Social physics
Media Lab professor’s new book ties more than a decade’s research into a new theory of information propagation in communities large and small.
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Thinking hard about social problems
A senior in brain and cognitive sciences, Aliya Dincer turns next to challenges in education and economics.
Give him the hook: New data shows baseball managers when to replace the starting pitcher
As MIT’s major sports analytics conference begins, novel research provides data-based guidance for big-league skippers.
Inside the minds of voters
An MIT political scientist proposes a new polling method to reveal how voters make choices at the ballot box.
Building nursery 2.0
With a sensor-based onesie that tracks a baby’s health, MIT spinout Rest Devices is bringing innovation to baby monitoring.
Need a water filter? Peel a tree branch
MIT group shows xylem tissue in sapwood can filter bacteria from contaminated water.
Social media’s ‘law’ of short messages
Study shows a regular decline in length of social media messaging during public events as the volume of messages increases.
In praise of the Institute’s unsung heroes
Annual MIT Excellence Awards features presentation of first Collier Medal, to 56 members of MIT EMS.
Can entrenched energy systems undergo rapid changes?
MIT Energy Conference explores recent dramatic developments in the energy landscape, and outlines the need for more.
Self-completing programs
A system that automatically fills in the gaps in programmers’ code becomes more powerful.
How to create selective holes in graphene
New technique developed at MIT produces highly selective filter materials, could lead to more efficient desalination.
A paper diagnostic for cancer
Low-cost urine test developed by MIT engineers amplifies signals from growing tumors to detect disease.
Looking for first light
Robert Simcoe peers deep into the universe’s past to identify the first stars.
Researchers find that going with the flow makes bacteria stick
In surprising new discovery, scientists show that microbes are more likely to adhere to tube walls when water is moving.