Professional gearhead + filtering “forever chemicals” + dino discovery

[view in browser]( MIT Weekly [MIT Logo] September 7, 2024 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](. The MITchanic #[Amos Winter, wearing a red Team Ferarri jersey, stands by a red Ferarri in front of a contemporary gray house in the woods]( Professor [Amos Winter]( is a mechanical engineer driven by his Formula 1 passion to find “elegant engineering solutions to perennial problems.” In a recent profile in Esses Magazine, Lecturer Amy Carleton writes that “as a professor, Winter teaches students to be resourceful innovators, while also stressing the need for them to be responsible community partners and user advocates. And as an educator, he resolutely dispels the adage, ‘those who can’t do, teach,’ because his hands-on experience is what compels student buy-in.” [Full story via Esses→]( Top Headlines New filtration material could remove long-lasting chemicals from water Membranes based on natural silk and cellulose can remove many contaminants, including “forever chemicals” and heavy metals. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( MIT chemists explain why dinosaur collagen may have survived for millions of years The researchers identified an atomic-level interaction that prevents peptide bonds from being broken down by water. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( This is MIT and yes, we have bananas The Banana Lounge offers beanbag chairs, camaraderie, and a free, potassium-rich snack to students and visitors alike. [Full story via MIT Technology Review→]( [News thumbnail]( Study of disordered rock salts leads to battery breakthrough A new family of integrated rock salt-polyanion cathodes opens door to low-cost, high-energy storage. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( How AI is transforming logistics Artificial intelligence can address many logistics and supply chain challenges, including vehicle routing. [Full story via MIT Sloan→]( [News thumbnail]( Study: EV charging stations boost spending at nearby businesses The spending increases were particularly pronounced for businesses within 100 yards of charging stations, and for businesses in low-income areas. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( #ThisisMIT #[A colorful postcard-sized illustration of MIT’s Killian Court hovers over the actual Killian Court on sunny day. Text via @‌artsatmit: Welcome back, MIT! This year, we’re kicking off with a special highlight: the beautiful campus-inspired art of Hannah Gazdus (@‌wren_in_flight), a master’s student in Mechanical Engineering who blends her passions for precision machine design and creative writing into beautiful works of art. Swipe to see some of her gorgeous illustrations!]( [Follow @artsatmit on Instagram→]( In the Media Receipts taped to windows, barren shelves, and a customer kissing the floor: Memories from the Market Basket protests // The Boston Globe Professor Thomas Kochan reflects upon the impact of 2014 Market Basket protests. [Full story via The Boston Globe →]( Hate reading contracts? MIT study explains the real reason legal documents are so hard to understand // Fast Company MIT researchers uncovered a possible reason why legal documents can be so difficult to read, finding that “convoluted legalese often acts as a way to convey authority.” [Full story via Fast Company→]( Grad students find inevitable patterns in big sets of numbers // Quanta Magazine Since meeting as undergraduates at MIT, Ashwin Sah ’20 and Mehtaab Sawhney ’20, PhD ’24 have “written a mind-boggling 57 math proofs together, many of them profound advances in various fields.” [Full story via Quanta Magazine→]( Chris Birch aims for outer space // Associated Press Associated Press reporter Bernie Wilson spotlights Christina “Chris” Birch PhD ’15 and her quest to reach outer space after conquering many miles as a competitive cyclist. [Full story via the Associated Press→]( Student Stories #[Collage of three images: Andrew Blair sits besides drums and keyboard in front of “Hoodie” artwork. Sonia Kekeh looks up at “A Crowded Field” artwork. Tommaso Salvatori sits in bedroom with artwork “Clinamen.”]( The [Student Lending Art Program]( is a unique tradition that allows MIT students to borrow original artwork from MIT’s List Visual Arts Center for the academic year. The extensive collection contains more than 700 framed works of art, primarily prints and photographs, and is made available to students each September. Students from the program’s 2023-24 cohort recently described the artwork they selected and how it impacted them. The program, which is free for all MIT students, is [accepting applications]( for its upcoming cohort through Sept. 10. [Read the stories via MIT List Visual Arts Center→]( [“] Art is a monologue. Design is a dialogue. If you are an artist, you can do pretty much whatever you like. If you are a designer, there is a function behind it, whatever your form of design is. —Matthew Carter, type designer, in a recent “Design +” interview from the MIT Morningside Academy for Design [Learn more via MIT Morningside Academy for Design →]( Magic of Mechatronics #[Four students in Class 2.737]( In class 2.737 (Mechatronics), the most powerful teaching tools include pen and paper: “Students have to be able to work out things on a piece of paper, and make sketches, and write down key calculations in order to be creative,” says Professor David Trumper. [Full story via MIT News]( | [Watch the video→]( This edition of the MIT Weekly was brought to you by [campus charging stations](. ☕ 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. 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