MIT in the media: 2021 in review
MIT community members made headlines around the world for their innovative approaches to addressing problems local and global.
MIT community in 2021: A year in review
Top Institute stories dealt with the return to campus and continued response to Covid-19, MIT’s commitments to climate action, its support of a diverse community, and more.
MIT’s top research stories of 2021
The year’s popular research stories include a promising new approach to cancer immunotherapy, the confirmation of a 50-year-old theorem, and a major fusion breakthrough.
MIT engineers test an idea for a new hovering rover
A levitating vehicle might someday explore the moon, asteroids, and other airless planetary surfaces.
Could acid-neutralizing life-forms make habitable pockets in Venus’ clouds?
A new study shows it’s theoretically possible. The hypothesis could be tested soon with proposed Venus-bound missions.
MIT engineers produce the world’s longest flexible fiber battery
The rechargeable battery can be woven and washed, and could provide power for fiber-based electronic devices and sensors.
Sensor based on quantum physics could detect SARS-CoV-2 virus
Mathematical simulations show the new approach may offer faster, cheaper, and more accurate detection, including identifying new variants.
Selective separation could help alleviate critical metals shortage
A new way of processing rare-earth and other key metals to separate them from other materials could reduce environmental impact and cost.
Expanding the conversation about sustainability
Senior Stacy Godfreey-Igwe seeks to make marginalized communities more visible in the fight against climate change.
Q&A: Cathy Wu on developing algorithms to safely integrate robots into our world
Assistant professor of civil engineering describes her career in robotics as well as challenges and promises of human-robot interactions.
Giving bug-like bots a boost
A new fabrication technique produces low-voltage, power-dense artificial muscles that improve the performance of flying microrobots.
From counting blood cells to motion capture, sensors drive patient-centered research
SENSE.nano symposium highlights the importance of sensing technologies in medical studies.
Nonsense can make sense to machine-learning models
Deep-learning methods confidently recognize images that are nonsense, a potential problem for medical and autonomous-driving decisions.
Systems scientists find clues to why false news snowballs on social media
A new model shows that the more polarized and hyperconnected a social network is, the more likely misinformation will spread.
From “cheetah-noids” to humanoids
Benjamin Katz '16, SM '18 is applying the skills he gained working on MIT's mini cheetah robot to the ATLAS project at Boston Dynamics.