School of Engineering

Angelique Scarpa, an administrative assistant in the Department of Chemical Engineering, is encouraging MIT community members to spend time in nature.

Reasons to go outside

A MindHandHeart Innovation Fund project spearheaded by staff member Angelique Scarpa is bringing elements of nature to MIT.

January 21, 2020

MIT engineers demonstrated a bariatric balloon that can be inflated in the stomach and then degraded by shining light on the seal, which is made of a novel light-sensitive polymer.

Ingestible medical devices can be broken down with light

New light-sensitive material could eliminate some of the endoscopic procedures needed to remove gastrointestinal devices.

January 17, 2020

Julie Newman, director of sustainability at MIT, says the final project for course 2.S999 “uses the campus as a test bed for engaging and exposing students to the complexity of solving [for] global issues in their own backyard.”

Students propose plans for a carbon-neutral campus

Students in class 2.S999 (Solving for Carbon Neutrality at MIT) are charged with developing plans to make MIT’s campus carbon neutral by 2060.

January 17, 2020

Nick Demas PhD '19 (left) and Jerry Wang PhD '19 stand outside Edgerton House with a larger-than-life note of encouragement.

Stick with me

A campaign to spread notes of kindness is coming to MIT, inspired by alumni Nick Demas and Jerry Wang.

January 16, 2020

“In courses like Nuclear Technology and Society, which covered the benefits and risks of nuclear energy, I saw that some people believed the solution for climate change was definitely nuclear, while others said it was wind or solar,” says doctoral student Nestor Sepulveda. “I began wondering how to determine the value of different technologies.”

Zeroing in on decarbonization

Wielding complex algorithms, nuclear science and engineering doctoral candidate Nestor Sepulveda spins out scenarios for combating climate change.

January 15, 2020

Researchers from MIT, Google, and elsewhere have designed a novel method for verifying when quantum processors have accurately performed complex computations that classical computers can’t. They validate their method on a custom system (pictured) that’s able to capture how accurately a photonic chip (“PNP”) computed a notoriously difficult quantum problem.

How to verify that quantum chips are computing correctly

A new method determines whether circuits are accurately executing complex operations that classical computers can’t tackle.

January 13, 2020

A new approach to making airplane parts, minus the massive infrastructure

Carbon nanotube film produces aerospace-grade composites with no need for huge ovens or autoclaves.

January 13, 2020

Sending clearer signals

Associate Professor Yury Polyanskiy is working to keep data flowing as the “internet of things” becomes a reality.

January 11, 2020

Christopher Voigt and Eszter Majer (pictured) collaborated with chloroplast and mitochondria experts from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Germany and the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain, during their seed grant period, collaborations that were made possible by J-WAFS seed grants.

Making real a biotechnology dream: nitrogen-fixing cereal crops

Voigt Lab's work could eventually replace cereal crops’ need for nitrogen from chemical fertilizers.

January 10, 2020

A variety of new diagnostic models can analyze patient data and real-time symptoms to predict if a given patient has a particular disease.

How well can computers connect symptoms to diseases?

Models that map these relationships based on patient data require fine-tuning for certain conditions, study shows.

January 9, 2020

Julia Ortony is the Finmeccanica Career Development Assistant Professor of Engineering in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Julia Ortony: Concocting nanomaterials for energy and environmental applications

The MIT assistant professor is entranced by the beauty she finds pursuing chemistry.

January 9, 2020

Left to right: Hari Balakrishnan, Richard Lippmann, and Daniel Rabideau have been named 2020 IEEE Fellows.

Three from MIT are named 2020 fellows of the IEEE

Two staff members from Lincoln Laboratory and a professor in the School of Engineering are recognized for their influential research.

January 8, 2020

Finding the true potential of algorithms

Using mathematical theory, Virginia Williams coaxes algorithms to run faster or proves they’ve hit their maximum speed.

January 7, 2020

A smart window developed by Professor Nicholas Fang includes thermochromic material that turns frosty when exposed to temperatures of 32 C or higher, such as when a researcher touches the window with her hand.

Preventing energy loss in windows

Mechanical engineers are developing technologies that could prevent heat from entering or escaping windows, potentially preventing a massive loss of energy.

January 6, 2020

Anantha Chandrakasan, dean of MIT's School of Engineering (right), and Anne Heatherington, senior vice president and head of Data Sciences Institute at Takeda, at the ceremonial signing for the establishment of the MIT-Takeda Program

MIT School of Engineering and Takeda join to advance research in artificial intelligence and health

A key part of J-Clinic, the MIT-Takeda Program will create educational opportunities and support cutting-edge research to positively impact human health.