New tool evaluates progress in reinforcement learning
“IntersectionZoo,” a benchmarking tool, uses a real-world traffic problem to test progress in deep reinforcement learning algorithms.
Department
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Study of facial bacteria could lead to probiotics that promote healthy skin
During the early teen years, many new strains of C. acnes colonize the skin on our faces. This could be an optimal time for probiotic treatment.
Will the vegetables of the future be fortified using tiny needles?
Researchers showed they can inexpensively produce silk microneedles to deliver vitamins or agrochemicals to plants.
Designing a new way to optimize complex coordinated systems
Using diagrams to represent interactions in multipart systems can provide a faster way to design software improvements.
Luna: A moon on Earth
MIT students and faculty designed and fabricated a control room for a unique lunar landing mission — an achievement in design and engineering.
A faster way to solve complex planning problems
By eliminating redundant computations, a new data-driven method can streamline processes like scheduling trains, routing delivery drivers, or assigning airline crews.
For plants, urban heat islands don’t mimic global warming
Scientists have found that trees in cities respond to higher temperatures differently than those in forests, potentially masking climate impacts.
MIT Maritime Consortium sets sail
A new international collaboration unites MIT and maritime industry leaders to develop nuclear propulsion technologies, alternative fuels, data-powered strategies for operation, and more.
A collaboration across continents to solve a plastics problem
MIT students travel to the Amazon, working with locals to address the plastics sustainability crisis.
Making airfield assessments automatic, remote, and safe
U.S. Air Force engineer and PhD student Randall Pietersen is using AI and next-generation imaging technology to detect pavement damage and unexploded munitions.
QS World University Rankings rates MIT No. 1 in 11 subjects for 2025
The Institute also ranks second in seven subject areas.
Study: Tuberculosis relies on protective genes during airborne transmission
The findings provide new drug targets for stopping the infection’s spread.
Markus Buehler receives 2025 Washington Award
Materials scientist is honored for his academic leadership and innovative research that bridge engineering and nature.
Sometimes, when competitors collaborate, everybody wins
Engineers developed a planning tool that can help independent entities decide when they should invest in joint projects.
High-speed videos show what happens when a droplet splashes into a pool
Findings may help predict how rain and irrigation systems launch particles and pathogens from watery surfaces, with implications for industry, agriculture, and public health.