News Clips | March-April 2012
MIT SHASS in the national/international media
The wealth of nations
Financial Times | March 02, 2012
This piece considers the whether or not "political institutions hold the key to a country’s economic success?" Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty, by James A Robinson and MIT's Daron Acemoglu is reviewed.
TED 2012: 10 innovations that could help shape a better world
Guardian Unlimited - Technology | March 03, 2012
Both of the TED speakers from MIT, Donald Sadoway and Sherry Turkle, are included in this roundup of ideas presented at the event.
The Big Why
The Economist | March 08, 2012
The new book by MIT's Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson of Harvard, Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty, is discussed. "They spurn the cultural and geographic stories of their forebears in favour of an approach rooted solely in institutional economics, which studies the impact of political environments on economic outcomes."
Put Down the Phone, Learn to Be Alone (And to Listen) Sherry Turkle at TED
TED Conference | March 01, 2012
"Speaking at the TED conference today, Turkle said she wants people to make a personal commitment to live with each other and teach themselves to be okay with solitude." The TED Talk by MIT's Sherry Turkle is discussed.
New Ways To Think About Online Privacy
NPR Blogs
The author, who is at the TED conference has posed the following questions to TED participants: "What is good privacy hygiene? What are some good habits in terms of protecting one's privacy in the digital age? What do they teach their kids about privacy in the digital age?" A response from MIT's Sherry Turkle is presented.
Why Are We So Afraid of Creativity?
Scientific American
A Point of View: Churchill and the birth of the special relationship
BBC News | March 09, 2012
"Winston Churchill coined the phrases 'special relationship' and 'Iron Curtain' on a lecture tour of American universities - and his words still resonate today, says historian David Cannadine." A speech given by Churchill at MIT is included in the discussion.
Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson
Guardian.co.uk| March 10, 2012
"Two US academics offer a compelling analysis of the world's financial malaise." The new book by MIT's Daron Acemoglu and Harvard's James Robinson is reviewed.
Foreign Policy: No Teacher Left Behind
National Public Radio | March 13, 2012
"The good news is that more kids are in school, and for longer, than ever before. But if we want them to actually learn something, it's time to focus on the teachers." MIT's Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo are cited in this article about teaching and learning.
MIT students mark earthquake, tsunami anniversary
New England Cable News| March 11, 2012
"As the world remembers the massive earthquake and tsunami disaster that struck Japan a year ago, students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are involved in rebuilding the country.
Why Some Countries Go Bust
The New York Times | March 13, 2012
The Poverty of Nations
The Wall Street Journal | March 15, 2012
Health Law Transforming U.S. as Court Threat Looms
Bloomberg | March 22, 2012
"Fundamental changes in the way millions of Americans receive and pay for medical services are under way, driven both by the new law and industry responses to the escalating costs it was intended to curb." MIT's Jonathan Gruber is quoted in this piece about Obamacare.
Talk point: how do we tackle global poverty?
Guardian.co.uk| March 21, 2012
MIT's Abhijit Banerjee will speak at the Guardian's Open Weekend.
Why Nations Fail
On Point with Tom Ashbrook | March 21, 2012
MIT's Daron Acemoglu is a guest on this NPR show and discusses his latest book. Video of a lecture and an excerpt from the book are presented.
In Times of Crisis, Ignorance Is Bliss
Real Time Economics - The Wall Street Journal Blog | March 19, 2012
"'Ignorance is a good thing' in times of crises, because it supports market liquidity, argues (MIT's) Bengt Holmström, the winner of the Banque de France's and Toulouse School of Economics' inaugural prize in Monetary Economics and Finance...The findings got the attention of Christian Noyer, France’s central bank chief, who on Friday praised Holmström for his research and presented the 30,000 euro prize to him."
Ancient Human Settlements Spotted By Satellite Over Syria
The Huffington Post | March 22, 2012
"Ancient humans have changed the landscape around their settlements in such ways that even today archaeologists can distinguish between 'lived in' spots and those never occupied by humans. Now, two scientists (from Harvard and MIT) have figured out a more efficient way of locating these sites, via their footprints, from space."
Throwing Money at the Pentagon
The Huffington Post | March 20, 2012
"As arms experts like Dr. Theodore Postol of the Security Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have pointed out, in the utterly unlikely event of a massive nuclear missile attack, Romney's plan would be virtually useless."
Why Older Citizens are More Likely to Vote
US News & World Report | March 19, 2012
MIT's Andrea Louise Campbell is quoted in this piece about the reasons that retirees vote.
No Revenue Means Steep Social Security Cuts Under Romney
Bloomberg | March 27, 2012
This op-ed about "Mitt Romney’s approach to Social Security reform" was co-authored by MIT's Peter Diamond
The truth about healthcare reform
Los Angeles Times | March 25, 2012
MIT's Jonathan Gruber is quoted in this article about health care reform.
10 Obamacare Questions Answered by MIT Economist Jonathan Gruber
The Daily Beast | March 29, 2012
"Is the Supreme Court going to end Obamacare? Why is health-care reform so unpopular? And how does Obamacare affect most Americans? MIT economist Jonathan Gruber, an architect of both Mitt Romney’s and Obama’s bills, breaks down what’s at stake as the justices debate one of the most important cases before the court in decades."
MIT gets $1.5M to mix arts into science, tech
Boston.com | April 13, 2012
"The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has received $1.5 million to support a new center seeking to integrate the arts into university curriculum and research. MIT says the money from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation will support the proposed Center for Art, Science and Technology." This piece originated with AP and ran with additional outlets, such as Bloomberg Businessweek and The Huffington Post.
Professionals Say More Men Should Earn College Degrees
U.S. News University Directory | April 12, 2012
MIT's David Autor is quoted in this piece about gender and the education gap. "As this education gap is growing, studies show that women are advancing their education and moving on to hold high-skill jobs, while men have been slower to earn degrees, and therefore advance in the workforce."