Inspiration from a porcupine’s quills
Understanding the mechanisms behind quill penetration and extraction could help engineers design better medical devices.
Physics receives 2012 APS award for improving undergraduate physics education
One of four institutions recognized
A new ‘branch’ of math
Researchers find a common angle and tipping point of branching valley networks.
When the first stars blinked on
The very first stars may have turned on when the universe was 750 million years old.
GRAIL reveals a battered lunar history
Twin spacecraft create a highly detailed gravity map of the moon, finding an interior pulverized by early impacts.
Three from MIT named Marine Microbiology Initiative investigators
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation awards given to pursue high-risk research in marine microbial ecology.
Five from MIT named AAAS fellows
Recognized by their peers for their efforts to advance science or its applications.
Scientists discover water ice on Mercury
Ice and organic material may have been carried to the planet by passing comets.
Deshpande Center celebrates 10 years of innovation
Holds gala event for supporters, administrators, students, faculty and more.
Maria Zuber appointed vice president for research
Claude Canizares will take a new role as a vice president with responsibility for international partnerships.
Proving quantum computers feasible
With a new contribution to probability theory, researchers show that relatively simple physical systems could yield powerful quantum computers.
Lead-proton collisions yield surprising results
Unexpected data from the Large Hadron Collider suggest the collisions may be producing a new type of matter.
Scientists image brain structures that deteriorate in Parkinson’s
New MRI technique could help doctors track how patients respond to treatment.
Brain waves encode rules for behavior
Fluctuations in electrical activity may also allow the brain to form thoughts and memories.
Ocean currents play a role in predicting extent of Arctic sea ice
Discovery of feedback between sea ice and ocean improves Arctic ice extent forecast.