Using wobbling stellar material, astronomers measure the spin of a supermassive black hole for the first time
The results offer a new way to probe supermassive black holes and their evolution across the universe.
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John Joannopoulos receives 2024-2025 Killian Award
The MIT physicist is honored for pioneering work in photonics that helped to advance tools for telecommunications and biomedicine.
Newly discovered Earth-sized planet may lack an atmosphere
Circling a cold, Jupiter-sized star, the new world could offer an unobstructed view of its surface composition and history.
Robotic “SuperLimbs” could help moonwalkers recover from falls
A new MIT system could help astronauts conserve energy and extend missions on the lunar surface.
Astronomers spot a giant planet that is as light as cotton candy
The new world is the second-lightest planet discovered to date.
MIT researchers discover the universe’s oldest stars in our own galactic backyard
Three stars circling the Milky Way’s halo formed 12 to 13 billion years ago.
Study: Heavy snowfall and rain may contribute to some earthquakes
The results suggest that climate may influence seismic activity.
MIT astronomers observe elusive stellar light surrounding ancient quasars
The observations suggest some of earliest “monster” black holes grew from massive cosmic seeds.
Physicists arrange atoms in extremely close proximity
The technique opens possibilities for exploring exotic states of matter and building new quantum materials.
Geologists discover rocks with the oldest evidence yet of Earth’s magnetic field
The 3.7 billion-year-old rocks may extend the magnetic field’s age by 200 million years.
“Nanostitches” enable lighter and tougher composite materials
In research that may lead to next-generation airplanes and spacecraft, MIT engineers used carbon nanotubes to prevent cracking in multilayered composites.
Physicist Netta Engelhardt is searching black holes for universal truths
She says one question drives her work: “Which pillars of gravitational physics are just not true?”
MIT engineers design flexible “skeletons” for soft, muscle-powered robots
New modular, spring-like devices maximize the work of live muscle fibers so they can be harnessed to power biohybrid bots.
MIT Haystack scientists prepare a constellation of instruments to observe the solar eclipse’s effects
In a first, four different technologies will monitor changes in the upper atmosphere, locally and across the continent, as the sun’s radiation dips.
Persistent “hiccups” in a far-off galaxy draw astronomers to new black hole behavior
Analysis reveals a tiny black hole repeatedly punching through a larger black hole’s disk of gas.