China’s transition to electric vehicles
By 2030, 40 percent of vehicles sold in China will be electric; MIT research finds that despite benefits, the cost to consumers and to society will be substantial.
Department
Mechanical Engineering
How to get salt out of water: Make it self-eject
Crystallizing salts can grow “legs,” then tip over and fall away, potentially helping to prevent fouling of metal surfaces, researchers find.
“Colloidal gels,” ubiquitous in everyday products, divulge their secrets
Study explores the mechanical properties of these materials as they evolve from elastic gels to glassy solids.
Top collegiate inventors awarded 2021 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize
Student inventors recognized on World IP Day for groundbreaking, patentable solutions to issues related to maternal health, energy efficiency, and plastic waste.
To advance climate action, MIT seeks partnerships beyond industry
Engagement with political, community leaders must be a key part of forthcoming climate action plan, MIT climate leaders say.
Synthetic gelatin-like material mimics lobster underbelly’s stretch and strength
The membrane’s structure could provide a blueprint for robust artificial tissues.
Navigating beneath the Arctic ice
A team of MIT engineers has developed a navigational method for autonomous vehicles to navigate accurately in the Arctic Ocean without GPS.
Spencer Compton, Karna Morey, Tara Venkatadri, and Lily Zhang named 2021-22 Goldwater Scholars
Four MIT undergraduates whose research areas explore artificial intelligence, space, and climate change honored for their academic achievements.
Five from MIT elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2021
Prestigious honor society announces more than 250 new members.
Cancer cells soften as they metastasize, study suggests
Developing drugs that prevent this softening might impede tumors’ ability to spread.
From entrepreneur to climate policy advocate
Whether improving sanitation or addressing climate change, Kiara Wahnschafft is drawn to evidence-based methods for tackling social challenges.
An artistic approach to designing medical devices
Jessica Xu, a senior studying mechanical engineering, draws upon her skills as an artist to develop medical devices and assistive technologies.
Professor Emeritus Ernest Cravalho, an expert in thermodynamics and pioneer in thermal fluids education, dies at 82
A leader in thermodynamics, heat transfer, cryopreservation of biomaterials, and energy conversion, Cravalho shaped thermodynamic and biomedical education at MIT.
A safer way to deploy bacteria as environmental sensors
Encapsulating modified bacteria in tough hydrogel spheres prevents them from spreading genes to other microbes.
