MIT Tech Connection
An MIT Alumni Association Publication
March 2017
Diagnosing Alzheimer's Early with AI Tool
A team from MIT and Lahey Hospital and Medical Center has created a tool that will make it easier to detect cognitive impairment, enabling treatment to begin earlier and, potentially, improve outcomes. CSAIL Professor Randall Davis, Lahey Hospital neuropsychologist Dana Penney, and their startup team have begun clinical testing a machine learning approach to making Alzheimer's diagnoses faster, cheaper, and more accurate.
Research & Discovery
MIT Takes #1 Spots in US News, QS Rankings
U.S. News & World Report ranked MIT number one for graduate school engineering programs in their 2018 rankings. MIT was also ranked number one in 12 subjects in the 2017 QS World University Rankings.
Class of 2021 Admitted on Pi Day
Silver tubes and online Admissions decisions brightened the lives of 1,438 applicants for first-year spots in the class of 2021 on Pi Day, March 14. Watch videos on Slice of MIT by the Admissions Office as well as alumni reflections on that fateful news.
MIT Spinout Aims to Cut Plastic Bottle Use
Bevi, started by two 2013 MBAs, makes smart beverage-dispensing machines that filter and add carbonation and customizable flavors to tap water in offices, gyms, and hotels.
Faculty Forum Online: Solar Eclipse, Ending Alzheimer's, Early Learning
Register now to hear Professor Richard Binzel's March 20 interactive talk on this summer's solar eclipse and, on March 27, alumni experts discuss the end of Alzheimer's. Watch recent speakers such as the head of MIT's Early Childhood Cognition Lab.
Register Now for Tech Reunions
Experience an MIT where you stay up late by choice—to reminisce and reconnect—and where letters A through F correspond to Tech Night at Pops seats, not grades. Watch this video for a preview of Tech Reunions, June 9–11 (8–11 for 50th reunion and Cardinal and Grey), and register now.
Campus News
MIT Better World (Washington DC)
The Better World tour is visiting the US capital on April 13. Join MIT President L. Rafael Reif for a festive event held at the Newseum, featuring faculty speakers Sangeeta Bhatia SM '93, PhD '97; Lily Tsai; and mathematics PhD candidate (and NFL offensive lineman) John Urschel.
MIT Senior Wins Jeopardy!
Lilly Chin '17 earns $100,000 in the Jeopardy! 2017 College Championship.
Antarctica: Jan. 4–25, 2018
Visit Antarctica, South Georgia, Falkland Islands with Professor Susan Solomon.
Brain-Controlled Robots
CSAIL system enables people to correct robot mistakes using brain signals.
LEGO News: Women of NASA
Public votes made staffer's celebration of women scientists an official LEGO set.
Color by Technicolor: An MIT Story
Three MIT alumni originally developed the Technicolor process while researching a malfunctioning motion picture projector.
Newest Canadian Astronaut: An MIT Alum?
Only one MIT-trained astronaut has worked for anyone except NASA. Now a new generation of MIT-trained Canadians are applying for space careers.
Treepedia: Calculating the Value of Green
An MIT Senseable City Lab project, which looks at ways to improve urban living, is measuring the green canopies of major cities using Google Street View panoramas.
About Tech Connection
Tech Connection, a monthly digest for alumni and friends of MIT published by the MIT Alumni Association, is available in HTML and online. Please email mitalum@mit.edu to subscribe.
Please email comments to TechConnection@mit.edu.
Want to get more involved? Read Volunteer View.
Catch fast-breaking Institute news on the Slice of MIT blog, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram pages and connect with other alumni by joining the LinkedIn group.