In the News

Members of the MechE community may be familiar with Lock the Quill, a podcast that features “interviews and antics” from the Pappalardo Lab, aka “the most wicked lab on campus,” but did you know that MIT is also home to several other podcasts and other types of audio stories?  

As the summer starts to draw to a close and fall rhythms start to return, explore some of the most forward-thinking voices in research, education, and technology. Whether you're interested in tackling climate change, exploring big ideas with trailblazing thinkers, or staying connected to breakthrough-edge research and culture, these shows deliver thought-provoking content straight from the heart of MIT that’s engaging, insightful, and inspiring. Here are a few shows and recommended stories featuring members of the MechE community.   

TIL Climate (Today I Learned: Climate) is an award-winning podcast produced by the MIT Climate Project that breaks down the science, tech, and policy behind climate change. Designed to help listeners understand the issues and make smart choices for a sustainable future, each episode dives into how climate change affects our lives and features insights from leading scientists and experts. 

In Season 5, Episode 7, "Energy Storage: Keeping the Lights on with a Clean Electric Grid" Professor Asegun Henry explains that while renewables like wind and solar are helping us move away from fossil fuels, they don’t produce energy all the time. This episode dives into why that’s a challenge and explores the different technologies that can store energy for when the sun isn’t shining, or the wind isn’t blowing. 

In Curiosity Unbounded, MIT President Sally Kornbluth talks with the extraordinary people shaping the Institute. Guests explore big global challenges, share bold ideas, and reflect on what motivates them and what keeps them up at night, all while offering a window into life at MIT. 

Recent MechE guests include Associate Professor Ellen Roche, who holds the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professorship and is Associate Department Head for Research; Associate Professor Giovanni Traverso, the Karl Van Tassel (1925) Career Development Professor; and Associate Professor Stefanie Mueller, the TIBCO Founders Career Development Professor.  

 In Episode 6, “Healing the ailing heart," Roche discusses the development of cutting-edge medical devices such as a bio-robotic artificial heart designed to mimic natural cardiac motion, injectable hydrogels that support tissue regeneration after heart attacks, and adhesive cardiac patches that can deliver therapy directly to the surface of the heart. 

In Episode 10, “Making medicine easier to swallow,” Traverso discusses his work with ingestible sensors devices and pill-sized devices designed to monitor health, deliver drugs, and diagnose disease from within the gastrointestinal tract. Traverso also reflects on the engineering challenges involved, such as designing for biocompatibility, ensuring device stability in the harsh digestive environment, and achieving reliable wireless communication from within the body. 

In Episode 13, “The future of customizable 3D printing,” Mueller, discusses her research on interactive 3D printing and human-computer interaction. She researches technologies that let users modify objects during the printing process, as well as systems that enable post-print reconfiguration through shape-changing or color-shifting materials. 

While not a traditional podcast, MIT News offers audio versions of some news articles. Listeners can catch up on stories highlighting bold innovations and research. 

One audio article features a look at innovative work by Svetlana Boriskina, a principal research scientist in MechE. The story, "Could we recycle plastic bags into fabrics of the future?" dives into how polyethylene from plastic bags could be turned into wearable materials, like sneakers or hoodies.  

Another article, “Adhesive inspired by hitchhiking sucker fish sticks to soft surfaces underwater,” provides listeners with a way to learn about recent work from Traverso’s lab. Listeners can choose to hear the story read by an AI voice.