Breaching a “carbon threshold” could lead to mass extinction
Carbon dioxide emissions may trigger a reflex in the carbon cycle, with devastating consequences, study finds.
Search Stories
Spotting objects amid clutter
New approach quickly finds hidden objects in dense point clouds, for use in driverless cars or work spaces with robotic assistants.
Engineers 3-D print flexible mesh for ankle and knee braces
Techniques could lead to personalized wearable and implantable devices.
A droplet walks into an electric field …
Researchers have found a simple formula that could be useful for air purification, space propulsion, and molecular analyses.
An escape route for carbon
Study shows minerals sequester carbon for thousands of years, which may explain oxygen’s abundance in the atmosphere.
Algorithm tells robots where nearby humans are headed
A new tool for predicting a person’s movement trajectory may help humans and robots work together in close proximity.
Pantry ingredients can help grow carbon nanotubes
Study finds baking soda, detergent, and table salt — all rich in sodium — are effective catalysts.
Mathematical technique quickly tunes next-generation lenses
“Metasurfaces” that manipulate light at tiny scales could find uses in cellphone lenses, smart-car sensors, and optical fibers.
Grad student John Urschel tackles his lifelong balance of math and football in new memoir
“Being capable of thinking quantitatively — it’s the single most important thing,” says the former NFL lineman.
Robots shoot for the moon in MIT’s annual 2.007 competition
Robotic sweepers, flappers, and telescoping arms face off for a shot at coveted engineering prize.
Explosions of universe’s first stars spewed powerful jets
Instead of ballooning into spheres, as once thought, early supernovae ejected jets that may have seeded new stars.
Ocean activity is key controller of summer monsoons
Results may help researchers interpret ancient monsoon variations, predict future activity in the face of climate change.
North Atlantic Ocean productivity has dropped 10 percent during Industrial era
Phytoplankton decline coincides with warming temperatures over the last 150 years.
3 Questions: Salvatore Vitale on LIGO’s latest detections
“We will keep listening for these faint and remote cosmic whispers,” says the physics professor.
New polymer films conduct heat instead of trapping it
Material may replace many metals as lightweight, flexible heat dissipators in cars, refrigerators, and electronics.