3 Questions: Neural transparency and the future of AI design
Assistant Professor Pat Pataranutaporn describes a new interface that lets everyday users glimpse inside an AI's neural network before their chatbot ever says a word.
3D-printed bridge points the way to greener construction
MIT researchers developed a framework that folds a printer’s real-world limits into the optimization, while revealing that better hardware could sharply reduce material use.
Electric fields help guide neural activity, even from moment to moment
A new study adds evidence that electric fields in the brain help to organize and shape underlying neural activity via “ephaptic coupling.”
Ketogenic diets may increase cancer risk in the small intestine
MIT researchers have found that a ketogenic high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet fuels the growth of intestinal tumors.
Helping AI models to meet the real world
Through research and entrepreneurship, Professor Devavrat Shah is helping to design methods that can handle constant decision-making using limited computational resources.
Three MIT Press journals lead their fields with Clarivate No. 1 rankings
Computational Linguistics, International Security, and The Review of Economics and Statistics lead their disciplines with 2026 Clarivate impact factors.
How visual learning happens in the brain
Scientists find that learning to identify a new object subtly reshapes visual processing in the brain.
MIT engineers find a precise way to grow artificial blood vessels
Gently stretching and pulling a “blood vessel on a chip” encourages controlled sprouting of new vessels, for possible use in artificial tissues or organs.
AI agents create virtual playgrounds to help robots get crucial training data
“SceneSmith” system uses collaborative AI agents to create realistic 3D environments of places like kitchens, hotels, and living rooms, where robots can simulate everyday chores.
New method aims to keep kids safe from illegal AI-generated content
Researchers developed an auditing technique to test generative AI models for malicious capabilities, without prompting them for illegal outputs.
Tiny infrared chip could improve detection of gases and heat
The tunable device controls mid-infrared light for more precise thermal imaging, chemical sensing, or pollution monitoring.
Discovery could lead to brighter, more energy-efficient digital displays
Researchers found a simple solution for extending the lifespans of LEDs made from glowing microscopic particles called quantum dots.
New flapping robot swims and flies like a diving bird
MIT engineers’ design could lead to a new class of aerial-aquatic vehicles for ocean exploration.
A baseball-sized sensor can detect chemical threats
The “TOSSIT” device, developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, can warn service members and first responders of dangerous vapors and aerosols.
Tiny robot boats build floating structures
MIT researchers developed FloatForm, a swarm of small aquatic robots that snap together like ants forming a raft, assembling into reconfigurable structures on the water.