Urban planning students engage with communities through the Freedom Summer Fellowship
“You can’t teach planning today without grappling with how policy actually unfolds within communities,” says Professor Phillip Thompson.
Working to advance the nuclear renaissance
Dean Price, assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, sees a bright future for nuclear power, and believes AI can help us realize that vision.
Toward cheaper, cleaner hydrogen production
Co-founded by Dan Sobek ’88, SM ’92, PhD ’97, 1s1 Energy has developed a filtration material for hydrogen electrolyzers that it says reduces energy use by 30 percent.
Championing fusion’s promising underdog
Sophia Henneberg, assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, is developing stellarators to harness fusion energy.
Active Surfaces aims to install peel-and-stick solar panels everywhere
This award-winning startup with roots at the MIT Energy Initiative is developing lightweight, flexible, high-efficiency solar energy films designed to be used on roofs, walls, and any curved surface.
3 Questions: Communicating about climate, in audio and beyond
Madison Goldberg, the new host of the Ask MIT Climate podcast, talks about her career as a science communicator as well as ideas she thinks it’s important for climate communicators to convey.
Turning extreme heat into large-scale energy storage
Fourth Power, founded by Professor Asegun Henry, is developing thermal batteries for efficiently storing excess electricity from utility grids and power producers.
Sustaining diplomacy amid competition in US-China relations
At MIT, former U.S. ambassador to China Nicholas Burns highlights climate change as an area for diplomatic engagement, while exploring areas including China's emphasis on STEM education.
Next-generation geothermal energy: Promise, progress, and challenges
Geothermal innovators at MIT and elsewhere are seeking deeper and hotter rocks to generate electricity at scale.
New method could increase LLM training efficiency
By leveraging idle computing time, researchers can double the speed of model training while preserving accuracy.
Electrifying boilers to decarbonize industry
AtmosZero, co-founded by Addison Stark SM ’10, PhD ’14, developed a modular heat pump to electrify the centuries-old steam boiler.
Feeding innovation to solve complex urban problems
Cross-border collaborations are seen as a key to success for the MIT Leventhal Center’s Mexico City Initiative.
3 Questions: How AI could optimize the power grid
While the growing energy demands of AI are worrying, some techniques can also help make power grids cleaner and more efficient.
Positioning Massachusetts as a hub for climate tech and economic development
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO MBA ’12 Emily Reichert highlights the state government’s unique approach to fostering and keeping clean energy innovation.
Post-COP30, more aggressive policies needed to cap global warming at 1.5 C
Global Change Outlook report for 2025 shows how accelerated action can reduce climate risks and improve sustainability outcomes, while highlighting potential geopolitical hurdles.