Listening for the echoes of black holes
By analyzing X-ray reverberations and other astrophysical data, Erin Kara seeks to understand the most extreme objects in the universe.
MIT in the media: Exploring how curiosity-driven science is an essential ingredient in America’s success
“Scientific American” showcases the history and future of America’s scientific engine, highlighting promising young scientists and icons at MIT and beyond.
QS ranks MIT the world’s No. 1 university for 2026-27
Ranking at the top for the 15th year in a row, the Institute also places first in 12 subject areas.
MIT Open Learning reaches all the way to the South Pole
John Della Costa uses OpenCourseWare to engage fellow Antarctica “winterovers” in physics content, and to build community.
Pablo Jarillo-Herrero wins Kavli Prize in Nanoscience
The MIT physicist shares the honor with two others for foundational research establishing the field of twistronics.
MIT affiliates win 2026 Breakthrough, New Horizons prizes
Faculty member Shu-Heng Shao, in addition to four MIT alumni, are honored by the Breakthrough Prize Foundation.
MIT astronomers discover the earliest known flickering quasar
When the universe was just 850 million years old, this voracious black hole was already surprisingly mature, a new study finds.
NSF renews support for MIT-led AI and physics institute, expanding a new model for discovery
IAIFI enters its second phase with increased funding, broader ambitions, and a growing community at the frontier of AI and fundamental physics.
Eleven from MIT accept 2026 Fulbright awards
This year, over half of MIT’s Fulbright applicants won awards. The current students and alumni will embark on research projects and teaching abroad in 2026-27.
MIT students study plasma physics beneath Alaska’s aurora
Student-led expeditions use distributed instruments to observe auroral structures and probe space plasma in real-world conditions.
MIT affiliates elected to National Academy of Sciences for 2026
Six MIT faculty, along with 10 additional alumni, are recognized by their peers for their outstanding contributions to research in the natural and social sciences.
Two from MIT named 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholars
The prestigious fellowship funds graduate studies at Stanford University.
Researchers “reprogram” materials by quickly rearranging their atoms
A new method for precisely moving columns of individual atoms within a material could give rise to exotic quantum properties.
A new way to spot signs of dark matter
Gravitational waves emitted by colliding black holes may bear imprints of dark matter, which physicists could detect with a new model.
Improving the reliability of circuits for quantum computers
A new technique helps scientists measure a phenomenon that can cause quantum circuits to perform differently than expected, increasing the error in computations.