June/July 2008
Why Does Health Care Cost So Much?
Frustrated emergency-room doctor Paul Hochfeld '72, SM '73 explores why U.S. health care costs so much and argues that a single-payer system is a good solution.

April/May 2008
Should the FDA Expand Regulation of Medical Software?
Is an expansion of the FDA's regulatory authority over medical software good for the public health? Not without a dedicated and specialized army of software engineers, argues attorney Janice Hogan '88—something the FDA doesn't seem to have the resources for.

February/March 2008
A Manifesto for Tackling Global Warming and Oil Addiction
How can the U.S. achieve energy independence? Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran '90 argues that public policy needs to change—and people need to start paying an honest price for gasoline—before clean cars and carbon-free energy have a fighting chance.

December 2007/January 2008
Netting Net Neutrality
Dan Hesse SM '89 argues that net neutrality, which he says is net regulation, could stifle broadband investments.

October/November 2007
The Lord of the Techies
Can science and religion harmoniously coexist in one's life? Brother Guy Consolmagno, '74, SM '75, a Jesuit astronomer at the Vatican Observatory, shares how he fuses religious devotion and scientific fervor.

August/September 2007
Don't Be Your Own Worst Enemy
What do successful CEOs have in common? Stephen Baum SM '64 interviewed dozens of prominent business leaders and found 10 archetypal shaping experiences responsible for their personal growth.

June/July 2007
Dr. Mom: The Truth about the Mommy Track
Physician Tara Bishop '97 discusses her struggles with being a stay-at-home mom, including feeling embarrassed at wasting her MIT degree and bored at the lack of intellectual stimulation.

April/May 2007
Powering Up With Better Hybrids
Electric hybrid cars are all the rage with the environmentally conscious. But are they the right hybrid? Rit Booth '74 argues there's a better and often overlooked solution.

February/March 2007
Overhauling the Tax System—The Transaction Tax
Not satisfied with the complex U.S. tax system? John Gunther '72 proposes a simplified alternative: a transactional tax that will collect revenues every time money changes hands.

December 2006/January 2007
The Taming of the School: How System Dynamics Can Aid Underachieving African-American Students
Despite the No Child Left Behind legislation, African-Americans continue to lag behind their white counterparts academically. Kas Salawu CE '78 argues that society must use a systemic approach to tackle this policy-resistant problem.

October/November 2006
Consumer VoIP: Plusses, Potholes, and How MIT Alums Are Filling the Gap
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has matured into a bona-fide consumer product. Stacy Swider '89 describes the urgent questions that accompany the development of this telephone technology and how alumni are building companies to provide answers.

August/September 2006
Range Voting: The Best Way to Select a Leader?
Two-party domination, gerrymandering, 98 percent race predictability, and media blackout of minor-party views led Warren D. Smith '84 to propose an alternative to the electoral college system used to elect US presidents.

June/July 2006
Is Religion Good for You?
Religion plays an important role in determining individual well-being concludes Jonathan Gruber '87, an MIT professor and economist.

April/May 2006
Planning a Stronger City: Ecology, Education, and the Protection of New Orleans
Four urban studies and planning graduate students have one solution for rebuilding and protecting New Orleans: urban wetlands. With MIT funding, they've created a wetland demonstration project and environmental education park in the heart of the city.

February/March 2006
Innovation and Its Pitfalls: What the MIT Curriculum Should Address
The U.S. government, legal system, and media impede innovation when it comes to medical devices and implants argues Charles A. Homsy '53. One culprit? The Food and Drug Administration.

December 2005/January 2006
Blogs and Their Impact on Society
Three writers weigh in on how blogs affect our culture, arguing that the democratic media form will lead to Pulitzer-like prizes for Web content, encourage new subcultures to develop, and influence journalism.

October/November 2005
Is LNG Safe?
Offshore LNG terminals are much safer than their onshore counterparts, yet few of the existing or proposed U.S. terminals are of this type. Why? Because the LNG industry eschews change, argues James A. Fay OE '47.

August/September 2005
Recovery and Reuse of Unused Prescription Drugs: Combining New Technologies, Social Policy, and Actual Implementation
One way to lower rising prescription drug costs is to recycle unused medicine says Moshe Alamaro ME '99, SM '01, a research affiliate at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences & Technology.

June/July 2005
Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Cultivating Successful Businesses at MIT
How does MIT stand above the competition when it comes to commercializing new technologies through entrepreneurship? With multi-faceted and evolving entrepreneurial ecosystems says Joseph G. Hadzima Jr. '73, SM '77.

May 2005
Fraternities and MIT: A Winning Combination
Does membership in fraternities, sororities, and other independent living groups (FSILGs) enhance the MIT experience and make for more active alumni? Drew Jaglom '74, P '05 thinks so.

April 2005
The Tsunami Aftermath: Doing What Can Be Done
"Plans. Schedules. The illusion that we are in control of our lives. Sometimes an event challenges those illusions. December 26, 2004, and the days that followed were filled with events like that for me and for thousands of people," writes Anita Horton '75. Read her moving account of the volunteer effort in the aftermath of the tsunami.

March 2005
Stem cells - Potential and Pitfalls
"We cannot talk about the potential of stem cells without an awareness of the ethical and political considerations," writes Erin Lavik '95, SM '97, ScD '01. "Likewise, though, we cannot address these issues without an understanding of the science of these cells." The Yale biomedical engineering assistant professor shares her research and insights.

January 2005
Traveling on the Road to Success with UPOP
For Ian Ybarra '04, success in life doesn't always coincide with a chosen course of study.

November 2004
Pixel Power: Computing Higher Productivity for Oil
It is mathematically impossible for the US to do without Middle Eastern oil, says Alex Lightman '83, but could computer visualization centers change that?

October 2004
No Technology? No Problem
Eric Brende, a Course 17 graduate from the Class of '92 and self-proclaimed Luddite, spent 18 months technology free. So, how'd he do it? And why?

September 2004
Niche Marketing
Why compete against brilliancy when it's possible to be a highly successful low-tech entrepreneur? Herb Kavet '58 explains.

August 2004
Offshoring Conflicts with National Interests
In response to June's What Matters column which supported offshoring of domestic jobs to foreign countries, Michael Sarfatti '76, SM '78 takes the opposite viewpoint: that offshoring only benefits investors and management elites while the costs are increasingly borne by workers and middle class professionals.

July 2004
The Benefits of Home Schooling
For years, parents have debated the merits of public versus private education, but some are opting for neither. Wyatt Webb '92 explains that home schooling, while it has its challenges, can be a rewarding opportunity.

June 2004
Offshoring
Will the trend of offshoring American jobs to foreign countries inhibit or stimulate economic growth in the United States? We posed this question to IBM Software Engineer Satwik Seshasai SB '01, ME '02. Read his response and share your own opinions.

May 2004
Opinions and Responses
In last month's issue we asked readers where they stood on the issue of same-sex marriage. Read the responses, review the original column, or submit your own thoughts.

April 2004
In Support of Same-Sex Marriage
By William Ramstrom '90
Is there anything more basic to the "pursuit of happiness" than the right to marry the person you love?

March 2004
e-Guideways
By Bruce A. McHenry SM '97
Our daily commute might one day be paved by electricity.

February 2004
One Way to Mars
With Joe Gavin '41
Sending astronauts to the Red Planet would be more viable if we leave them there.