News

February 10 2021
Reductions in CFC-11 emissions put ozone recovery back on track
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Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office Scientists observe reduction in emissions of banned ozone-depleting chemical after unexpected spike.
January 26 2021
Meet the team shaking up climate models
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Doug Struck | The Christian Science Monitor Can machine learning help build a better climate model? If scientists can create a new way to predict climate change – making it as accurate as, say, forecasting the weather – it would help people make everyday decisions: how high to build a sea wall or what crops to plant.
January 22 2021
Four MIT scientists honored with 2021 National Academy of Sciences awards
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Laura Carter | School of Science Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, Aviv Regev, Susan Solomon, and Feng Zhang are the recipients of distinguished awards for major contributions to science.
January 15 2021
Climate change: Where we are, where we’re headed, what we can do
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Mark Dwortzan | MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change MIT Joint Program faculty affiliate Noelle Selin shares scientific perspective in Civic Series webinar
January 13 2021
The Creepy, Unbelievably Inspiring World of Deep Sea Parasites
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Daniel Hentz | Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Ocean hitchhikers and bodysnatchers abound in the ocean, from the surface down to the deepest trenches. The question is, why? And is it a good thing?
January 8 2021
Scientists discover slimy microbes that may help keep coral reefs healthy
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Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office The bacteria scrub out nitrogen, potentially defending against certain nutrient overloads.
January 6 2021
Can icebergs be towed to water-starved cities?
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WHOI News WHOI researchers are now investigating the feasibility of towing icebergs to alleviate water shortages.
December 31 2020
Aerosols from pollution, desert storms, and forest fires may intensify thunderstorms
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Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office MIT scientists have discovered a new mechanism by which aerosols may intensify thunderstorms in tropical regions.
December 15 2020
MIT oceanographers have an explanation for the Arctic’s puzzling ocean turbulence
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Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office MIT oceanographers have proposed an explanation for the Arctic’s puzzling ocean turbulence.
December 4 2020
Covid-19: A teachable moment for how we confront climate change and economic challenges
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Deputy Directors C. Adam Schlosser and Sergey Paltsev | MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change Perspective from the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change
November 30 2020
Case studies show climate variation linked to rise and fall of medieval nomadic empires
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Alice McBride | EAPS News Paleoclimatology provides important context for examining the activities of past human societies.
November 23 2020
Navigating the energy transition
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Mark Dwortzan | MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change ILP-MIT Joint Program webinar explores climate-related physical and transition risks'
November 18 2020
John Marshall awarded the 2020 A.G. Huntsman Medal
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Lauren Hinkel | EAPS News The honor recognizes excellence of research and outstanding contributions to marine sciences.
November 10 2020
Bringing down mercury
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Ari Daniel PhD ’08 | MIT Spectrum Back before the world turned upside down, before Covid-19 gripped the globe and our bodies, back when you could easily take an airplane to a remote destination for vacation, Noelle Selin did just that.
November 9 2020
3 Questions: COVID-19 shutdowns highlight complex chemistry in the atmosphere
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Alice McBride | EAPS News Emission levels of some pollutants dropped during COVID-19 shutdowns, but MIT Professors Colette Heald and Jesse Kroll say that’s not the whole story when it comes to air quality and human health.
October 29 2020
New multi-institutional grant will support a fleet of robotic floats
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WHOI A five-year, $53 million grant from the National Science Foundation to a consortium of ocean-research institutions will build a global network of 500 robotic biochemical sensors.
October 26 2020
Two New Studies Substantially Advance Understanding of Currents that Help Regulate Climate
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WHOI Formation of deep water that drives overturning circulation found to have a common origin and to spill over into the North Atlantic via a newly discovered pathway
October 26 2020
What We Know About Climate Change
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CGCS The science is clear: the Earth’s climate is changing faster today than ever before in the history of our species – and human actions are the main reason why. If global warming goes on unchecked, we leave ourselves open to severe risks.
October 23 2020
Universities should lead the way on climate action, MIT panelists say
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Becky Ham | MIT News Office An online symposium explores roles for research universities and outlines the Institute’s efforts to be a testbed for research and policy innovations.
October 16 2020
AGU Fall Meeting goes online for 2020
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Mark Dwortzan | MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change researchers to share findings on the state of global change
October 15 2020
Saudi Arabia faces increased heat, humidity, precipitation extremes by mid-century
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Mark Dwortzan | MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change High-resolution climate projections could enable a robust adaptation and resilience response
October 1 2020
Revamped MIT Climate Portal aims to inform and empower the public
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Environmental Solutions Initiative Website hosts an expanded suite of digital tools and resources to help people make sense of climate change.
October 1 2020
Antarctic sea ice may not cap carbon emissions as much as previously thought
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Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office Study suggests sea ice blocks the flow of carbon both into and out of the ocean, in roughly equal measure.
September 22 2020
Studies investigate marine heatwaves, shifting ocean currents
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Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Extreme warming events impact fisheries and economies; understanding processes beneath ocean surface is crucial for assessment and management
September 16 2020
MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative will stimulate environmental microbiology research
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Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Project supported by the Simons Foundation aims to reinvigorate environmental science by leaning on Parsons Laboratory's past as a leader in the space.
August 10 2018
NASA's Planet-Hunting TESS Catches a Comet Before Starting Science Lauren Hinkel TESS observes comet and variable stars.
August 1 2018
Top Scientists Explain to Senators Why We Must Look for Aliens Ryan F. Mandelbaum | Gizmodo Sara Seager tells the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation why it's important to fund space exploration hunting for extraterrestrial life.
