Faster sleep + practical HIV vaccination + US News ranking

[view in browser]( MIT Weekly [MIT Logo] September 28, 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](. Faster Sleep #[A woman sleeps while wearing an Elemind headband. It has a sensor on the forehead.]( A headband from MIT spinoff [Elemind]( uses acoustic stimulation to help people fall asleep. “For folks that ruminate a lot before they go to sleep, their brains are actively running. This encourages their brain to quiet down,” says co-founder David Wang ’05, SM ’10, PhD ’15. [Full story via MIT News →]( Top Headlines A two-dose schedule could make HIV vaccines more effective MIT researchers find that the first dose primes the immune system, helping it to generate a strong response to the second dose, a week later. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( MIT named No. 2 university by U.S. News for 2024-25 Undergraduate engineering is No. 1; undergraduate business and computer science programs are No. 2. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( Mars’ missing atmosphere could be hiding in plain sight A new study shows Mars’ early thick atmosphere could be locked up in the planet’s clay surface. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( Research quantifying “nociception” could help improve management of surgical pain New statistical models based on physiological data from more than 100 surgeries provide objective, accurate measures of the body’s subconscious perception of pain. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( Playing a new tune After taking a pass on the family bagpiping tradition to try a new vocation, Andrew Sutherland has made noise as an innovative business scholar. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( An MIT course helps researchers crack secrets of ancient pottery PhD students and early-career archaeologists explore ceramic petrography, revealing the origins and production methods of past societies. [Full story via MIT News →]( [News thumbnail]( #ThisisMIT #[About 25 members of MIT’s Field Hockey team pose for portrait on overpass with a dam behind them. Text via @‌mitfieldhockey: A beautiful view from our win on Saturday!]( [Follow @mitfieldhockey on Instagram→]( In the Media Meet the MIT professor with eight climate startups and $2.5 billion in funding // Forbes Professor Yet-Ming Chiang has applied his materials science research to “build an array of companies in areas like batteries, green cement, and critical minerals that could really help mitigate the climate crisis.” [Full story via Forbes→]( Worried about “forever chemicals” in your water? MIT researchers may have a fix // NBC Boston MIT researchers developed a filtration material, created from natural substances, that could be used to remove “forever chemicals” like PFAS as well as heavy metals from drinking water. [Full story via NBC Boston→]( MIT art lending program puts contemporary works in dorm rooms // WBUR The MIT Student Lending Art Program allows undergraduate and graduate students to bring home original works of art from the MIT List Visual Arts Center for the academic year. [Full story via WBUR→]( Mayor Wu brings back Menino-era planner Kairos Shen to lead city planning // The Boston Globe Associate professor of the practice Kairos Shen has been named Boston’s new chief of planning. Shen, who previously served as Boston’s top city planner for two decades, “brings tremendous design expertise and a deep understanding of Boston’s distinct neighborhoods and factions.” [Full story via The Boston Globe →]( Pumpkin Patch #[Photo of a glass pumpkin in the shape of a Hello Kitty]( Today, several hundred glass pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, and colors will be displayed and sold by the MIT Glass Lab, both at the Kresge Oval and online. The glass pumpkins are created by students and instructors from the lab, where members of the MIT community learn and practice the art of glass blowing. Sales begin today at 10 a.m. [Learn more→]( Listen #["Curiosity Unbounded" logo, which includes those words on a white circle that is effusing particles at the top]( In the latest episode of the [Curiosity Unbounded]( podcast, MIT President Sally Kornbluth speaks with [Benedetto Marelli]( about the advantages of using silk-based coatings in agriculture and water filtration, and why being bold and creative can lead to powerful discoveries. Marelli, a biomedical engineer by training, is a materials scientist and an associate professor in MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His work is focused on using biomaterials-based innovation to improve agricultural methods, food security, and food safety. [Listen to the episode]( Meet Your MIT Neighbor #[Ashley Smart]( Name: Ashley Smart MIT affiliation: Associate director, Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT Years at MIT: 6 years Describe your roles and responsibilities. A big part of my job is working with our fellowship program, doing what I can to help make sure our fellows have a rewarding experience and grow as journalists. What’s the best thing about your job? It’s energizing and inspiring to be able to get to know so many smart and gifted people who are passionate about science journalism and pushing the field in new directions. What advice would you offer someone interested in doing what you do? Stay curious. As I see it, that’s maybe the most important quality that any science journalist can have. What are your hobbies and interests outside of work? I enjoy spending time with my family, coaching my kid’s soccer team, and just generally being outside. I also enjoy running, and Boston and Cambridge are great for that. [Full interview via MIT SHASS]( This edition of the MIT Weekly was brought to you by [the small but mighty AstroAnt](. 🐜 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