The too-smart-for-its-own-good grid
New technologies intended to boost reliance on renewable energy could destabilize the power grid if they’re not matched with careful pricing policies.
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The science of teacher education
Undergraduate program prepares primary and secondary classroom leaders capable of inspiring their students.
Defibrillator for stalled software
A new tool interrupts the ‘infinite loops’ that cause computer hang-ups, letting users save data and finish tasks before restarting a stalled program.
Disease-causing tangle could spawn new materials
Amyloids, associated with Alzheimer’s and other diseases, could be inspiration for tough synthetic polymers.
Revealing water’s secrets
Experiments support controversial theory about how water behaves in confined spaces, providing insights for biology and manufacturing.
How to make solar power 24/7
MIT team designs concentrated solar thermal system that could store heat in vats of molten salts, supplying constant power.
Recognizing voices depends on language ability
Study finds that for people with dyslexia, it’s much harder to identify who is speaking.
How the brain assigns objects to categories
New findings may explain why children with autism tend to fixate on details instead of seeing the big picture.
To an asteroid, and back
MIT students to build imaging instrument to fly aboard mission to an asteroid.
When it pays to spend on health care
MIT study shows that spending more on emergency-room patients saves lives.
3Q: The next Mars rover’s destination
Mission is big step toward human exploration of Mars, according to MIT’s Maria Zuber.
Research update: Improving batteries’ energy storage
New method allows a dramatic boost in capacity for a given weight.
Inside the innards of a nuclear reactor
Tiny robots may monitor underground pipes for radioactive leaks.
Living in the digital ecosystem
LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman talks data mash-ups, entrepreneurship and how his site keeps people honest.