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Physicists at MIT have designed a pocket-sized cosmic ray muon detector to track these ghostly particles.

Physicists design $100 handheld muon detector

Pocket-sized device detects charged particles in surrounding air.

November 20, 2017

Scientists at MIT have found a way to visualize electron behavior beneath a material’s surface. The team’s technique is based on quantum mechanical tunneling, a process by which electrons can traverse energetic barriers by simply appearing on the other side. In this image, researchers show the measured tunneling spectra at various densities, with high measurements in red.

A new window into electron behavior

Scientists invent technique to map energy and momentum of electrons beneath a material’s surface.

November 16, 2017

Visualization of vortices in a drop of silicone oil sitting on a warm bath. The temperature difference generates a recirculating flow that is visualized by shining a green laser light on fluorescent particles that are added as passive tracers within the drop.

How to float your coffee creamer

Study explains how droplets can “levitate” on liquid surfaces.

November 14, 2017

“You’re rolling the dice every year,” says professor Kerry Emanuel. “And we believe the odds of a flood like Harvey are changing.” Pictured is an aerial view of Houston during the Hurricane Harvey flooding.

Texas’ odds of Harvey-scale rainfall to increase by end of century

Study finds state’s annual risk of extreme rainfall will rise from 1 to 18 percent.

November 13, 2017

Many rural communities are turning to microgrids, small-scale power systems that supply local energy, typically in the form of solar power, to localized consumers, such as individual households or small villages.

No more blackouts?

New framework guarantees stability of microgrids that supply local power in developing countries.

November 8, 2017

Professor Jesse Thaler, who recently was granted tenure as an associate professor in MIT’s Department of Physics, is applying his theoretical insights to interpret data from current experiments and guide the design of future experiments.

Jesse Thaler: Seeking the fundamental nature of matter

Theorist explores particle physics at the boundary of “messy and elegant.”

November 7, 2017

Acoustic-gravity waves are sound waves that are typically produced by high-impact sources such as underwater explosions or surface impacts. Usama Kadri and his colleagues carried out experiments to see whether objects hitting a water’s surface produced a characteristic pattern in acoustic-gravity waves.

Ocean sound waves may reveal location of incoming objects

New acoustic analysis could pinpoint impacts by meteorites or possibly plane debris.

October 26, 2017

An artist’s conception of a view from within the Exocomet system KIC 3542116.

Scientists detect comets outside our solar system

Team of professional and citizen scientists identifies tails of comets streaking past a distant star.

October 25, 2017

“Our technology takes plastic out of the landfill, locks it up in concrete, and also uses less cement to make the concrete, which makes fewer carbon dioxide emissions,” says assistant professor Michael Short.

MIT students fortify concrete by adding recycled plastic

Adding bits of irradiated plastic water bottles could cut cement industry’s carbon emissions.

October 25, 2017

“I remain optimistic about the ability of international agreements to address environmental problems, primarily because that’s the only solution we have at this point,” associate professor Noelle Selin says.

Noelle Selin: Tracing toxins around the world

Atmospheric chemist takes on pollutants and the global treaties written to control them.

October 22, 2017

Artist’s illustration of two merging neutron stars. The rippling space-time grid represents gravitational waves that travel out from the collision, while the narrow beams show the bursts of gamma rays that are shot out just seconds after the gravitational waves. Swirling clouds of material ejected from the merging stars are also depicted. The clouds glow with visible and other wavelengths of lig...

LIGO and Virgo make first detection of gravitational waves produced by colliding neutron stars

Discovery marks first cosmic event observed in both gravitational waves and light.

October 16, 2017

Engineers at MIT have developed a new model to simulate dynamic soaring, and have used it to identify the optimal flight pattern that an albatross should take in order to harvest the most wind and energy. They found that as an albatross banks or turns, it should do so in shallow arcs, keeping almost to a straight, forward trajectory.

Engineers identify key to albatross’ marathon flight

Flying in shallow arcs helps birds stay aloft with less effort.

October 10, 2017

Rainer Weiss at home early this morning, after learning that he has won the 2017 Nobel Prize in physics.

MIT physicist Rainer Weiss shares Nobel Prize in physics

LIGO inventor and professor emeritus of physics recognized “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves.”

October 3, 2017

A new MIT study finds cement’s microscopic properties are key to stronger, more sustainable buildings and bridges.

A concrete solution

Insight into cement’s microscopic properties may lead to stronger, more sustainable concrete.

September 29, 2017

The Compact Muon Solenoid is a general-purpose detector at the Large Hadron Collider.

First open-access data from large collider confirm subatomic particle patterns

CERN Open Data Portal results reveal predictable patterns from colliding high-energy protons.