A View from MIT TR Editors

Seven Must-Read Stories (Week ending December 20, 2015)

Another chance to catch the most interesting and important articles from the previous week on MIT Technology Review.

  1. Can This Man Make AI More Human?
    One cognitive scientist thinks the leading approach to machine learning can be improved by ideas gleaned from studying children.
  2. Inside the First VR Theme Park
    A new form of weekend entertainment combines virtual reality with a clever stage set. For now, you’ll have to visit suburban Utah to check it out.
  3. Socks Generate Electricity Using Microbes Fed by Urine
    Yes, you read that right.
  4. Are Young Athletes Risking Brain Damage?
    Sports leagues should do more to protect children from the long-term problems that stem from hits to the head.
  5. User Error Compromises Many Encrypted Communication Apps
    Apps that aim to let you talk securely may be made less secure by users who screw up the authentication process.
  6. A Change of Mind
    Diana Bianchi championed tests that find Down syndrome early in pregnancy. Now can she find a way to treat it?
  7. Paris Climate Agreement Rests on Shaky Technological Foundations
    The effort to limit global climate change relies on technologies that are unproven or even illusory.