Finding a sweet spot between radical and relevant
As he invents programmable materials and self-organizing systems, Skylar Tibbits is pushing design boundaries while also solving real-world problems.
3 Questions: Can we secure a sustainable supply of nickel?
Extraction of nickel, an essential component of clean energy technologies, needs stronger policies to protect local environments and communities, MIT researchers say.
Quantum simulator could help uncover materials for high-performance electronics
By emulating a magnetic field on a superconducting quantum computer, researchers can probe complex properties of materials.
An exotic-materials researcher with the soul of an explorer
Associate professor of physics Riccardo Comin never stops seeking uncharted territory.
MIT team takes a major step toward fully 3D-printed active electronics
By fabricating semiconductor-free logic gates, which can be used to perform computation, researchers hope to streamline the manufacture of electronics.
Tiny magnetic discs offer remote brain stimulation without transgenes
The devices could be a useful tool for biomedical research, and possible clinical use in the future.
Bubble findings could unlock better electrode and electrolyzer designs
A new study of bubbles on electrode surfaces could help improve the efficiency of electrochemical processes that produce fuels, chemicals, and materials.
A two-dose schedule could make HIV vaccines more effective
MIT researchers find that the first dose primes the immune system, helping it to generate a strong response to the second dose, a week later.
MIT course helps researchers crack secrets of ancient pottery
A summer class teaches PhD students and early-career archaeologists ceramic petrography, revealing the origins and production methods of past societies.
AI model can reveal the structures of crystalline materials
By analyzing X-ray crystallography data, the model could help researchers develop new materials for many applications, including batteries and magnets.
Atoms on the edge
Physicists capture images of ultracold atoms flowing freely, without friction, in an exotic “edge state.”
A new approach to fine-tuning quantum materials
An MIT-led group shows how to achieve precise control over the properties of Weyl semimetals and other exotic substances.
With sustainable cement, startup aims to eliminate gigatons of CO₂
Sublime Systems, founded by Professor Yet-Ming Chiang and former postdoc Leah Ellis, has developed a sustainable way to make one of the world’s most common materials.
New substrate material for flexible electronics could help combat e-waste
Electronic waste is a rapidly growing problem, but this degradable material could allow the recycling of parts from many single-use and wearable devices.
MIT spinout Arnasi begins applying LiquiGlide no-stick technology to help patients
The company that brought you no-stick toothpaste is moving into the medical space, with a lubricant for ostomy pouches and other products that could improve millions of lives.