Emily Makowski

A graduate student researching red blood cell production, another studying alternative aviation fuels, and an MBA candidate: What do they have in common? They all enrolled in 6.883/6.S083 (Modeling with Machine Learning: From Algorithms to Applications) in spring 2019. The class, offered for the first time during that term, focused on machine learning applications in engineering and the sciences, attracting students from fields ranging from biology to business to architecture.

Could the axion clean up problems in physics? A barred spiral galaxy. Image from Wikimedia Commons. What does dish soap and dark matter have in common? Both have versions called “axion.” Or so some physicists think. They know that Axion brand dish detergent definitely exists (though now mainly sold in Latin America). And axion dark matter? Finding that, if it exists, is another level of difficulty altogether. Axions are theorized particles that scientists haven’t as yet detected.

Photo credit: Magnus Bjerg Wood’s group at the Media Lab aims to break down barriers that have kept the developing world from engaging with space research. MIT professor Danielle Wood knew she wanted to be an aerospace engineer when she interned at NASA at age 17. But she also spent summer breaks in Kenya teaching young girls English, math, and science, which engaged her long-term interest in justice and development.