-time doctoral research abroad for the MIT architecture and urban planning students. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( #ThisisMIT # [Follow @mit_hobbyshop on Instagram →]( In the Media Why target-date funds might be inappropriate for most investors // The Wall Street Journal MIT researchers have found that most investors “can do much better than the one-size-fits-all approach to equity allocations that target-date funds offer for your retirement portfolio.” [Full story via The Wall Street Journal →]( Every pore on your face is a walled garden // The New York Times A study co-authored by MIT researchers finds each pore on the human face holds a different variety of Cutibacterium acnes bacteria. [Full story via The New York Times →]( How health and fitness trackers are about to get a lot more granular // The Wall Street Journal Professor Dina Katabi and her research group have developed a noninvasive device that can track breathing, heart rate, movement, gait, time in bed, and the length and quality of sleep. [Full story via The Wall Street Journal →]( Economists pin more blame on tech for rising inequality // The New York Times Institute Professor Daron Acemoglu’s research shows how “excessive automation” is contributing to rising inequality. “We need to redirect technology so it works for people,” says Acemoglu, “not against them.” [Full story via The New York Times →]( How an ingredient found in cat litter could help fight climate change // Fast Company MIT researchers have created a new approach to removing methane emissions from air using zeolite, an inexpensive material used in cat litter. [Full story via Fast Company →]( Watch This # In a new MIT class, engineering students are helping to devise real-world solutions to climate change. Their challenge: design a new beverage cup for use in commercial air travel that remains lightweight and reduces waste from single-use plastics. Working together, students come up with novel designs under the guidance of professor of chemical engineering Brad Olsen and associate professor of civil and environmental engineering Desiree Plata. [Watch the video →]( Look Back # The MIT Women’s Forum was born 50 years ago this month, during the second annual Independent Activities Period. In January 1972, Professor Emily Wick joined Professor Mildred Dresselhaus (pictured, teaching a class around the same period) in planning an IAP seminar to discuss the status of women at MIT at the time. About 100 women — students, faculty, staff, postdocs, alumni, and faculty wives — crammed into the Cheney Room, giving birth to what became known as the MIT Women’s Forum, which continued to meet regularly for decades. The forum’s advocacy sparked significant change at MIT, such as the creation of an ad hoc committee to review the environment for women, and the appointment of a special assistant to the president and chancellor for women and work. [Learn more via MIT News →]( This edition of the MIT Weekly was brought to you by [sweet snowy scenes](. ☃️ Have feedback to share? Email mitdailyeditor@mit.edu. Thanks for reading, and have a great week! —MIT News Office [Forward This Email]( [Subscribe]( [MIT Logo] Massachusetts Institute of Technology This email was sent to {EMAIL} because of your affiliation with MIT, or because you signed up for our newsletters. [subscribe]( [update preferences]( [unsubscribe]( [view in browser]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( MIT News Office · 77 Massachusetts Avenue · Cambridge, MA 02139 · USA