July 30 2018
From Simple Separations to Complex Questions Fatima Husain | Summons Lab Girls from the Circle Program in Groton, NH talk about STEM, geologic timescales, astrobiology, chromatography and pursuing STEM careers with Summons Lab member Fatima Husain.
July 27 2018
NASA’s TESS Spacecraft Starts Science Operations TESS NASA’s TESS has started its search for planets around nearby stars, beginning science operations on July 25, 2018. Sara Seager is the Deputy Science Director of the MIT-led NASA Explorer-class mission.
July 11 2018
PAOC’s May and Spiro Selected as Finalists for Prestigious Knauss Fellowship Lauren Hinkel PAOC members and MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography graduate students Tyler Rohr and Gualtiero Spiro to spend a year working on critical marine policy and resource management issues in D.C.
June 27 2018
Australian Climate Policy Ignoring Billions in Potential Health Savings, Experts Say Anna Salleh | Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports that "Australia is missing out on billions in short-term health savings that could come with tougher greenhouse emission targets, experts say." Noelle Selin comments that the health savings could offset climate polices.
June 18 2018
Charting the Future of Decarbonization Mark Dwortzan | MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change MIT Joint Program workshop explores economic and environmental impacts of scaling up low-carbon energy.
June 5 2018
Meeting The Challenges of the Antarctic Ozone Hole: A Global Science and Policy Success Story EAPS News Susan Solomon, the Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies at MIT, honored for her contributions to atmospheric science.
June 4 2018
Meet the School of Science’s Tenured Professors for 2018 Bendta Schroeder | School of Science Six faculty members are granted tenure in four departments, including Dan Cziczo.
May 30 2018
Carl Wunsch and the Rise of Modern Oceanography Michael White | Forecast Carl Wunsch speaks with Forecast about his experience in oceanography, the history of the field and how major science questions are conceptualized and addressed.
May 29 2018
A Proposed Global Metric to Aid Mercury Pollution Policy Noelle E. Selin | Science Noelle Selin writes about how a global-scale metric to assess the impact of mercury emissions policies would help parties assess progress toward their goals to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury in the journal Science.
May 22 2018
Susan Solomon: At the Frontline of Research on the Ozone Layer and Its Role in Earth’s Climate Dawn Stover | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists MIT professor of atmospheric chemistry Susan Solomon receives the 2018 Crafoord Prize in Geosciences from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. She speaks with Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists about her work the ozone hole, its affect on climate and policy.
May 21 2018
2018 EAPS Student Awards EAPS Education Office A roll-call of this year’s award recipients presented at the May 18th Student Recognition Dinner. PAOC graduate student Margaret Duffy receives the Award for Excellence in Teaching.
May 18 2018
TESS Takes Initial Test Image School of Science | MIT News Exoplanet-seeking satellite developed by MIT swings by moon toward final orbit. Prof. Sara Seager is the deputy science director of TESS.
May 3 2018
Macron's call to 'Make our Planet Great Again' attracts six more US-based scientists Sophie Tatum | CNN PAOC and Joint Program Senior Research Scientist Chien Wang awarded grant focused on the role of aerosols in the climate.
April 26 2018
TESS Successfully Launched Lauren Hinkel NASA’s new planet-hunting TESS satellite was successfully launched into space from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 6.51pm EST Wednesday April 18. The satellite rode into Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, beginning its two-year mission to study nearby star systems to look for alien worlds that might harbor life.
April 23 2018
Urban Planning for a Changing Climate Science in the News | Harvard University Harvard's Science in the News speaks with John Bolduc, the Environmental Planner for the City of Cambridge, and Professor Kerry Emanuel about what local communities are doing to address the challenges climate change is creating for urban infrastructure.
April 6 2018
TESS Counting Down to Take-Off EAPS News Pre-launch media coverage of the MIT-led mission.
April 3 2018
School of Engineering First Quarter 2018 Awards School of Engineering Faculty members recognized for excellence via a diverse array of honors, grants, and prizes over the last quarter, including PAOC member Noelle Selin.
March 26 2018
Meet Tess, Seeker of Alien Worlds Dennis Overbye | New York Times Science NASA’s new spacecraft, to be launched next month, will give scientists a much clearer view of the planets orbiting stars near to us. Sara Seager, a member of the Tess team, shares her hopes and expectations.
March 19 2018
Alumnae unite at MIT Women's unConference Julie Barr | MIT Alumni Association Gathering brings alumni to campus to celebrate women and create connections to further societal changes. Opening keynote speaker Sara Seager shared her latest research on exoplanets and stories from her own personal triumphs and challenges in motherhood, marriage, and friendship.
March 7 2018
Storied Women of MIT: Eugenia Kalnay MIT Video Productions Eugenia Kalnay (PhD ‘71) is a world-renowned meteorologist and the first woman to earn a PhD in Meteorology from MIT. Storied Women of MIT is a series of 60-second historical profiles of MIT faculty, students, researchers, and staff highlighting the role of women at the Institute from its founding to today.
February 22 2018
At the Intersection Mayara Felix | MIT Spectrum Five grad students, including PAOC's Daniel Gilford, on finding their own routes into the policy sphere
February 20 2018
GlobalFood+ Speed Talks Advance More Sustainable Food Systems Mark Dwortzan | MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change Joint Program-affiliated researchers share findings at nexus of food, agriculture, environment and health
February 20 2018
How Close Are We To Finding Life On Another Planet? TED Radio Hour In our galaxy alone there are hundreds of billions of planets, and the past few years have ushered in an explosion of new discoveries about our universe. MIT's Sara Seager speaks with TED Radio Hour about looking for the perfect planet in the "Goldilocks" zone — neither too hot nor too cold — that could support life.