Model could help determine quarantine measures needed to reduce Covid-19’s spread
A key finding: Early reopening last spring led to a dramatic drop in “quarantine strength” in southern and west-central U.S. states.
Search Stories
A technique to sift out the universe’s first gravitational waves
Identifying primordial ripples would be key to understanding the conditions of the early universe.
Physicists capture the sound of a “perfect” fluid
The results should help scientists study the viscosity in neutron stars, the plasma of the early universe, and other strongly interacting fluids.
Mini-satellite maker
With her students, aerospace engineer Kerri Cahoy is developing small, affordable “CubeSats” to monitor weather and search for exoplanets.
No matter the size of a nuclear party, some protons and neutrons will always pair up and dance
Findings on short-range nuclear interactions will help scientists investigate neutron stars and heavy radioactive nuclei.
Astronomers report first detection of ultrabright radio flashes in our own galaxy
The fast radio bursts are likely generated by a magnetar, the most magnetic type of star in the universe.
Artificial intelligence model detects asymptomatic Covid-19 infections through cellphone-recorded coughs
Results might provide a convenient screening tool for people who may not suspect they are infected.
“What to Expect When You’re Expecting Robots”
Book co-authored by Associate Professor Julie Shah and Laura Major SM ’05 explores a future populated with robot helpers.
To make mini-organs grow faster, give them a squeeze
Study finds that compressing cells, and crowding their contents, can coax them to grow and divide.
Institute Professor Emeritus Mario Molina, environmental leader and Nobel laureate, dies at 77
The atmospheric chemist shared the Nobel Prize for the discovery that chemicals known as CFCs deplete the ozone layer.
3 Questions: Why getting ahead of Covid-19 requires modeling more than a health crisis
Researchers urge a holistic approach to forecasting the virus’ impact on public health and the economy.
Andrea Ghez ’87 wins a share of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics
MIT alumna and two others honored for discoveries in black hole physics.
Geologists raise the speed limit for how fast continental crust can form
Study suggests parts of the Sierra Nevadas formed in a “geologic instant,” more than twice as fast as previously thought.
Antarctic sea ice may not cap carbon emissions as much as previously thought
Study suggests sea ice blocks the flow of carbon both into and out of the ocean, in roughly equal measure.
Astronomers discover an Earth-sized “pi planet” with a 3.14-day orbit
The rocky world, with its baking-hot surface, is likely not habitable.