National Science Foundation (NSF)

A dark gray worm shaped like a sine wave wiggles through a field of faint lighter gray blotches. There are blue, orange, and green dots superimposed on the worm's head.

Cracking the code that relates brain and behavior in a simple animal

MIT researchers model and create an atlas for how neurons of the worm C. elegans encode its behaviors, make findings available on their “WormWideWeb.”

August 23, 2023

Realistic drawing of a printed circuit board, with circuit lines projecting above it in the shape of a brain

Machine-learning system based on light could yield more powerful, efficient large language models

MIT system demonstrates greater than 100-fold improvement in energy efficiency and a 25-fold improvement in compute density compared with current systems.

August 22, 2023

A blue squiggle-like DNA graphic points down in the center emitting light downwards. Two red DNA graphics are pointed up beside it. A structured array composed of triangular rods lie flat on dark gray surface, while the top rows of the arrays contain pieces resembling red pills.

Arrays of quantum rods could enhance TVs or virtual reality devices

MIT engineers developed a new way to create these arrays, by scaffolding quantum rods onto patterned DNA.

August 11, 2023

Against a decorative background is a rendering of a STING protein made of curling strings and rods. It is pink on the left and blue on the right, and the parts are intertwined.

Study finds a surprising new role for a major immune regulator

In addition to turning on genes involved in cell defense, the STING protein also acts as an ion channel, allowing it to control a wide variety of immune responses.

August 3, 2023

A 5x3 grid shows renderings of yellow objects. The objects have dynamic, bizarre shapes with large holes and a mix of smooth curved and straight surfaces.

New method simplifies the construction process for complex materials

With a new, user-friendly interface, researchers can quickly design many cellular metamaterial structures that have unique mechanical properties.

August 2, 2023

Three images of a man posing next to Trevor Noah. Each has the same face expression and pose. One has them in street clothes, another has them in suits and ties, while a third is just floating heads with a gray edited background

Using AI to protect against AI image manipulation

“PhotoGuard,” developed by MIT CSAIL researchers, prevents unauthorized image manipulation, safeguarding authenticity in the era of advanced generative models.

July 31, 2023

A rectangular vector map with hexagons distorted on the left by squeezing and on the right by stretching, showing how charged particles are directed to the top or bottom edge of the map

New quantum magnet unleashes electronics potential

Researchers discover how to control the anomalous Hall effect and Berry curvature to create flexible quantum magnets for use in computers, robotics, and sensors.

July 25, 2023

The background is blue and shows a pattern of coffee mugs. In the foreground on the left, a human hand holds a Tim the Beaver coffee mug. To the right of that, a robotic hand holds another Tim mug.

A faster way to teach a robot

A new technique helps a nontechnical user understand why a robot failed, and then fine-tune it with minimal effort to perform a task effectively.

July 18, 2023

3 faces are made of glowing green lines and rendered in polygons. Floating polygonal shapes appear over the dark purple background.

How an “AI-tocracy” emerges

In China, the use of AI-driven facial recognition helps the regime repress dissent while enhancing the technology, researchers report.

July 13, 2023

A crossword-type grid has white and black squares. In some black squares are red and blue balls. Some are linked together with a gradient line.

MIT physicists generate the first snapshots of fermion pairs

The images shed light on how electrons form superconducting pairs that glide through materials without friction.

July 6, 2023

6 unique star-like objects are made up of 8 teardrop-shaped grey nanocrystals. They glow green.

Researchers grow precise arrays of nanoLEDs

A new technique produces perovskite nanocrystals right where they’re needed, so the exceedingly delicate materials can be integrated into nanoscale devices.

July 6, 2023

On a blue gridded background is a purple bar chart with 7 bars. On top of each bar is a letter. Across the image, the letters spell “Caption.”

Researchers teach an AI to write better chart captions

A new dataset can help scientists develop automatic systems that generate richer, more descriptive captions for online charts.

June 30, 2023

A woman working at a computer while sitting at desk.

MIT researchers devise a way to evaluate cybersecurity methods

The system analyzes the likelihood that an attacker could thwart a certain security scheme to steal secret information.

June 28, 2023

Decorative image shows a bending rainbow lattice on black background.

Physicists discover a new switch for superconductivity

The results could help turn up unconventional superconducting materials.

June 22, 2023

Two sets of squiggly lines in blob formation with blue beads interwoven are shown, both with a distinct red line near center pointed by a black bracket. The blob on left resembles a horizontal rectangle with a black arrow pointing to the right blob, which resembles a vertical rectangle and has red arrows indicating directional flow.

Surprise! Weaker bonds can make polymers stronger

By adding weak linkers to a polymer network, chemists dramatically enhanced the material’s resistance to tearing.