MIT student teams win top honors in NASA competition
Three MIT teams took five top awards in the 2026 NASA RASC-AL Competition for designing critical elements for the moon base and future missions to Mars.
Department
Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences
Scientists find ozone depletion began decades before discovery of ozone hole
Using modern tools, they also determined that carbon tetrachloride, used as a dry-cleaning and degreasing agent as early as the 1930s, was at the root of early ozone loss.
What happens when environmental change outpaces life’s ability to adapt?
A new model links Earth’s mass extinctions to mismatches between rates of environmental change and biological adaptation.
Characterizing Earth’s damping mechanisms
Fourth-year PhD candidate Perrin Davidson studies the carbon cycle to understand how the planet responds to global disturbances.
QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2026-27
Ranking at the top for the 15th year in a row, the Institute also places first in 12 subject areas.
Susan Solomon named 2026 Tang Prize laureate
The MIT professor’s groundbreaking work on atmospheric chemistry helped lay steps towards recovery of the ozone layer and demonstrated the lasting impacts of carbon emissions on Earth’s climate.
Eleven from MIT accept 2026 Fulbright awards
This year, over half of MIT’s Fulbright applicants won awards. The current students and alumni will embark on research projects and teaching abroad in 2026-27.
Learning to teach, learning to discover
MIT senior Nik Sandu bridges scientific research with a strong commitment to teaching and community.
MIT affiliates elected to National Academy of Sciences for 2026
Six MIT faculty, along with 10 additional alumni, are recognized by their peers for their outstanding contributions to research in the natural and social sciences.
The Haystack 37m Telescope: A new era of astrophysical research
The legendary radio astronomy telescope returns to its science and educational mission at MIT Haystack Observatory.
MIT affiliates elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2026
The prestigious honor society honors four MIT faculty and 13 additional MIT alumni among more than 250 new members.
A regulatory loophole could delay ozone recovery by years
Scientists say an exception in the Montreal Protocol for the use of ozone-depleting feedstocks could set the ozone recovery back seven years.
Waves hit different on other planets
From lazy ripples to towering breakers, waves should vary widely from one planet to another, according to a new model.
Geothermal energy turns red hot
MIT Energy Initiative symposium maps a path to tap the planet’s heat-rich rocks for clean power at scale.
MIT faculty, alumni receive 2025-26 American Physical Society honors
Two faculty and six additional alumni win top APS awards and prizes; four faculty and 12 additional alumni named APS Fellows.