Making data visualization more accessible for blind and low-vision individuals
Researchers have created prototypes that enable screen-reader users to quickly and easily navigate through multiple levels of information in an online chart.
Magma beneath tectonic collision zones is wetter than previously thought
New findings may help explain how Earth’s crust forms, the location of ore deposits, and why some volcanoes are more explosive than others.
Is it topological? A new materials database has the answer
Searchable tool reveals more than 90,000 known materials with electronic properties that remain unperturbed in the face of disruption.
MIT students and postdocs advocate for increased federal support of scientific research on Capitol Hill
Students and postdocs from MIT's Science Policy Initiative meet with lawmakers on science-engineering-technology Congressional Visit Days 2022.
Unpacking black-box models
Researchers create a mathematical framework to evaluate explanations of machine-learning models and quantify how well people understand them.
Astronomers discover a rare “black widow” binary, with the shortest orbit yet
The system is orbited by third stellar companion and may have originated near the center of the Milky Way.
An easier way to teach robots new skills
Researchers have developed a technique that enables a robot to learn a new pick-and-place task with only a handful of human demonstrations.
“Spring-loaded” system pops phosphorus into molecular rings
An alternative to methods requiring harsh chemical conditions, the reaction offers a new route to making useful phosphorous-containing compounds.
Structures considered key to gene expression are surprisingly fleeting
Study finds genome loops don’t last long in cells; theories of how loops control gene expression may need to be revised.
Joystick-operated robot could help surgeons treat stroke remotely
The system could provide teleoperated endovascular treatment to patients during the critical time window after a stroke begins.
Engineers enlist AI to help scale up advanced solar cell manufacturing
Perovskite materials would be superior to silicon in PV cells, but manufacturing such cells at scale is a huge hurdle. Machine learning can help.
Engineered bacteria could help protect “good” gut microbes from antibiotics
Microbes that safely break down antibiotics could prevent opportunistic infections and reduce antibiotic resistance.
New tool reveals how immune cells find their targets
MIT biological engineers have developed a simple way to identify B or T cells that interact with viral or bacterial proteins.
Study reveals the dynamics of human milk production
A new analysis shows how milk-producing cells change over time in nursing mothers.
System helps severely motor-impaired individuals type more quickly and accurately
For individuals who communicate using a single switch, a new interface learns how they make selections, and then self-adjusts accordingly.