How airplanes counteract St. Elmo’s fire during thunderstorms
On the ground, windy conditions strengthen these electrical flashes, but new experiments tell a different story for flying objects.
Department
Aeronautics and Astronautics
3 Questions: John Leonard on the future of autonomous vehicles
MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future examines job changes in the AV transition and how training can help workers move into careers that support mobility systems.
With Perseverance and a little MOXIE, MIT is going to Mars
Led by MIT researchers, one of the experiments aboard the next mission to the Red Planet aims to generate oxygen from Martian air.
In a first, astronomers watch a black hole’s corona disappear, then reappear
A colliding star may have triggered the drastic transformation.
Twelve MIT faculty honored as “Committed to Caring” for 2020-2021
Honor recognizes faculty mentors who devote true attention to students’ well-being.
Learning during lockdown
Whether seeking a career change or rediscovering intellectual pursuits, learners worldwide turn to MITx courses.
IdeaStream 2020 goes virtual
From machine learning to devices to Covid-19 testing, Deshpande Center projects aim to make a positive impact on the world.
Astronomers detect regular rhythm of radio waves, with origins unknown
Signal from 500 million light years away is the first periodic pattern of radio bursts detected.
From delayed deceleration to Zooming
Jacqueline Thomas PhD ’20 recounts her final academic year at MIT, from once-in-a-lifetime field work to a virtual thesis defense.
QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2020-21
Ranked at the top for the ninth straight year, the Institute also places first in 12 subject areas.
Photorealistic simulator made MIT robot racing competition a live online experience
Teaching assistants in Robotics: Science and Systems pulled out all the stops to help engineering students race across the finish line this spring.
The changing world of work
MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future responds to rapid changes brought by the pandemic.
A data-driven response to a pandemic
Isolat, a volunteer collaboration organized by the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, informs coronavirus policy by analyzing data associated with the pandemic.
To catch an interstellar visitor, use a solar-powered space slingshot
MIT research proposal for rendezvous missions with interstellar objects selected for NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program.
Study: Life might survive, and thrive, in a hydrogen world
When searching for extraterrestrial life, astronomers may want to look at planets with hydrogen-rich atmospheres.