In math and in music, senior Holden Mui values interesting ideas, solving problems creatively, and finding meaning in their structures. “People want fresh, new, non-recycled approaches to math and music,” he says.

“You can absolutely improve schools,” Justin Reich, an associate professor in MIT’s Comparative Media Studies/Writing program says. “And we improve schools all the time. It’s just a long, slow process, and everything is kind of incremental.”

International research co-led by MIT political scientist Fotini Christia finds an approach lauded in the US works differently in other regions. “We…highlight how one can work with the police to understand and refine police practices and think very intentionally about all the ethical considerations around such collaborations,” she says of the book that accompanies the research.

New research from MIT linguist and study co-author Athulya Aravind shows that a grasp of grammar helps even very young children figure out when they must acquire new words. “Even at a surprisingly young age, kids have sophisticated knowledge of the grammar of sentences and can use that to learn the meanings of new words,” Aravind says.

MIT’s Center for International Studies presents a discussion on the evolving dynamic between US and Chinese science cooperation at the intersection of innovation and geopolitics. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, February 11 at 5 p.m. in room 10-105 (Bush Room). Reservations are requested.

MIT’s Center for International Studies presents “Nuclear Threats,” part of its Wednesday Seminar series, on Wednesday, February 12 at 12 p.m. in E40-496. Claremont McKenna College professor Lisa Koch will present her research on how US decision-makers perceive and respond to 21st-century nuclear threats.