Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Wed, Oct 07, 2026 12:41 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Steven Barrett

Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Steven Barrett is the Raymond L. Bisplinghoff Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the Director of the Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment and leads the MIT Electric Aircraft Initiative. Steven is also a Visiting Professor at University College London. From 2012 to 2015 he was Associate Director of the Partnership for Air Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction (PARTNER) — a 12 university Center of Excellence sponsored by FAA, NASA, DOD, EPA and Transport Canada, with participants from 50 industry and government organizations. Before joining MIT in 2010 he was a university lecturer at Cambridge University, where he completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in aerospace engineering.

The main goal of Steven’s research is to advance understanding of the environmental impacts of aviation, and to develop technological, fuel-based and regulatory strategies to mitigate these impacts. His research includes work to improve understanding of the climate impacts of aviation emissions, assess the environmental and economic feasibility of biofuels, develop and evaluate electric aircraft propulsion technologies, and quantify the air pollution impacts of ground transportation. He has written approximately 70 archival journal publications and is current or former supervisor of more than 40 graduate theses. Steven’s current teaching at MIT includes the undergraduate jet and rocket propulsion course, and a graduate-level course on aerospace, energy, and the environment. He has contributed to STEM outreach activities since 2003.

The secondhand smoke you're breathing may have come from another state

Feb 13, 2020 00:07 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

Scientists estimate that each year in the U.S., outdoor air pollution shortens the lives of about 100,000 people by one to two decades. As it turns out, much of this pollution originates not in a persons own...

Inspired by sci-fi, an airplane with no moving parts and a blue ionic glow

Nov 26, 2018 16:59 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science

Since their invention more than 100 years ago, airplanes have been moved through the air by the spinning surfaces of propellers or turbines. But watching science fiction movies like the Star Wars, Star Trek and Back to the...

Economy

RBI Raises Repo Rate to 5.50% in Hawkish Shift on Inflation Risks

The Reserve Bank of India raised its benchmark repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% on Wednesday, delivering its first interest rate hike since February 2023 as policymakers respond to rising inflation risks and...

European Stocks Fall as Oil Rises Ahead of Fed Minutes

European shares moved lower on Wednesday as investors took profits following recent gains, with rising crude oil prices and caution ahead of the Federal Reserves meeting minutes weighing on market sentiment. The...

US Stock Futures Flat as Fed Minutes, Earnings Loom

U.S. stock futures were largely unchanged in Asian trading Wednesday after the SP 500 and Nasdaq Composite reached record closing highs, with investors awaiting Federal Reserve meeting minutes and the upcoming...

Asian Currencies Mixed as Yen Weakens, Dollar Holds Firm

Asian currencies traded mixed on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar remained near recent highs, while the Japanese yen weakened toward 158 per dollar amid uncertainty over the Bank of Japans policy outlook and renewed concerns...

Gold Prices Fall as Stronger Dollar Weighs on Bullion

Gold prices fell on Wednesday as a stronger U.S. dollar pressured bullion, while improving Middle East oil supplies and easing Treasury yields reduced expectations for further aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate...

Politics

JD Vance Says Iran Must Cut Nuclear Enrichment to End War

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Iran must significantly reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity to meet Washingtons conditions for ending the seven-month war, putting Tehrans nuclear program at the center of efforts to...

Houthis Strike Aden Airport as Yemen Fighting Escalates

Houthi forces launched ballistic missiles and explosive drones at Aden International Airport early Wednesday as fighting intensified between the Iran-aligned group and Yemens Saudi-backed government. Yemens Transport...

Rapidus Seeks Chip Customers as Japan Pushes 2nm Semiconductor Revival

Japans Rapidus is expanding partnerships with global chip design companies as the state-backed semiconductor manufacturer races to secure customers for its planned 2-nanometre production facility. Backed by roughly $15...

Vance Demands Iran Cut Nuclear Enrichment to End War

US Vice President JD Vance said Iran must significantly reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity before Washington will agree to end the seven-month US-Iran war, stressing that concrete action rather than diplomatic...

North Korea Slams US Taiwan Arms Sales, Reaffirms Russia Support

North Korea has criticized the United States for supplying weapons and military support to Taiwan, accusing Washington of increasing tensions across the Taiwan Strait as Pyongyang also reaffirmed its backing for Russia. In...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Intel Reaffirms Role in Elon Musk’s Terafab Chip Project

Intel will continue working with Elon Musk on the ambitious Terafab semiconductor project, CEO Lip-Bu Tan said, reaffirming the U.S. chipmakers role despite speculation that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC)...

LG Electronics Shares Slide as Q3 Profit Misses Estimates

LG Electronics shares dropped sharply on Wednesday after the South Korean technology giant reported preliminary third-quarter operating profit that fell short of market expectations, despite delivering solid year-on-year...

SpaceX Seeks $40 Billion for Nvidia AI Chips

SpaceX is seeking to raise about $40 billion to finance a major purchase of Nvidia artificial intelligence chips, with Apollo Global Management expected to lead the fundraising effort, the Financial Times reported Tuesday....

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Warns Mythos AI Raises Cyber Risk Tenfold

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has warned that advanced artificial intelligence systems are dramatically increasing cybersecurity risks for global banks, calling cyberattacks the financial giants biggest threat. Speaking...

Anthropic Expands Claude Access for Cyber Defense Teams

Anthropic has expanded access to its most advanced artificial intelligence models for verified cybersecurity professionals and select government partners, aiming to strengthen defenses against threats targeting critical...