Engineers find a new way to convert carbon dioxide into useful products
MIT chemical engineers have devised an efficient way to convert carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide, a chemical precursor that can be used to generate useful compounds such as ethanol and other fuels.If...
View Article“Life is short, so aim high”
When Rafael Jaramillo talks about his favorite accomplishments, it quickly becomes clear that he has the right temperament for a researcher — he is energized by a challenge and the prospect of hard...
View ArticleShining a light on oil fields to make them more sustainable
Operating an oil field is complex and there is a staggeringly long list of things that can go wrong.One of the most common problems is spills of the salty brine that’s a toxic byproduct of pumping oil....
View ArticleA new computational technique could make it easier to engineer useful proteins
To engineer proteins with useful functions, researchers usually begin with a natural protein that has a desirable function, such as emitting fluorescent light, and put it through many rounds of random...
View ArticleMIT researchers discover “neutronic molecules”
Neutrons are subatomic particles that have no electric charge, unlike protons and electrons. That means that while the electromagnetic force is responsible for most of the interactions between...
View ArticleUnlocking new science with devices that control electric power
Mo Mirvakili PhD ’17 was in the middle of an experiment as a postdoc at MIT when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Grappling with restricted access to laboratory facilities, he decided to transform his...
View ArticleResearchers 3D print key components for a point-of-care mass spectrometer
Mass spectrometry, a technique that can precisely identify the chemical components of a sample, could be used to monitor the health of people who suffer from chronic illnesses. For instance, a mass...
View ArticleQ&A: Tips for viewing the 2024 solar eclipse
On Monday, April 8, the United States will experience a total solar eclipse — a rare astronomical event where the moon passes directly between the sun and the Earth, blocking out the sun’s light almost...
View ArticleReevaluating an approach to functional brain imaging
A new way of imaging the brain with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) does not directly detect neural activity as originally reported, according to scientists at MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain...
View ArticleClik here to view.
When an antibiotic fails: MIT scientists are using AI to target “sleeper”...
Since the 1970s, modern antibiotic discovery has been experiencing a lull. Now the World Health Organization has declared the antimicrobial resistance crisis as one of the top 10 global public health...
View ArticleExtracting hydrogen from rocks
It’s commonly thought that the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen, exists mainly alongside other elements — with oxygen in water, for example, and with carbon in methane. But naturally...
View ArticleA faster, better way to prevent an AI chatbot from giving toxic responses
A user could ask ChatGPT to write a computer program or summarize an article, and the AI chatbot would likely be able to generate useful code or write a cogent synopsis. However, someone could also ask...
View ArticleTackling cancer at the nanoscale
When Paula Hammond first arrived on MIT’s campus as a first-year student in the early 1980s, she wasn’t sure if she belonged. In fact, as she told an MIT audience yesterday, she felt like “an...
View ArticleQS World University Rankings rates MIT No. 1 in 11 subjects for 2024
QS World University Rankings has placed MIT in the No. 1 spot in 11 subject areas for 2024, the organization announced today.The Institute received a No. 1 ranking in the following QS subject areas:...
View ArticleWith inspiration from “Tetris,” MIT researchers develop a better radiation...
The spread of radioactive isotopes from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan in 2011 and the ongoing threat of a possible release of radiation from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear complex in the...
View ArticleMIT-Mexico Program fosters cross-border collaboration
Favianna Colón Irizarry spent last summer at Tecnológico de Monterrey, working alongside Mexican biotechnology researchers to develop a biodegradable coating that prolongs the shelf life of local...
View ArticleImproving drug development with a vast map of the immune system
The human immune system is a network made up of trillions of cells that are constantly circulating throughout the body. The cellular network orchestrates interactions with every organ and tissue to...
View ArticleNew AI method captures uncertainty in medical images
In biomedicine, segmentation involves annotating pixels from an important structure in a medical image, like an organ or cell. Artificial intelligence models can help clinicians by highlighting pixels...
View ArticleA crossroads for computing at MIT
On Vassar Street, in the heart of MIT’s campus, the MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing recently opened the doors to its new headquarters in Building 45. The building’s central location and...
View ArticleA new way to detect radiation involving cheap ceramics
The radiation detectors used today for applications like inspecting cargo ships for smuggled nuclear materials are expensive and cannot operate in harsh environments, among other disadvantages. Now, in...
View ArticleMIT tops among single-campus universities in US patents granted
In an era defined by unprecedented challenges and opportunities, MIT remains at the forefront of pioneering research and innovation.The Institute's relentless pursuit of knowledge has once again been...
View ArticleA biomedical engineer pivots from human movement to women’s health
Watching her uncle play a video game when she was a small child started Shaniel Bowen on her path to becoming a biomedical engineer. The game, “Metal Gear Solid 2,” introduced her to exoskeletons,...
View Article“Nanostitches” enable lighter and tougher composite materials
To save on fuel and reduce aircraft emissions, engineers are looking to build lighter, stronger airplanes out of advanced composites. These engineered materials are made from high-performance fibers...
View ArticleWomen in STEM — A celebration of excellence and curiosity
What better way to commemorate Women's History Month and International Women's Day than to give three of the world’s most accomplished scientists an opportunity to talk about their careers? On March...
View ArticleA blueprint for making quantum computers easier to program
When MIT professor and now Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) member Peter Shor first demonstrated the potential of quantum computers to solve problems faster than...
