Without Prochlorococcus in the open ocean, sequestering huge amounts of carbon, “we would be looking at a very different planet,” Rogier Braakman says. New research suggests the microbe’s ancient coastal ancestors colonized the ocean by rafting out on chitin particles.
Via @mit.mexico on Instagram: “Such an honor to host some of the Mexican Naval Crew from the tall Ship Cuahutemoc currently docked in Boston”
Writing in the New York Times, Carlo Ratti emphasizes that in order to “create a city vibrant enough to compete with the convenience of the internet, we … must reconfigure the city into an experience worth leaving the house for.”
Chemists have devised a way to identify neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, or potentially other viruses, in a blood sample. “This type of assay could be used to check whether patients are really protected by vaccines,” Laura Kiessling says.
In an entirely unscientific survey, the MIT Alumni Association asked alumni what word, phrase, or acronym would reveal that they went to MIT. While the responses varied, one thing is for certain: The MIT community has a language all its own.
Via @mitsigmakappa on Instagram: “To mark the start of Spring, many sigmas participated in Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, Love, and Spring. We thank the MIT South Asian Association of Students and Mayor Siddiqui’s Office for organizing such a colorful event.”
A new computer vision system turns a shiny object into a camera of sorts, enabling an observer to see around corners or beyond obstructions. “We have shown that any surface can be converted into a sensor with this formulation,” Kushagra Tiwary says.