MIT News

• The strangely familiar browsing habits of 14th-century readers May 23, 2013
  Today we constantly switch from one text to another: news, blogs, email, workplace documents and more. But a new book by an MIT professor reveals that this is not a new practice: In the 14th century, for instance, many people maintained eclectic reading habits, consuming diverse texts in daily life.Consider Andrew Horn, the chamberlain for the city of London […]
• Footwear’s (carbon) footprint May 22, 2013
  A typical pair of running shoes generates 30 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to keeping a 100-watt light bulb on for one week, according to a new MIT-led lifecycle assessment. But what’s surprising to researchers isn’t the size of a shoe’s carbon footprint, but where the majority of that footprint comes from. The researchers found that more th […]
• Striking a balance on taxes May 22, 2013
  Now that April 15 has come and gone, most Americans have turned their attention away from taxes. But MIT student Stefanie Stantcheva continues to ponder the trade-offs associated with taxation. A fourth-year PhD student in MIT’s Department of Economics, Stantcheva studies optimal taxation — or, as she puts it, “how to set the tax system to generate revenue f […]
• Reducing caloric intake delays nerve cell loss May 21, 2013
  Activating an enzyme known to play a role in the anti-aging benefits of calorie restriction delays the loss of brain cells and preserves cognitive function in mice, according to a study published in the May 22 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The findings could one day guide researchers to discover drug alternatives that slow the progress of age-associa […]
• Evaluating a new way to open clogged arteries May 21, 2013
  Over the past few decades, scientists have developed many devices that can reopen clogged arteries, including angioplasty balloons and metallic stents. While generally effective, each of these treatments has drawbacks, including the risk of side effects.A new study from MIT analyzes the potential usefulness of a new treatment that combines the benefits of an […]