In the World: Design summit’s inventions find willing buyers
Devices to improve lives in developing countries are so appealing that even the initial prototypes attract buyers.
Disease-causing tangle could spawn new materials
Amyloids, associated with Alzheimer’s and other diseases, could be inspiration for tough synthetic polymers.
How to make solar power 24/7
MIT team designs concentrated solar thermal system that could store heat in vats of molten salts, supplying constant power.
Research update: Improving batteries’ energy storage
New method allows a dramatic boost in capacity for a given weight.
Inside the innards of a nuclear reactor
Tiny robots may monitor underground pipes for radioactive leaks.
A new way to build nanostructures
Combining top-down and bottom-up approaches, new low-cost method could be a boon to research with a variety of applications.
Moving inventions to the marketplace
MIT/Harvard symposium seeks commercial opportunities for emerging technologies.
‘Smart cars’ that are actually, well, smart
Mechanical engineers work to develop intelligent onboard transportation systems that can prevent car crashes.
How to choose a catalyst
MIT researchers provide a simple principle to predict which materials will perform best in fuel cells and metal air batteries.
Extreme electric racing
MIT’s eSuperbike charges up for an eco-friendly edition of the Isle of Man motorcycle race.
‘Artificial leaf’ moves closer to reality
MIT researchers develop a device that combines a solar cell with a catalyst to split water molecules and generate energy.
Making materials to order
New method of forming composites allows fine-tuning of mechanical, electrical, thermal and other properties.
When is it worth remanufacturing?
MIT study shows sometimes it saves energy, sometimes it doesn’t — and sometimes it makes things worse.