Lithium-ion insights + carbon capture + China’s future + friendly bots

[view in browser]( MIT Weekly [MIT Logo] September 16, 2023 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](. Lithium-Ion Insights #[Seven rows of paired almond-shaped objects are colored red, green, and yellow. Each pair is very similar to each other.]( Lithium-iron-phosphate particles as they are charged and discharged With a pixel-by-pixel analysis, MIT researchers observed how lithium ions flow between a battery’s electrolyte and electrode. The findings could help engineers optimize the design of this interface in rechargeable batteries for electric cars and other uses. [Full story via MIT News →]( Top Headlines Study suggests energy-efficient route to capturing and converting CO2 The findings, based on a single electrochemical process, could help cut emissions from the hardest-to-decarbonize industries, such as steel and cement. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( A new look at China’s economic rise — and now, its fall In his latest book, Professor Yasheng Huang describes how reduced collaboration and increased political autocracy in China will continue to take a toll. [Full story via MIT Sloan→]( [MIT Heat Island]( Making life friendlier with personal robots Sharifa Alghowinem, a research scientist at the Media Lab, explores personal robot technology that explains emotions in English and Arabic. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( AI model speeds up high-resolution computer vision The system could improve image quality in video streaming or help autonomous vehicles identify road hazards in real-time. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( Smart pill can track key biological markers in real-time Coupling engineered bacteria with low-power electronics could be highly effective in diagnosis, treatment of bowel diseases. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences welcomes 10 new faculty The new professors join Comparative Media Studies/Writing; Economics; Literature; Music and Theater Arts; Science, Technology, and Society; and Political Science. [Full story via MIT News →]( [MIT Heat Island]( #ThisisMIT #[Collage of three images at newly renovated W20 building. Left, MIT student sitting on blue chair while using laptop. Upper right, six students sit in booths beside lounge furniture. Lower right, one student sits at blue crouch while two students sit at wooden tables. Text via @MITstudents: “They’re really comfortable.” “What are these cool things?” “I can’t believe this…it looks so different!” MIT students had the opportunity to relax, eat, meet, and study in the newly renovated Student Center, W20. ‘The Stud’ is reopening in phases with floors 1, 2, and 5 open now.]( [Follow @MITstudents on X→]( In the Media MIT president Sally Kornbluth doesn’t think we can hit the pause button on AI // The Boston Globe President Sally Kornbluth joined The Boston Globe’s Shirley Leung on her “Say More” podcast to discuss the future of AI, ethics in science, and climate change. [Full story via The Boston Globe →]( New subsea communications system can run on an iota of power // Popular Science MIT researchers developed an underwater communication system that can achieve kilometer-scale ranges while consuming about one-millionth the power required by current communication methods. [Full story via Popular Science→]( Algorithms are making important decisions. What could possibly go wrong? // Scientific American A study by MIT researchers finds machine-learning models trained to mimic human decision-making often suggest harsher judgments than humans would. [Full story via Scientific American→]( NSF investing $76 million in four university-based physics frontier centers // Forbes The Center for Ultracold Atoms at MIT is one of four university physics programs that will share $76 million in funding from the National Science Foundation as part of the organization’s Physics Frontiers Centers Program, which aims to “foster major breakthroughs at the intellectual frontiers of physics.” [Full story via Forbes→]( Digit 11,220 Pounds of carpet recycled and diverted from local landfills and incineration as part of a renovation at Building NE18. [Learn more via @sustainablemit on Instagram →]( Listen #[The MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics logo is above the text “Supply Chain Frontiers”. Below that is an illustration of Jaume Plensa’s “Alchemist”.]( In a recent episode of the [Supply Chain Frontiers podcast]( from the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, host Benjy Kantor speaks with [MIT Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab]( researchers Tim Russell and Lauren Finegan on building and maintaining strong supply chains in humanitarian logistics and emergency management in the wake of natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and pandemics, as well as other disasters such as ransomware attacks on infrastructure systems. They discuss in particular the importance of established relationships between public and private sectors early on in providing optimal disaster response. [Listen to the episode]( [“] Having a hands-on job that taught me so much and gave me priceless experiences made me feel more confident in making the decision to pursue a career in microelectronics. —Kara Stratton, a recent intern at MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Microelectronics Laboratory, who credits the internship with her decision to pursue a nanotechnology concentration [Full story via MIT News →]( This edition of the MIT Weekly was brought to you by [proven methods for removing a stripped screw](. 🔩 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. [subscribe]( [update preferences]( [unsubscribe]( [view in browser]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( MIT News Office · 77 Massachusetts Avenue · Cambridge, MA 02139 · USA