Preview of an inauguration
In addition to marking the beginning of L. Rafael Reif’s term as MIT’s 17th president, the festivities will celebrate the MIT community’s ethic of service.
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Researchers engineer light-activated skeletal muscle
Technique may enable robotic animals that move with the strength and flexibility of their living counterparts.
MIT-developed ‘microthrusters’ could propel small satellites
As small as a penny, these thrusters run on jets of ion beams.
Plants exhibit a wide range of mechanical properties, engineers find
Biological structures may help engineers design new materials.
Soft autonomous robot inches along like an earthworm
Flexible design enables body-morphing capability.
Research update: SPHERES to get powerful magnets and goggles
New wireless power and camera setups will expand the mini-satellites’ vision and navigation capabilities.
Newfound gene may help bacteria survive in extreme environments
Resulting microbial lipids may also signify oxygen dips in Earth’s history.
A far-off solar system
Researchers measure the orientation of a multiplanet system and find it very similar to our own solar system.
River networks on Titan point to a puzzling geologic history
Findings suggest the surface of Saturn’s largest moon may have undergone a recent transformation.
Autonomous robot scans ship hulls for mines
Algorithms enable robot to navigate and view propellers and other complex structures.
Mechanical engineers develop an ‘intelligent co-pilot’ for cars
Semiautonomous system takes the wheel to keep drivers safe.
Explained: Near-miss asteroids
What to do in the event of an asteroid streaking toward Earth? Activate the asteroid ‘fire drill.’
Lead from gasoline discovered in Indian Ocean
Levels began to climb in the 1970s, peaking a decade ago — a timeline consistent with the region’s pattern of leaded gasoline use.