Machines can't always take the heat − two engineers explain the physics behind how heat waves threaten everything from cars to computers

People aren’t the only ones harmed by heat waves. The hotter it gets, the harder it is for machines to keep their cool.

Matthew T. Hughes, Postdoctoral Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) • conversation
Aug. 29, 2023 • ~9 min

The dirty truth about your phone – and why you need to stop scrolling in the bathroom

Your mobile phone is 10 times dirtier than a toilet seat. Here’s what to do about it.

Primrose Freestone, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Microbiology, University of Leicester • conversation
April 24, 2023 • ~7 min

FTC lawsuit spotlights a major privacy risk: From call records to sensors, your phone reveals more about you than you think

Even a burner phone paid for with cash can reveal your identity and where you’ve been. A data privacy expert explains.

Susan Landau, Professor of Cyber Security and Policy, Tufts University • conversation
Aug. 30, 2022 • ~9 min

Impending demise of Roe v. Wade puts a spotlight on a major privacy risk: Your phone reveals more about you than you think

Even a burner phone paid for with cash can reveal your identity and where you’ve been. A data privacy expert explains.

Susan Landau, Professor of Cyber Security and Policy, Tufts University • conversation
May 23, 2022 • ~9 min

What is 3G and why is it being shut down? An electrical engineer explains

As the wireless telecommunications companies ramp up their 5G rollouts, they are beginning to pull the plug on their 3G networks. 2022 is the end of the line for the venerable cellphone service.

Mai Vu, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tufts University • conversation
Feb. 22, 2022 • ~8 min

Pairing lasers with microwaves makes mind-bogglingly accurate electronic clocks – a potential boon for GPS, cell phones and radar

Researchers have made some of the most accurate clocks imaginable in recent years, but the trick is harnessing those clocks to electronics. Using lasers to tune microwaves bridges the gap.

Franklyn Quinlan, Physicist, National Institute of Standards and Technology • conversation
May 22, 2020 • ~7 min

Screens are keeping us connected now – but they're still disruptive to in-person communication

Research shows smartphone use disrupts an essential facet of human connection – eye contact.

Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, Professor of Psychology, Hunter College • conversation
April 15, 2020 • ~6 min

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