Top MIT research stories of 2019
Most popular stories of the year include science breakthroughs, engineering feats, and confirmation of 16th century architectural genius.
Scientists pin down timing of lunar dynamo’s demise
Findings suggest the moon’s magnetic field was produced by the fallout of a crystallizing iron core.
How long will a volcanic island live?
Plate tectonics and mantle plumes set the lifespan of volcanic islands like Hawaii and the Galapagos.
Chemistry bonds “quirky” researchers in hard-working Surendranath lab
Mangoes, coconuts, and imaginary lizards make using electricity to rearrange chemical bonds fun and exciting.
The billion-year belch
Michael Calzadilla and colleagues describe a violent black hole outburst that provides new insight into galaxy cluster evolution.
Bose grants for 2019 reward bold ideas across disciplines
Three innovative research projects in literature, plant epigenetics, and chemical engineering will be supported by Professor Amar G. Bose Research Grants.
Study may explain how infections reduce autism symptoms
An immune molecule sometimes produced during infection can influence the social behavior of mice.
MIT education leaders honored with QS Reimagine Education Awards
Awards honor innovations that enhance learning and employability.
Building a platform to image membrane proteins
Biologists devise an efficient method to prepare fluorescently tagged proteins and simulate their native environment.
A sign that aliens could stink
A molecule that’s known for its smelly and poisonous nature on Earth may be a sure-fire sign of extraterrestrial life.
Study probing visual memory and amblyopia unveils many-layered mystery
Scientists pinpoint the role of a receptor in vision degradation in amblyopia.
Chemists glimpse the fleeting “transition state” of a reaction
New technique for observing reaction products offers insights into the chemical mechanisms that formed them.
Hazel Sive named dean of Northeastern University College of Science
Professor and Whitehead Institute member has conducted wide-ranging research in vertebrate developmental biology.
Mary Gehring: Using flowering plants to explore epigenetic inheritance
Biologist’s studies illuminate a control system that influences how traits are passed along to new generations.
Supporting students in Puerto Rico after a hurricane’s devastation
Postdoc Héctor De Jesús-Cortés works to build up the STEM pipeline from his homeland to MIT and beyond.