Artificial intelligence sheds light on how the brain processes language
Neuroscientists find the internal workings of next-word prediction models resemble those of language-processing centers in the brain.
Neutron star collisions are a “goldmine” of heavy elements, study finds
Mergers between two neutron stars have produced more heavy elements in last 2.5 billion years than mergers between neutron stars and black holes.
Fifteen MIT faculty honored as “Committed to Caring” for 2021-23
Honor recognizes professors who went the extra mile advising during the pandemic’s disruptions.
Dinosaurs may have lived in social herds as early as 193 million years ago
Fossils indicate a communal nesting ground and adults who foraged and took care of the young as a herd, scientists say.
Six with MIT ties elected to the National Academy of Medicine for 2021
Professors Linda Griffith and Feng Zhang along with Guillermo Ameer ScD ’99, Darrell Gaskin SM ’87, William Hahn, and Vamsi Mootha recognized for contributions to medicine, health care, and public health.
How diet affects tumors
A new study finds cutting off cells’ supplies of lipids can slow the growth of tumors in mice.
Astronomers detect signs of an atmosphere stripped from a planet during giant impact
Such planetary smashups are likely common in young solar systems, but they haven’t been directly observed.
New cancer treatment may reawaken the immune system
By combining chemotherapy, tumor injury, and immunotherapy, researchers show that the immune system can be re-engaged to destroy tumors in mice.
Artificial networks learn to smell like the brain
When asked to classify odors, artificial neural networks adopt a structure that closely resembles that of the brain’s olfactory circuitry.
Six from MIT named American Physical Society Fellows for 2021
APS names Bourouiba, Grego, Liu, Peacock, Winslow, and Yildiz as MIT’s newest fellows for their contributions to physics.
How the brain navigates cities
We seem to be wired to calculate not the shortest path but the “pointiest” one, facing us toward our destination as much as possible.
Q&A: Lucy mission launches to study ancient Trojan asteroids
Co-Investigator Scientist Professor Richard Binzel discusses NASA’s latest interplanetary mission, which is co-led by Cathy Olkin ’88, PhD ’96.
Study shows fragile X treatment can incur resistance, suggests ways around it
While the brain acquires resistance to continuous treatment with mGluR5 inhibitor drugs, lasting effects may still arise if dosing occurs intermittently and during a developmental-critical period.
Scientists find evidence the early solar system harbored a gap between its inner and outer regions
The cosmic boundary, perhaps caused by a young Jupiter or an emerging wind, likely shaped the composition of infant planets.
Documentary short, “The Uprising,” showcases women in science who pressed for equal rights at MIT in the 1990s
Film examines the history and international impact of the 1999 Study on the Status of Women Faculty in Science at MIT, through interviews with Nancy Hopkins and other leading scientists.