The promise and pitfalls of artificial intelligence explored at TEDxMIT event
MIT scientists discuss the future of AI with applications across many sectors, as a tool that can be both beneficial and harmful.
Tackling hard computational problems
David Gamarnik has developed a new tool, the overlap gap property, for understanding computational problems that appear intractable.
Q&A: Cathy Wu on developing algorithms to safely integrate robots into our world
Assistant professor of civil engineering describes her career in robotics as well as challenges and promises of human-robot interactions.
Systems scientists find clues to why false news snowballs on social media
A new model shows that the more polarized and hyperconnected a social network is, the more likely misinformation will spread.
Q&A: Can the world change course on climate?
Political scientist Nazli Choucri discusses challenges and hopes for global coordination on climate issues — and the role of political science in the process.
Machine learning speeds up vehicle routing
Strategy accelerates the best algorithmic solvers for large sets of cities.
Community policing in the Global South
Professor Fotini Christia is part of a team examining the challenges of implementing community policing across a range of countries.
The reasons behind lithium-ion batteries’ rapid cost decline
A new study finds that investments in R&D on materials and chemistry were key, while economies of scale contributed somewhat less.
Design’s new frontier
Mechanical engineers are using cutting-edge computing techniques to re-imagine how the products, systems, and infrastructures we use are designed.
At UN climate change conference, trying to “keep 1.5 alive”
A delegation from MIT traveled to Glasgow for COP26, where international negotiators sought to keep global climate goals on track.
MIT collaborates with Biogen on three-year, $7 million initiative to address climate, health, and equity
Biogen’s support is part of the biotechnology company’s Healthy Climate, Healthy Lives Initiative.
Avoiding shortcut solutions in artificial intelligence
A new method forces a machine learning model to focus on more data when learning a task, which leads to more reliable predictions.
Study: Global cancer risk from burning organic matter comes from unregulated chemicals
The researchers hope scientists and regulators will consider a broader class of compounds in evaluating cancer risk due to PAH exposure.
Research collaboration puts climate-resilient crops in sight
MIT professors Dave Des Marais and Caroline Uhler combine plant biology and machine learning to identify genetic roots of plant responses to environmental stress.
MIT appoints members of new faculty committee to drive climate action plan
Professors Noelle Selin and Anne White will co-chair the Climate Nucleus, charged with managing and implementing MIT’s new plan.