View Article3 Questions: Enhancing last-mile logistics with machine learning
Across the country, hundreds of thousands of drivers deliver packages and parcels to customers and companies each day, with many click-to-door times averaging only a few days. Coordinating a supply...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Plant sensors could act as an early warning system for farmers
Using a pair of sensors made from carbon nanotubes, researchers from MIT and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) have discovered signals that reveal when plans are...
View ArticleFor more open and equitable public discussions on social media, try “meronymity”
Have you ever felt reluctant to share ideas during a meeting because you feared judgment from senior colleagues? You’re not alone. Research has shown this pervasive issue can lead to a lack of...
View ArticleFour MIT faculty named 2023 AAAS Fellows
Four MIT faculty members have been elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).The 2023 class of AAAS Fellows includes 502 scientists, engineers, and innovators...
View ArticleNew flight procedures to reduce noise from aircraft departing and arriving at...
If you’re a resident of Hull, Lynn, Salem, or other Massachusetts towns currently exposed to noise from aircraft approaching Boston Logan Airport, you may notice the skies getting a little quieter this...
View ArticleNew major crosses disciplines to address climate change
Lauren Aguilar knew she wanted to study energy systems at MIT, but before Course 1-12 (Climate System Science and Engineering) became a new undergraduate major, she didn't see an obvious path to study...
View ArticleAdvancing technology for aquaculture
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, aquaculture in the United States represents a $1.5 billion industry annually. Like land-based farming, shellfish aquaculture requires...
View ArticleTo build a better AI helper, start by modeling the irrational behavior of humans
To build AI systems that can collaborate effectively with humans, it helps to have a good model of human behavior to start with. But humans tend to behave suboptimally when making decisions.This...
View ArticleFeatured video: Moooving the needle on methane
Methane traps much more heat per pound than carbon dioxide, making it a powerful contributor to climate change. “In fact, methane emission removal is the fastest way that we can ensure immediate...
View ArticleTwenty-three MIT faculty honored as "Committed to Caring" for 2023-25
In the halls of MIT, a distinctive thread of compassion weaves through the fabric of education. As students adjust to a postpandemic normal, many professors have played a pivotal role by helping them...
View ArticleErin Bahm, Steven Parks named 2024–25 UPS Fellows
The MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics (CTL) has announced Erin Bahm and Steven Parks as recipients of the UPS Fellowship for the 2024–25 academic year.Made possible by a grant from the UPS...
View Article“No one can work in civil engineering alone”
Growing up in Colorado Springs, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Mikayla Britsch was encouraged to care deeply about the area’s natural resources and the people who lived there. She followed the...
View ArticleThis tiny chip can safeguard user data while enabling efficient computing on...
Health-monitoring apps can help people manage chronic diseases or stay on track with fitness goals, using nothing more than a smartphone. However, these apps can be slow and energy-inefficient because...
View ArticleHow light can vaporize water without the need for heat
It’s the most fundamental of processes — the evaporation of water from the surfaces of oceans and lakes, the burning off of fog in the morning sun, and the drying of briny ponds that leaves solid salt...
View ArticleProfessor Emeritus Bernhardt Wuensch, crystallographer and esteemed educator,...
MIT Professor Emeritus Bernhardt Wuensch ’55, SM ’57, PhD ’63, a crystallographer and beloved teacher whose warmth and dedication to ensuring his students mastered the complexities of a precise science...
View ArticleMapping the brain pathways of visual memorability
For nearly a decade, a team of MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) researchers have been seeking to uncover why certain images persist in a people's minds, while many...
View ArticleA closed-loop drug-delivery system could improve chemotherapy
When cancer patients undergo chemotherapy, the dose of most drugs is calculated based on the patient’s body surface area. This is estimated by plugging the patient’s height and weight into an equation,...
View ArticleMIT scientists tune the entanglement structure in an array of qubits
Entanglement is a form of correlation between quantum objects, such as particles at the atomic scale. This uniquely quantum phenomenon cannot be explained by the laws of classical physics, yet it is...
View ArticleIan Waitz named vice president for research
In a letter to the MIT community today, President Sally Kornbluth announced the appointment of Ian A. Waitz to the position of vice president for research. In the role, Waitz will report to the...
View ArticleCircadian rhythms can influence drugs’ effectiveness
Giving drugs at different times of day could significantly affect how they are metabolized in the liver, according to a new study from MIT.Using tiny, engineered livers derived from cells from human...
View ArticleMIT announces 2024 Bose Grants
MIT Provost Cynthia Barnhart announced four Professor Amar G. Bose Research Grants to support bold research projects across diverse areas of study, including a way to generate clean hydrogen from deep...
View ArticleStudy demonstrates efficacy of MIT-led Brave Behind Bars program
Several years ago, a team of scientists from MIT and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell designed and deployed a first-of-its-kind web programming course for incarcerated individuals across...
View ArticleTwo MIT teams selected for NSF sustainable materials grants
Two teams led by MIT researchers were selected in December 2023 by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Convergence Accelerator, a part of the TIP Directorate, to receive awards of $5 million...
View Article3 Questions: A shared vocabulary for how infectious diseases spread
On April 18, the World Health Organization (WHO) released new guidance on airborne disease transmission that seeks to create a consensus around the terminology used to describe the transmission of...
View ArticleTwo from MIT awarded 2024 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
MIT graduate student Riyam Al Msari and alumna Francisca Vasconcelos ’20 are among the 30 recipients of this year’s Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. In addition, two Soros winners...
View Article
