Physicists measure quantum geometry for the first time
The work opens new avenues for understanding and manipulating electrons in materials.
X-ray flashes from a nearby supermassive black hole accelerate mysteriously
Their source could be the core of a dead star that’s teetering at the black hole’s edge, MIT astronomers report.
Study suggests how the brain, with sleep, learns meaningful maps of spaces
Place cells are known to encode individual locations, but research finds stitching together a “cognitive map” of a whole environment requires a broader ensemble of cells, aided by sleep, over several days.
Teaching AI to communicate sounds like humans do
Inspired by the human vocal tract, a new AI model can produce and understand vocal imitations of everyday sounds. The method could help build new sonic interfaces for entertainment and education.
Personal interests can influence how children’s brains respond to language
McGovern Institute neuroscientists use children’s interests to probe language in the brain.
A new way to determine whether a species will successfully invade an ecosystem
MIT physicists develop a predictive formula, based on bacterial communities, that may also apply to other types of ecosystems, including the human GI tract.
An abundant phytoplankton feeds a global network of marine microbes
New findings illuminate how Prochlorococcus’ nightly “cross-feeding” plays a role in regulating the ocean’s capacity to cycle and store carbon.
At MIT, Clare Grey stresses battery development to electrify the planet
In her 2024 Dresselhaus Lecture, the Cambridge University professor of chemistry describes her work making batteries more reliable and sustainable.
High school teams compete at 2024 MIT Science Bowl Invitational
A celebration of scientific acumen and teamwork brings together top students from across the country.
A new computational model can predict antibody structures more accurately
Using this model, researchers may be able to identify antibody drugs that can target a variety of infectious diseases.
MIT scientists pin down the origins of a fast radio burst
The fleeting cosmic firework likely emerged from the turbulent magnetosphere around a far-off neutron star.
MIT’s top research stories of 2024
Stories on tamper-proof ID tags, sound-suppressing silk, and generative AI’s understanding of the world were some of the most popular topics on MIT News.
MIT-Kalaniyot launches programs for visiting Israeli scholars
Inviting recent postdocs and sabbatical-eligible faculty to pursue their research at MIT, new programs envision eventually supporting 16 Israeli scholars on campus annually.
MIT affiliates receive 2025 IEEE honors
Five MIT faculty and staff, along with 19 additional alumni, are honored for electrical engineering and computer science advances.
Making classical music and math more accessible
In math and in music, senior Holden Mui values interesting ideas, solving problems creatively, and finding meaning in their structures.