Search Stories

Researchers have designed and built a quantum computer from five atoms in an ion trap. The computer uses laser pulses to carry out Shor’s algorithm on each atom, to correctly factor the number 15.

The beginning of the end for encryption schemes?

New quantum computer, based on five atoms, factors numbers in a scalable way.

March 3, 2016

Using acoustic data, researchers identified and mapped the calls of diverse marine mammal species in fish spawning grounds on Georges Bank, including (from top right, clockwise): blue (snout only is pictured), humpback, orca, fin, dolphin, sei, pilot, sperm, and minke.

Whales dine with their own kind

Mapping whale calls, researchers find the predators feed in species-specific hotspots.

March 2, 2016

“Without compressibility and gravity, we cannot describe low-frequency sound waves correctly,” Usama Kadri says. “This is one of the reasons why researchers have mostly overlooked acoustic-gravity waves.”

New theory of deep-ocean sound waves may aid tsunami detection

Surface waves can trigger powerful sound waves that race through the deep ocean, study suggests.

March 1, 2016

“These waves really talk to each other,” Themis Sapsis says. “They interact and exchange energy. It’s not just bad luck. It’s the dynamics that create this phenomenon.”

Rogue wave ahead

New prediction tool gives 2-3 minute warning of incoming rogue waves.

February 25, 2016

In Profile: Pablo Jarillo-Herrero

Experimental physicist explores the wild frontiers of graphene and other ultrathin materials.

February 24, 2016

Title for ‘Earth’s first animal’ likely goes to simple sea creature

Sponges may be source of molecular fossils that significantly predate Cambrian explosion.

February 22, 2016

An artist’s rendition of DNA entering bacteria.

Breaking through the bacteria barrier

New microfluidic device may speed up DNA insertion in bacteria, the first step in genetic engineering.

February 19, 2016

Humans settled, set fire to Madagascar’s forests 1,000 years ago

Stalagmites reveal huge shift in ancient Madagascar’s plant life, unrelated to climate change.

February 17, 2016

Q&A: Rainer Weiss on LIGO’s origins

MIT physicist developed the concept for LIGO as a teaching exercise.

February 11, 2016

Left to right: David Shoemaker, Rainer Weiss, Matthew Evans, Erotokritos Katsavounidis, Nergis Mavalvala, and Peter Fritschel.

Scientists make first direct detection of gravitational waves

LIGO signal reveals first observation of two massive black holes colliding, proves Einstein right.

February 11, 2016

“It’s important to understand how the process of fluid breakup happens,” says Lydia Bourouiba. “What is the physics telling us in terms of droplet size distribution, that we can use downstream to predict range of contamination?”

Sneezing produces complex fluid cascade, not a simple spray

High-speed imaging shows how fluid breaks apart in air, may help identify super-spreaders.

February 10, 2016

“If (mixotrophs) weren’t in the oceans, we’re suggesting atmospheric carbon dioxide might be higher, because there would less of the large, carbon rich particles formed which efficiently transfer carbon to depth,” Mick Follows says.

Living a “mixotrophic” lifestyle

Some tiny plankton may have big effect on ocean’s carbon storage.

February 1, 2016

In this image, the middle "explosion" is a cloud of hot electrons, inside graphene, that bounce off one another as they reach equilibrium and spread out. The red spheres are those electrons that are energetic enough to escape the hot cloud in less than 30 femtoseconds and generate an electric current. MIT researchers have developed a technique to access and control these ultrafast processes.

Physicists control electrons at femtosecond timescales

Results may help improve efficiency of solar cells, energy-harvesting devices.

January 22, 2016

Scientists tune polymer material’s transparency

Material may offer cheaper alternative to smart windows.

January 22, 2016

Engineers at MIT have developed a queuing model that may help air traffic controllers direct departures more efficiently, minimizing runway congestion.

Cutting down runway queues

Model that predicts time from gate departure to takeoff could cut airport congestion, fuel waste.

January 14, 2016

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology - On Campus and Around the world

Browse By

Topics

Departments

Centers, Labs, & Programs

Schools