Galileo revisited: How ribbons roll
In a twist on a classic experiment, MIT researchers discover how flexible cylinders behave when rolling down a slope.
Supercomputing on a cell phone
For complex problems whose form can be anticipated but whose particulars can’t, new software can offer approximate solutions in seconds.
James Keck, professor emeritus of mechanical engineering, dies at 86
Worked on the atomic bomb at Los Alamos
All charged up
Ability to recharge rapidly could make electric cars more acceptable to consumers, says MIT student team
Why saliva forms beads on a string
Researchers’ solution to longstanding mystery could enable better inkjet printing and drug-dispensing systems.
Varanasi receives DARPA Young Faculty Award
Funding will support research on nano-engineered surfaces for heat management that could make all sorts of systems work more efficiently
Silicon can be made to melt in reverse
Material that shows melting while cooling might someday lead to applications in solar cells and other devices
In the World: Breath of life
Low-cost portable ventilator could be a lifesaver for people in remote locations and for hospitals in the developing world.
Thin films show surprising reactivity
MIT findings of high oxygen activity in thin-film materials might someday lead to greatly increased power production from future fuel cells
Enhancing the power of batteries
MIT team finds that using carbon nanotubes in a lithium battery can dramatically improve its energy capacity.
A new use for gold
Engineers turn a drawback — the stickiness of gold nanoparticles — into an advantage.
Obama intends to nominate Suresh as next NSF director
The MIT engineering dean would lead the independent federal agency that supports science and engineering research.
Now hear this
3-D imaging technology could lead to hearing aids that fit — and thus function — better than current models.