The value of Humanities education faces growing skepticism, with critics increasingly labeling it as impractical due to a drop in Humanities majors and a rise in professional fields. While college career services offer post-graduate assistance, faculty can play a pivotal role in helping students understand and apply their academic and extracurricular experiences in their careers….
As quantum computing progresses, it is anticipated to compromise current security systems that protect sensitive information. Scientists and officials are developing post-quantum cryptography to counter these forthcoming threats. Researchers at MIT have created a highly efficient microchip that can apply post-quantum cryptography to wireless biomedical devices, such as pacemakers and insulin pumps, which typically lack…
Luiza Lima Vieira was inspired by childhood experiences in Brazil, where she saw children her age on the streets of Sao Paulo and questioned why they were hungry while she was not. This curiosity led her to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she completed a master’s in public health focused on nutrition,…
Megan Kate Nelson, a historian from Littleton, Colorado, has been often surprised by the misconceptions about the American West. Growing up in a family that traveled extensively, she had visited 45 states by the time she began college in 1990. Her classmates, unfamiliar with her suburban upbringing, would sometimes ask if she rode a horse…
Research has shown that an experimental gene therapy for inherited deafness has led to significant, lasting improvements in hearing and speech recognition. The therapy addresses mutations in the OTOF gene, one of approximately 200 genes linked to congenital deafness. The most notable improvements were observed in patients under 18, but adults also experienced benefits, albeit…
Concerns are mounting about the privacy of personal financial and medical data. Tyler Cowen, an economist from George Mason University, warns that new AI developments may soon allow hackers to breach previously secure systems. Cowen suggests that the likelihood of such breaches will increase, potentially exposing sensitive information. Cowen, an expert in AI and its…
Scholars and practitioners at a recent Harvard Kennedy School event discussed the growing challenges to global nuclear security. Iran’s nuclear ambitions, central to its conflict with the U.S. and Israel, are among several issues threatening decades of nuclear nonproliferation efforts. The event, led by Meghan O’Sullivan, director of the Belfer Center for Science and International…
Confidence can be compelling, but in AI systems, it can also mislead. The most advanced reasoning models today often express unwavering certainty in their answers, regardless of accuracy. Researchers at MIT’s CSAIL have identified a flaw in the training of these models that leads to overconfidence and devised a solution that retains accuracy. The new…
Next time you relax to the sound of rain, consider how it might appear to a seed beneath the soil. MIT engineers have discovered that some seeds react energetically to rain sounds. Experiments with rice seeds showed that the noise of droplets landing can awaken seeds from dormancy, prompting them to germinate more quickly than…
Disenchanted with grading AI-produced essays and scantron tests, I ventured into oral exams this finals season. The exams were part of lower-division history classes: one primarily for history majors, the other for students meeting general education requirements. Students used Google Calendar to select 30-minute slots, starting the day after the last class and ending just…
