For most US drivers, EVs offer emissions benefits and cost savings
When it comes to emissions, individual driving patterns matter as much as how “green” the regional electricity mix is, MIT researchers report.
Rethinking how our brains use categories to make sense of the world
Researchers propose a challenge to the traditional view of how the brain uses its ability to categorize.
Photonics advance could enable compact, high-performance lidar sensors
With a novel design, MIT researchers overcame a stubborn problem that has limited the effectiveness of chip-based systems for lidar.
Study: Firms often use automation to control certain workers’ wages
MIT economists found US companies tend to target employees earning a “wage premium,” which increases inequality but not necessarily productivity.
Method for stress-testing cloud computing algorithms helps avoid network failures
The “MetaEase” technique provides a heads-up to potential scenarios that could cause long wait-times or outages.
Astronomers pin down the origins of a planetary odd couple
New measurements of a hot Jupiter and its mini-Neptune companion suggest both planets formed surprisingly far away from their host star.
The tech revolution that wasn’t
Associate Professor Dwai Banerjee’s new book examines the visionaries who wanted to turn India into a world power at making computers.
Rett syndrome study highlights potential for personalized treatments
Using advanced human cell cultures, MIT researchers tracked how two different mutations alter neural circuit development, and how each could be addressed with distinct potential therapeutics.
Powering 160,000 hours of discovery at MIT.nano
NanoFab Equipment Management and Operations (NEMO) system streamlines shared facilities management via tool trainings, reservations, and lab communications.
It took 40 years for technology to catch up to this zipper design
An old patent from MIT Professor Bill Freeman inspired the new “Y-zipper,” a three-sided fastener that snaps gear, robots, and art into shape at the push of a button.
How chromatin movement helps control gene expression
By monitoring these chromosomal structures over many timescales, MIT researchers found that chromatin helps bring genes closer to their regulatory elements.
Study: Gene circuits reshape DNA folding and affect how genes are expressed
When genes are transcribed, they suppress or activate their neighbors, coupling expression between the two genes.
The hidden structure behind a widely used class of materials
Relaxor ferroelectrics have been used in electronics and sensors for decades, but the source of their unique properties was a mystery until now.
How neurons sense bacteria in the gut
Neural interaction with bacteria has important effects on animal brains. A new study investigates how neurons sense bacteria by revealing, in nematodes, the bacterial signals that a key neuron detects.
