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Photo shows the device the team developed. The tube at top is connected to a supply of the precursor material, sodium nitrite, which then passes through a channel in the fiber at the bottom and into the body, which also contains the electrodes to stimulate the release of nitric oxide. The electrodes are connected through the four-pin connector on the left.

Producing a gaseous messenger molecule inside the body, on demand

Method could shed light on nitric oxide’s role in the neural, circulatory, and immune systems.

June 29, 2020

A new system developed at MIT and Brookhaven National Lab could provide a faster, more reliable and much more energy efficient approach to physical neural networks, by using analog ionic-electronic devices to mimic synapses.

Engineers design a device that operates like a brain synapse

Ion-based technology may enable energy-efficient simulations of the brain’s learning process, for neural network AI systems.

June 19, 2020

Global climate models agree that the Mediterranean area will be significantly drier, potentially seeing 40 percent less precipitation during the winter rainy season in the already parched regions of the Middle East and North Africa.

Why the Mediterranean is a climate change hotspot

MIT analysis uncovers the basis of the severe rainfall declines predicted by many models.

June 17, 2020

Diagram depicts the different conditions that give rise to a Kohn anomaly in ordinary metals (at left), versus a material called a Weyl semimetal (at right). The vertical axis shows energy, while the horizontal axis is momentum space. In the conventional metal, a Kohn anomaly can happen when a phonon (q) links two parts of a property called the Fermi surface, which is shown in blue. In the Weyl se...

Newly observed phenomenon could lead to new quantum devices

Exotic states called Kohn anomalies could offer clues to why some materials have the electronic properties they do.

June 12, 2020

Map shows the potential reductions in overall greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, state by state, that could be achieved by policies emphasizing the use of stiffer road surfaces. The greatest potential gains are seen across the southern part of the country.

Stiffer roadways could improve truck fuel efficiency

Study finds simple changes in road resurfacing practices could improve gas mileage for heavy vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

June 11, 2020

A new manufacturing process for graphene is based on using an intermediate carrier layer of material after the graphene is laid down through a vapor deposition process.

Transparent graphene electrodes might lead to new generation of solar cells

New roll-to-roll production method could enable lightweight, flexible solar devices and a new generation of display screens.

June 5, 2020

In this photo, Alison Hoyt stands on top of a log during a research trip in a peat swamp forest in Borneo. Tropical peatlands are permanently flooded forest lands, where the debris of fallen leaves and branches is preserved by the wet environment and continues to accumulate for centuries, rather than continually decomposing as it does in dryland forests.

Peatland drainage in Southeast Asia adds to climate change

Study reveals drainage, deforestation of the region’s peatlands, which leads to fires, greenhouse emissions, land subsidence.

June 4, 2020

The online Commencement ceremony celebrated the recipients of 3,512 MIT degrees awarded this academic year.

With touches of technical wizardry, MIT holds its first online Commencement

The online ceremony featured virtual reality, crowdsourced music, a surprise visit from space, and more.

May 29, 2020

MIT researchers have discovered a phenomenon that could be harnessed to control the movement of tiny particles floating in suspension. This approach, which requires simply applying an external electrical field, may ultimately lead to new ways of performing certain industrial or medical processes that require separation of tiny suspended materials.

Study finds electrical fields can throw a curveball

Particle-scale phenomenon akin to the swerving of a curveball could allow selective separation of suspended nanomaterials.

May 26, 2020

An MIT study shows that electrical vehicle batteries could have a useful and profitable second life as backup storage for grid-scale solar photovoltaic installations, where they could perform for more than a decade in this less demanding role. This image shows a ‘cut-away’ view of a lithium-ion battery over a background of cars and solar panels.

Solar energy farms could offer second life for electric vehicle batteries

Modeling study shows battery reuse systems could be profitable for both electric vehicle companies and grid-scale solar operations.

May 22, 2020

Oxygen evolution reactions are important in a variety of industrial processes. A new study provides a detailed analysis of the process at a molecular level. As illustrated here, the researchers analyzed how molecules of water (H2O, left) are catalyzed by specific locations on a surface of ruthenium dioxide (center) to form molecules of oxygen (O2, right).

Study unveils details of how a widely used catalyst splits water

“Gold standard” material for generating oxygen from water divulges its molecular mechanisms.

May 21, 2020

The researchers ran hundreds of atom-by-atom simulations of the propagation of cracks through different kinds of layered material, to see which ones were most effective at stopping the cracks from making it all the way through the material. Shown here are a variety of simulation runs showing different outcomes.

Machine-learning tool could help develop tougher materials

Engineers develop a rapid screening system to test fracture resistance in billions of potential materials.

May 20, 2020

In the lower left corner of this photograph, researchers prepare a submersible device. “Together with our collaborators in the Maldives, we are designing, testing, building, and deploying submersible devices that, based simply on their geometry in relationship to the ocean waves and currents, promote sand accumulation in specific areas,” says associate professor Skylar Tibbits.

3 Questions: Harnessing wave power to rebuild islands

In the Maldives, an MIT team is conducting experiments to combat sea-level rise by redirecting natural sand movement.

May 11, 2020

In this photograph of fabric, you can see the green light of functional fibers. “No human-made objects are more ubiquitous or exposed to more vital data than the clothes we all wear,” says doctoral student Gabriel Locke. “Wouldn’t it be great if we could somehow teach our fabrics to sense, store, analyze, extract and communicate this potentially useful information?”

3 Questions: The rapidly unfolding future of smart fabrics

Soon, your clothes may be able to monitor your vital signs, analyze the results, and warn you of health risks.

May 8, 2020

MIT’s virtual town hall on May 5 featured 20 MIT administrators and faculty.

MIT’s second virtual town hall addresses the months ahead

Decisions on when to return to campus await more information but may involve a phased process and continued precautions.

May 7, 2020

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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