School of Science

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.

October 9, 2019

The 2019-2020 MLK Visiting Scholars and Professors: (l-r) Tina Opie, Matthew Schumaker, Rhonda Williams, Ben McDonald, Kasso Okoudjou, and Jamie Macbeth.

Meet the 2019-20 MLK Visiting Professors and Scholars

Six scholars and professors are spending this academic year in engagement with the MIT community.

October 8, 2019

A white-stained cluster of amyloid plaque proteins, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease pathology, is evident in the mammillary body of a 2-month-old Alzheimer's model mouse. A new study finds that plaques begin in such deep regions and spread throughout the brain along specific circuits.

Alzheimer’s plaque emerges early and deep in the brain

Clumps of amyloid protein emerge early in deep regions, such as the mammillary body, and march outward in the brain along specific circuits.

October 8, 2019

MIT professor of mathematics Victor Kac will be inducted into the Accademia Nationale dei Lincei in November.

Victor Kac elected to the Accademia Nationale dei Lincei

Victor Kac elected to the Accademia Nationale dei Lincei Mathematics professor will join Galileo and Einstein as a member of the world's oldest science academy.

October 7, 2019

This diagram shows an edge-on view of the molecular structure of the new coating material. The thin layered material being coated is shown in violet at bottom, and the ambient air is shown as the scattered molecules of oxygen and water at the top. The dark layer in between is the protective material, which allows some oxygen (red) through, forming an oxide layer below that provides added protecti...

A new way to corrosion-proof thin atomic sheets

Ultrathin coating could protect 2D materials from corrosion, enabling their use in optics and electronics.

October 4, 2019

A simulation of early galaxy formation under three dark matter scenarios. In a universe filled with cold dark matter, early galaxies would first form in bright halos (far left). If dark matter is instead warm, galaxies would form first in long, tail-like filaments (center). Fuzzy dark matter would produce similar filaments, though striated (far right), like the strings of a harp.

This is how a “fuzzy” universe may have looked

Scientists simulate early galaxy formation in a universe of dark matter that is ultralight, or “fuzzy,” rather than cold or warm.

October 3, 2019

Troy Van Voorhis was named the new head of the Department of Chemistry.

Troy Van Voorhis named head of the Department of Chemistry

Faculty member since 2003 is known for physical chemistry research, as well as contributions to education and the department’s climate.

October 1, 2019

Even relatively small differences in the duration, timing, and consistency of students' sleep may have significant effects on course test results, a new MIT study shows.

Study: Better sleep habits lead to better college grades

Data on MIT students underscore the importance of getting enough sleep; bedtime also matters.

October 1, 2019

MIT physics graduate student Dahlia Klein (left) and postdoc David MacNeill showed that magnetic order and stacking order are very strongly linked in two-dimensional magnets such as chromium chloride and chromium iodide, giving engineers a tool to vary the material’s magnetic properties.

Controlling 2-D magnetism with stacking order

MIT researchers discover why magnetism in certain materials is different in atomically thin layers and their bulk forms.

September 30, 2019

Water bottles designed by architecture student Effie Jia encourage students to take up environmentally friendly habits.

First-year students encouraged to “reuse, refill, replenish”

MIT welcomed the Class of 2023 with an initiative to reduce the impact of water consumption through reusable water bottles and other sustainable habits.

September 25, 2019