How to make stronger, “greener” cement
Analysis of material's molecular structure leads to a new formula that could cut greenhouse-gas emissions.
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Study: Online classes really do work
Detailed quantitative study of learning online shows success, even among those with least preparation.
New formulation leads to improved liquid battery
Cheaper, longer-lasting materials could enable batteries that make wind and solar energy more competitive.
Magnetic fields make the excitons go ’round
Theorists find a new way to improve efficiency of solar cells by overcoming exciton “traps.”
How to hide like an octopus
Researchers create materials that reproduce cephalopods’ ability to quickly change colors and textures.
Physicists find a new way to push electrons around
Discovery might ultimately lead to new, more energy-efficient transistors and microchips.
Sun-powered desalination for villages in India
Off-grid Indian communities with salty groundwater could get potable water through a proposed solar technique.
A lifelong relationship with the Institute
Newly tenured Evelyn Wang — whose parents met at MIT — studies heat transfer in materials.
Nature’s tiny engineers
Coral organisms use minuscule appendages to control their environment, stirring up water eddies to bring nutrients.
The power of hidden patterns
Interfaces within materials can be patterned as a means of controlling the properties of composites.
Class of 2018: Welcome to the family!
President Reif tells class of 2018, “I know that we are lucky to have you!”
Recycling old batteries into solar cells
Proposal could divert a dangerous waste stream while producing low-cost photovoltaics.
Learning how things fall apart
New research reveals how bonded materials, from airplane wings to dental crowns, lose their bonding.
“Active” surfaces control what’s on them
Researchers develop treated surfaces that can actively control how fluids or particles move.
Light pulses control graphene’s electrical behavior
Finding could allow ultrafast switching of conduction, and possibly lead to new broadband light sensors.