School of Architecture + Planning

Access to irrigation is crucial for food security, especially in arid climates like sub-Saharan Africa. Two MIT research teams working on irrigation in this region were brought together by J-WAFS to share their knowledge.

Collaborating for irrigation access solutions: Where policy and engineering meet

A J-WAFS connection brings together two MIT research teams helping to advance irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa.

December 12, 2019

A conceptual rendering for MIT's Hayden Library shows a new stair that leads to the mezzanine level and the second-floor reading room. Study rooms, computer stations, and flexible furniture configurations all benefit from views to the Charles River and Boston skyline through Hayden’s double-height windows.

Design for the Hayden Library renovation takes shape

Renovated spaces will be more flexible and welcoming, maximizing views and natural light.

December 12, 2019

Seoul Architecture and Urbanism Biennale attendees interact with the "Sit(e)lines of a Garden City" installation on the port city of Haifa, Israel.

MIT researchers examine cities worldwide for 2019 Seoul Architecture and Urbanism Biennale

Transportation, communication, development, and social interaction are explored through the lens of the urban.

December 11, 2019

The Maldives, a chain of islands in the Indian Ocean, are at risk of erosion and, at worst, submersion from rising sea levels. MIT's Skylar Tibbits is conducting field experiments with a group called Invena in the Maldives to harness the power of waves with underwater bladders to promote sand accumulation where it is most needed to protect shorelines from flooding.

Transformation by design

Skylar Tibbits makes materials that water, heat, or mechanical forces can alter into new shapes.

November 27, 2019

Chris Carr and Maria Zuber of the MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences have a little fun while monitoring their life-detection data experiment in microgravity.

Designing humanity’s future in space

The Space Exploration Initiative’s latest research flight explores work and play in microgravity.

November 26, 2019

Zach Lieberman joins MIT Media Lab

New adjunct associate professor combines fine arts and coding.

November 25, 2019

A new study co-authored by MIT researchers, looking at the spread of dengue fever in Singapore, shows how commuting affects the spread of illness in urban settings.

Tracking contagion in cities, using mobile phone data

Study shows how commuting and other forms of everyday travel help spread mosquito-borne disease in urban settings.

November 20, 2019

NEXUS program participants pose with the MIT seal in Lobby 7. The NEXUS program provides college-bound students with the tools needed to thrive on campus, focusing on academic and career development, and offers opportunities to build confidence and self-sufficiency away from home.

High school students learn about commercial real estate through the Center for Real Estate

Residential course provides immersive experience for 28 juniors and seniors from around the United States.

November 19, 2019

Two permanent magnets are tracked with magnetic field sensors. MIT engineers have devised an algorithm for high-speed tracking of any number of magnets, with significant implications for augmented reality and prosthesis control.

Algorithm may improve brain-controlled prostheses and exoskeletons

An improved method for magnet tracking enables high-speed wireless tracking through various materials.

November 18, 2019

Jaleesa Trapp shakes things up in the classroom and in computing

The PhD student and former high school teacher aims to study the ways young people of color interact with technology.

November 14, 2019

Left to right: Neville Hogan, Jaya Narain, Robert Bond, Dan Frey, and Sam Schmidt spoke as part of “Envisioning the Future of Technology-Enabled Mobility” at MIT.

From 3D-printed limbs to semi-autonomous race cars

Envisioning the future (and challenges) of designing affordable technology-enabled mobility devices.

November 1, 2019

Photo shows two prototype assembler robots at work putting together a series of small units, known as voxels, into a larger structure.

Assembler robots make large structures from little pieces

Systems of tiny robots may someday build high-performance structures, from airplanes to space settlements.

October 16, 2019

Catalia Health uses a personal robot assistant, Mabu, to help patients managing chronic diseases.

Robots help patients manage chronic illness at home

Move over, Alexa and Siri. Talking Mabu robot provides one-to-one support while relaying information to doctors.

October 10, 2019

Recent graduate student Karly Bast shows off the scale model of a bridge designed by Leonardo da Vinci that she and her co-workers used to prove the design’s feasibility.

Engineers put Leonardo da Vinci’s bridge design to the test

Proposed bridge would have been the world’s longest at the time; new analysis shows it would have worked.

October 9, 2019

In the top row, neurons are labeled with a fluorescent probe that reveals electrical activity. In the bottom row, neurons are labeled with a variant of the probe that accumulates specifically in the neuron cell bodies, preventing interference from axons of neighboring neurons.

New method visualizes groups of neurons as they compute

Fluorescent probe could allow scientists to watch circuits within the brain and link their activity to specific behaviors.