Robert Simcoe named director of MIT Kavli Institute
An expert in instrumentation and early universe observations, Simcoe succeeds Jacqueline Hewitt as head of MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research.
X-ray pulse detected near event horizon as black hole devours star
Pulse pattern suggests distant black hole must be spinning at least at 50 percent the speed of light.
Revolutionary radio telescope detects bevy of fast radio bursts
Researchers use CHIME telescope to detect fast radio bursts at low frequencies and a second repeating burst.
ACCESS shows grad school's rigors and rewards
Undergraduates from across the country learn the benefits of continuing their education in chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science.
MIT adds computational Earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences to its PhD offerings
New EAPS thesis field is the most recent to join the computational science and engineering doctoral program within the Center for Computational Engineering.
Astronomers observe evolution of a black hole as it wolfs down stellar material
Halo of highly energized electrons around the black hole contracts dramatically during feeding frenzy.
Achieving goals in the lab and on the pitch
Senior Anthony Badea, a physics major and varsity soccer player, investigates the beginnings of the universe.
TESS discovers its third new planet, with longest orbit yet
Measurements indicate a dense, gaseous, “sub-Neptune” world, three times the size of Earth.
A “pacemaker” for North African climate
Study shows the Sahara swung between lush and desert conditions every 20,000 years, in sync with monsoon activity.
Anna Frebel is searching the stars for clues to the universe’s origins
MIT astronomer and writer investigates ancient starlight and shares her excitement about the cosmos.
Physicists record “lifetime” of graphene qubits
First measurement of its kind could provide stepping stone to practical quantum computing.
Stamp of approval
MIT’s Mark Vogelsberger and the Illustris project are honored by Germany's postal service with an official stamp.
MIT research honored with Physics World “Breakthrough of the Year” awards
"Magic-angle" graphene named 2018 Breakthrough of the Year; first ionic plane and earliest evidence of hydrogen gas named to top 10 breakthroughs.
Oil and water: Studying pressing environmental dilemmas in the Middle East
Visiting Assistant Professor Maryam Rashed Alshehhi models a region with freshwater shortages, oil spills, and frequent dust storms.
Julia language co-creators win James H. Wilkinson Prize for Numerical Software
Awarded every four years, the Wilkinson Prize last came to MIT in 1999.