Jesse Thaler: Seeking the fundamental nature of matter
Theorist explores particle physics at the boundary of “messy and elegant.”
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Ocean sound waves may reveal location of incoming objects
New acoustic analysis could pinpoint impacts by meteorites or possibly plane debris.
Scientists detect comets outside our solar system
Team of professional and citizen scientists identifies tails of comets streaking past a distant star.
MIT students fortify concrete by adding recycled plastic
Adding bits of irradiated plastic water bottles could cut cement industry’s carbon emissions.
Noelle Selin: Tracing toxins around the world
Atmospheric chemist takes on pollutants and the global treaties written to control them.
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.
Engineers identify key to albatross’ marathon flight
Flying in shallow arcs helps birds stay aloft with less effort.
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.”
A concrete solution
Insight into cement’s microscopic properties may lead to stronger, more sustainable concrete.
First open-access data from large collider confirm subatomic particle patterns
CERN Open Data Portal results reveal predictable patterns from colliding high-energy protons.
Technique spots warning signs of extreme events
Method may help predict hotspots of instability affecting climate, aircraft performance, and ocean circulation.
Mathematics predicts a sixth mass extinction
By 2100, oceans may hold enough carbon to launch mass extermination of species in future millennia.
Neighboring exoplanets may hold water, study finds
Observations and modeling suggest TRAPPIST-1 exoplanets may have held onto water, billions of years after their formation.
New robot rolls with the rules of pedestrian conduct
Approach may enable robots to move around hospitals, malls, and other areas with heavy foot traffic.
Strength of global stratospheric circulation measured for first time
Estimate will help gauge hang time of greenhouse gases, water vapor, and ozone in upper atmosphere.