A system that’s worth its salt
New approach to water desalination could lead to small, portable units that could be sent to disaster sites or remote locations.
Explained: Climate sensitivity
If we double the Earth’s greenhouse gases, how much will the temperature change? That’s what this number tells you.
In the World: Nanotech on the farm
MIT chemical engineer Paula Hammond lends her nanotechnology expertise to farmers in Africa.
Wind resistance
MIT analysis suggests generating electricity from large-scale wind farms could influence climate — and not necessarily in the desired way.
Explained: Radiative forcing
When there’s more energy radiating down on the planet than there is radiating back out to space, something’s going to have to heat up
Action needed to save climate, create jobs
MIT Energy Conference speakers see need to boost clean-energy businesses through a price on carbon and incentives for manufacturing
3 Questions: Hunt Allcott on behavioral economics and the energy crisis
Can understanding human irrationality help solve our energy problems? An MIT researcher explains
Ecological balancing act
Phytoplankton diversity depends on balance between competition and the ocean’s physical dynamics, new research suggests
Ancient hurricanes
Intense hurricane activity millions of years ago may have caused and sustained warmer climate conditions, new research suggests
MIT's chapter of Engineers Without Borders launches first project
Students hope to bring electricity and clean water to Ugandan health clinic
A silver lining to the Copenhagen cloud?
Though widely seen as a failure, December’s climate conference may actually have set the world on the right path, panelists suggest
CRTs going down the tubes? Hardly
Surprisingly, old-style television sets and computer screens are still in demand — to make new TV sets
Power from down under
Earth’s own heat could provide vast amounts of clean electricity, and current MIT research could help make it feasible
Architecture student wins $15K in worldwide competition
Proposal Would Create Large Recreational Network in Mumbai