Ian Thomsen, Author at News @ Northeastern

Photo of a smartphone screen showing 5G service.

Is 5G really a threat to air travel?

Why did international air carriers feel it necessary to cancel or adjust flights based on the emergence of 5G towers in the U.S.? Answers and a potential solution are offered by Tommaso Melodia, the William Lincoln Smith Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northeastern.

by Ian Thomsen January 20, 2022

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Free speech on social media doesn’t mean the same thing around the world

A Northeastern study of four democracies found that people in other countries differ from Americans as to how social media companies should be regulated—especially in cases that cause harm or distress.

by Ian Thomsen January 18, 2022

Mother-daughter duo bake dreams come true with Asian-inspired sweet treats

Meghan Phan, a philosophy student at Northeastern, helps run the Sweet Piglet Bakery and Cafe with her mother one dozen miles from the Boston campus. “Baking with her is just another way to have quality time together, chatting and doing what we love,” says Phan.

by Ian Thomsen January 12, 2022

A truck arrives to pick up a shipping container near vessels moored at Maersk APM Terminals Pacific at the Port of Los Angeles. The Port of Los Angeles is on track to move a record volume of import cargo this year. Officials at the nation's busiest port expect to hit the new mark, even as they struggle to clear a backup of ship traffic and ease supply chain snarls that have been blamed for product shortages and higher shelf prices.

Supply chains are a mess. But there’s hope on the horizon.

The ongoing bottlenecks are likely to contribute to inflation as businesses pass rising costs on to consumers. But there are potential fixes to be found in 18th-century shipping systems, says Stephen Flynn, founding director of the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern.

by Ian Thomsen January 11, 2022

Founder and CEO of BuzzFeed Jonah H. Peretti celebrates ringing the bell with team members during BuzzFeed Inc.'s Listing Day at Nasdaq in New York City.

BuzzFeed went public. It’s about time.

The 15-year-old company went public in December, and Vox Media is considering a similar leap. The moves are long overdue and may offer examples of how smaller digital companies can survive, say Northeastern experts.

by Ian Thomsen January 6, 2022

Tommy Miller skates for the Northeastern men's ice hockey team.

Fresh from an unexpected month off, both Huskies teams seek national ice hockey titles

When their December trip to Switzerland for the World University Winter Games was abruptly canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Northeastern’s nationally ranked men’s and women’s ice hockey teams had a lot of time on their hands. Each squad responded to the challenge in its own way.

by Ian Thomsen January 2, 2022

Here’s why US workers can be optimistic about the next decade

The demand for labor should remain steady as investments in robotics and other high-tech systems lead to new kinds of work. “Automation can have an upside for workers by increasing the quality of jobs,” says Alicia Sasser Modestino, an economist and associate professor at Northeastern.

by Ian Thomsen December 23, 2021

How his amphibious airplanes could bring flight to inaccessible places

Daniel Peabody-Harrington believes his startup could provide airplane access to underserved regions that lack airport infrastructure. His co-op with the inaugural Roux Institute Techstars Accelerator has helped that goal to take flight, he says.

by Ian Thomsen December 23, 2021

Data privacy is already a challenge–and the metaverse could make it worse

If our privacy is already under siege in the two-dimensional internet, imagine how vulnerable we may be in the 3D metaverse? “Those issues have not been resolved,” warns Brooke Foucault Welles, a Northeastern associate professor of communication studies.

by Ian Thomsen December 22, 2021

U.S. gun sales have been surging, study finds

An estimated 7.5 million U.S. adults became new gun owners over a recent 28-month span, raising a number of risks, according to new research by Matt Miller, a professor of health sciences and epidemiology at Northeastern. “The reality is [gun ownership] makes everyone in the home, on average, much, much less safe,” he says.

by Ian Thomsen December 20, 2021

Posts by Ian Thomsen