Deep-learning system explores materials’ interiors from the outside A new method could provide detailed information about internal structures, voids, and cracks, based solely on data about exterior conditions. April 28, 2023 Read full story →
MIT engineers devise technology to prevent fouling in photobioreactors for CO2 capture Applying a small voltage to the walls of algae growing tanks can prevent cloudy buildup and allow more photosynthesis to happen. April 13, 2023 Read full story →
Scientists uncover the amazing way sandgrouse hold water in their feathers The structure of the desert birds’ belly feathers enables males to carry water over long distances to their chicks. April 11, 2023 Read full story →
New additives could turn concrete into an effective carbon sink MIT engineers discover new carbonation pathways for creating more environmentally friendly concrete. March 28, 2023 Read full story →
Tackling counterfeit seeds with “unclonable” labels Fake seeds can cost farmers more than two-thirds of expected crop yields and threaten food security. Trackable silk labels could help. March 22, 2023 Read full story →
Minimizing electric vehicles’ impact on the grid Careful planning of charging station placement could lessen or eliminate the need for new power plants, a new study shows. March 15, 2023 Read full story →
Integrating humans with AI in structural design A process that seeks feedback from human specialists proves more effective at optimization than automated systems working alone. March 2, 2023 Read full story →
How to pull carbon dioxide out of seawater A new method for removing the greenhouse gas from the ocean could be far more efficient than existing systems for removing it from the air. February 16, 2023 Read full story →
Engineers discover a new way to control atomic nuclei as “qubits” Using lasers, researchers can directly control a property of nuclei called spin, that can encode quantum information. February 15, 2023 Read full story →
Angela Davis: “We need to renew our commitments to struggle against racism” Keynote speaker at MIT’s annual luncheon honoring Martin Luther King Jr. delivers powerful message about the need for change. February 9, 2023 Read full story →
Engineers devise a modular system to produce efficient, scalable aquabots The system’s simple repeating elements can assemble into swimming forms ranging from eel-like to wing-shaped. February 6, 2023 Read full story →
A new way to assess radiation damage in reactors Engineers designed a tool that enables faster measurements of the condition of some nuclear reactor components, potentially extending their lifetimes. January 10, 2023 Read full story →
Riddle solved: Why was Roman concrete so durable? An unexpected ancient manufacturing strategy may hold the key to designing concrete that lasts for millennia. January 6, 2023 Read full story →
Scientists discover a new way of sharing genetic information in a common ocean microbe Prochlorococcus, the world’s most abundant photosynthetic organism, reveals a gene-transfer mechanism that may be key to its abundance and diversity. January 5, 2023 Read full story →
Strengthening electron-triggered light emission A new method can produce a hundredfold increase in light emissions from a type of electron-photon coupling, which is key to electron microscopes and other technologies. January 4, 2023 Read full story →