High-speed videos show what happens when a droplet splashes into a pool
Findings may help predict how rain and irrigation systems launch particles and pathogens from watery surfaces, with implications for industry, agriculture, and public health.
Engineers turn the body’s goo into new glue
They combined a blend of slimy and sticky proteins to produce a fast-acting, bacteria-blocking, waterproof adhesive for use in biomedical applications.
Want to design the car of the future? Here are 8,000 designs to get you started.
MIT engineers developed the largest open-source dataset of car designs, including their aerodynamics, that could speed design of eco-friendly cars and electric vehicles.
To design better water filters, MIT engineers look to manta rays
New research shows the filter-feeders strike a natural balance between permeability and selectivity that could inform design of water treatment systems.
Revealing causal links in complex systems
MIT engineers’ algorithm may have wide impact, from forecasting climate to projecting population growth to designing efficient aircraft.
Study: Marshes provide cost-effective coastal protection
As climate change accelerates sea-level rise and intensifies storms, marsh-fronted seawalls can provide an economical coastal defense, MIT engineers report.
Study: Titan’s lakes may be shaped by waves
MIT researchers find wave activity on Saturn’s largest moon may be strong enough to erode the coastlines of lakes and seas.
Microscopic defects in ice influence how massive glaciers flow, study shows
The findings should help scientists refine predictions of future sea-level rise.
The origin of the sun’s magnetic field could lie close to its surface
Sunspots and flares could be a product of a shallow magnetic field, according to surprising new findings that may help scientists predict space weather.
Study: Heavy snowfall and rain may contribute to some earthquakes
The results suggest that climate may influence seismic activity.
3 Questions: A shared vocabulary for how infectious diseases spread
Lydia Bourouiba’s research on fluid dynamics influenced new guidance from the World Health Organization that will shape how health agencies respond to respiratory infectious diseases.
MIT-derived algorithm helps forecast the frequency of extreme weather
The new approach “nudges” existing climate simulations closer to future reality.
Artificial reef designed by MIT engineers could protect marine life, reduce storm damage
The sustainable and cost-saving structure could dissipate more than 95 percent of incoming wave energy using a small fraction of the material normally needed.
With a new experimental technique, MIT engineers probe the mechanisms of landslides and earthquakes
The behavior of granular materials has been difficult to visualize, but a new method reveals their internal forces in 3D detail.
New tool predicts flood risk from hurricanes in a warming climate
Using New York as a test case, the model predicts flooding at the level experienced during Hurricane Sandy will occur roughly every 30 years by the end of this century.