Like a treasure map, brain region emphasizes reward location
The lateral septum encodes spatial information with a special emphasis on where the reward lies.
Dietmar Seyferth, professor emeritus of chemistry, dies at 91
Inorganic chemist and MIT professor for over 40 years was “a bedrock of the organometallic community.”
Ice, ice, maybe
EAPS graduate student Meghana Ranganathan zooms into the microstructure of ice streams to better understand the impacts of climate change.
What jumps out in a photo changes the longer we look
Researchers capture our shifting gaze in a model that suggests how to prioritize visual information based on viewing duration.
Astronomers detect regular rhythm of radio waves, with origins unknown
Signal from 500 million light years away is the first periodic pattern of radio bursts detected.
Study sheds light on a classic visual illusion
Neuroscientists delve into how background brightness influences our perception of an object.
Study finds path for addressing Alzheimer’s blood-brain barrier impairment
MIT researchers pinpoint mechanism and demonstrate that drugs could help.
Capturing stardust
Danielle Frostig, a physics graduate student, is developing an instrument to study how the heaviest elements in the universe are produced.
Team 2020 charts a course for MIT
Report outlines the thinking behind five proposed options for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Tiny sand grains trigger massive glacial surges
New model answers longstanding question of how these sudden flows happen; may expand understanding of Antarctic ice sheets.
Newly observed phenomenon could lead to new quantum devices
Exotic states called Kohn anomalies could offer clues to why some materials have the electronic properties they do.
Seven from MIT win 2020 Hertz Fellowships
Award recognizes scholars who pursue graduate studies focusing on “bold, risk-taking research.”
QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2020-21
Ranked at the top for the ninth straight year, the Institute also places first in 12 subject areas.
Serious science at home
Children Helping Science, co-led by Professor Laura Schulz, brings research to families, and families to research.
Unlocking the secrets of a plastic-eater
Graduate student Linda Zhong and professor of biology Anthony Sinskey are studying the plastic-devouring enzyme PETase as a way to improve recycling.