Topic: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Circle Bastiat
Wait! Government did cause the housing bubble.

Congress's Community Reinvestment Act, aimed at helping the poor afford housing, did lead banks to make much riskier mortgage loans, a new study finds. 

Modern Parenthood
iPads and YouTube: Are digital tools in classrooms a student asset or distraction?

Tablets and cell phones in the classroom could be changing students' attention spans, but long-term studies have yet to prove the two are linked.

Stir It Up!
The rise of independent cheesemakers

Artisanal cheesemakers represent a new version of an old American dream: people making living doing what they want, where they want, on their own land. An MIT anthropologist looks inside the growing world of do-it-yourself American cheesemakers.

NASA prepares twin spacecraft for crash landing

Ebb and Flow, two spacecraft that have been investigating the moon's gravitational field, will end their existence by smashing into the moon's north pole next week. The event is not likely to be visible from Earth, but the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter may catch a glimpse.    

How to survive in a tech-driven economy

Technological innovation has made the US economy more productive, but this new economy creates fewer jobs, and wages are suffering. Preparing workers for an era when productivity and employment are no longer linked will be the grand challenge of the next generation.

Is Japan losing its cool?

Manga, anime, J-pop – once it was all about Japan.  But the country's efforts to channel its 'cool' as part of a global soft power strategy may need a revamp amid intense competition from Korea.

Not just 4 texting: 1 in 3 middle-schoolers uses smart phones for homework

A new survey by the Verizon Foundation finds that middle-schoolers, across income levels, are using mobile apps to learn math, do 'virtual' labs, and collaborate with peers on projects.

After Cyber Monday frenzy, Giving Tuesday taps the quiet impulse to give (+video)

Giving Tuesday, launched by New York's 92nd Street Y, the United Nations Foundation, and 2,000 corporate and nonprofit partners, aims to make giving as fixed a holiday feature as shopping.

Focus
Surging storms: Can the US adapt in time to avert coastal damage?

Damage from severe storms such as Sandy is likely to escalate by the end of the century as the population grows and people continue to build along the Eastern Seaboard.

Opinion: What superstorm Sandy taught me about the failures of online learning (+video)

When hurricane Sandy closed my campus for a few days, my students and I had to conduct our course online. It was wholly inadequate. Online learning cannot – and should not – replace the real-time dialogue of the in-person classroom.

Energy Voices
New York imposes gas rationing. Here's how it works. (+video)

New York's new gas rationing system goes into effect with police on hand to ensure it's enforced. Cars with license plates ending in an odd number will be able to fill up Friday. Even-number license plates can fill up Saturday.

Progress Watch
Poland takes top honors for 'most improved' in cutting red tape

It's getting easier to do business in many countries, according to a World Bank report, with Eastern Europe and Central Asia making significant strides this year.

As 'fiscal cliff' looms, stock markets shudder at economic 'uncertainty'

Tuesday's election has stirred stock markets' concerns about the economy, with the Dow Jones falling 2 percent Wednesday. The reason: Washington appears poised for gridlock – again.

Energy Voices
Green technologies: Portable wind turbine promises off-grid power

Like many green technologies, wind power's main drawback is a matter of size: Small turbines are inefficient and expensive, and utility scale turbines require too much land and capital for some communities. The Portable Power Center, a mobile, mid-sized wind turbine, could be just right.

Energy Voices
Can renewables prevent future blackouts from storms?

Solar, wind and other renewable energy sources could help homeowners avoid future blackouts from superstorms like Sandy. But the key to preventing blackouts is how the grid is connected.

Global News Blog
Krakow's mini-boom in IT attracts Polish and foreign techies

Some 70 multinational firms have opened, employing 20,000 skilled workers – Poles and foreigners alike – in Krakow, which some call a small Silicon Valley of Central Europe.

Energy Voices
The promise (and shortcomings) of fusion energy

Despite difficulties in harnessing the power, fusion holds great promise in meeting our energy needs, Holland writes.

Change Agent
An entrepreneurial approach to sanitation

The social entrepreneurs at Sanergy supply badly needed clean toilets in the developing world and then sell off the waste they gather.

Is that online review a fake?

Paid product reviews are spreading on the Internet. Can technology help?

The Monitor's View: What Supreme Court missed on use of race in admissions

In its hearing on affirmative action at the University of Texas, the Supreme Court didn't weigh how much higher education can make itself more accessible to all.

Energy Voices
Romney, Obama reps square off over energy plans in debate

Which presidential candidate has the right energy plan for the future? Surrogates for President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney presented two vastly different visions for America's energy future in a debate at MIT last Friday.

The Simple Dollar
College savings: What's the best investment plan?

College savings can be tricky, because some come with a tax penalty if too much is put away. A Roth IRA for your child, to be used for educational purposes, can be a good college savings option. Question 6 in this week's mailbag. 

The 20 most fascinating accidental inventions

Most inventors strive for weeks, months, or years to perfect their products. (Thomas Edison tried thousands of different light bulb filaments before arriving at the ideal mixture of tungsten.) But sometimes, brilliance strikes by accident. Here's a salute to the scientists, chefs, and everyday folk who stumbled upon greatness – and, more important, shared their mistakes with the world.

UPDATE: After great reader feedback, we've added five additional accidental inventions: Stainless steel, plastic, ice cream cones, Post-it Notes, and matches.

Focus
China and Japan face off: Tiny islands, big dispute (+video)

The China and Japan face off over five islands has sunk relations to a 40-year low - the worst since diplomatic relations began. But the sabre rattling is just for show, say analysts.

Origin of black holes' monstrous energy blasts discovered

Bursts of energy known as relativistic jets spew out matter at close to the speed of light. These jets can travel across an entire galaxy, suggesting they can affect the evolution of the galaxy.