Many black holes had past lives, new research shows
Physicists have found signs of colliding black holes that are themselves products of previous black hole smash-ups.
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Discovery helps explain why solid-state batteries often fail
New research could help prevent the formation of tiny seeds of lithium metal within the electrolyte, enabling batteries that charge faster and last longer.
Scientists find ozone depletion began decades before discovery of ozone hole
Using modern tools, they also determined that carbon tetrachloride, used as a dry-cleaning and degreasing agent as early as the 1930s, was at the root of early ozone loss.
Graphene can hold multiple states of superconductivity, a new study finds
What’s more, the superconducting states get stronger under conditions expected to kill them.
Listening for the echoes of black holes
By analyzing X-ray reverberations and other astrophysical data, Erin Kara seeks to understand the most extreme objects in the universe.
What happens when environmental change outpaces life’s ability to adapt?
A new model links Earth’s mass extinctions to mismatches between rates of environmental change and biological adaptation.
New imaging system sees through murky waters
The “Sonar-MASt3R” combines sonar and visual data to create real-time 3D maps, even in cloudy water.
MIT astronomers discover the earliest known flickering quasar
When the universe was just 850 million years old, this voracious black hole was already surprisingly mature, a new study finds.
Ultrasound-based pacemaker noninvasively steadies the heart
The new design could offer a surgery-free alternative to traditional cardiac implants.
New propulsion system could make tiny satellites both fast and fuel-efficient
For satellites as small as a briefcase, getting around in space just got a whole lot easier.
A new way to spot signs of dark matter
Gravitational waves emitted by colliding black holes may bear imprints of dark matter, which physicists could detect with a new model.
Astronomers pin down the origins of a planetary odd couple
New measurements of a hot Jupiter and its mini-Neptune companion suggest both planets formed surprisingly far away from their host star.
MIT engineers’ virtual violin produces realistic sounds
Based on the physics of how the instrument produces sound, the model could help violin makers in the design process.
With a swipe of a magnet, microscopic “magno-bots” perform complex maneuvers
MIT researchers’ new fabrication technique can produce soft, microscopic structures with magnetically activated moving parts.
Plants can sense the sound of rain, a new study finds
Experiments by MIT engineers show rice seeds sprout faster to the sound of rain.