Some democracies are struggling to ensure safe drinking water
Countries with developing economies provide at least some public water, but safety may lag because it’s less visible, researchers say.
From technical solution to systems change: Tackling the problem of plastic waste
Akorfa Dagadu, an MIT senior in chemical engineering, learns the importance of community-engaged research and innovation through the PKG Center for Social Impact.
Managing traffic in space
Associate Professor Richard Linares is helping satellites safely navigate in increasingly congested orbits.
A regulatory loophole could delay ozone recovery by years
Scientists say an exception in the Montreal Protocol for the use of ozone-depleting feedstocks could set the ozone recovery back seven years.
Youth may increase vulnerability to a carcinogen found in contaminated water and some drugs
A new study suggests that the chemical NDMA is much more likely to cause cancerous mutations after exposure early in life.
Urban planning students engage with communities through the Freedom Summer Fellowship
“You can’t teach planning today without grappling with how policy actually unfolds within communities,” says Professor Phillip Thompson.
MIT researchers measure traffic emissions, to the block, in real-time
A new study pieces together existing data sources in order to develop a detailed, dynamic picture of auto emissions.
A complicated future for a methane-cleansing molecule
A new model shows how levels of the “atmosphere’s detergent” may rise and fall in response to climate change.
Ocean bacteria team up to break down biodegradable plastic
MIT researchers uncovered the roles of bacterial species from the environment as they consume biodegradable plastic.
X-raying rocks reveals their carbon-storing capacity
New research by MIT geophysicists could assist efforts to remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it underground.
Nitrous oxide, a product of fertilizer use, may harm some soil bacteria
While some N2O is produced naturally at the plant root, agricultural practices can increase its levels, to the detriment of some microbes that support plant growth.
Exploring the promise of regenerative aquaculture at an Arkansas fish farm
Through research with MIT D-Lab, MIT engineering student Kiyoko “Kik” Hayano worked with Keo Fish Farms to build a model for regenerative water systems.
Feeding innovation to solve complex urban problems
Cross-border collaborations are seen as a key to success for the MIT Leventhal Center’s Mexico City Initiative.
Understanding ammonia energy’s tradeoffs around the world
MIT Energy Initiative researchers calculated the economic and environmental impact of future ammonia energy production and trade pathways.
3 Questions: How AI could optimize the power grid
While the growing energy demands of AI are worrying, some techniques can also help make power grids cleaner and more efficient.