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.
Making the case for curiosity-driven science
President Sally Kornbluth spoke in front of a packed crowd about growing challenges to the U.S. research ecosystem as funding for America’s top research universities becomes increasingly strained.
Study: Immigrants help address the US eldercare shortage
Economists find that in metro areas with more immigration, nurses are spending more time with elderly patients.
Solving the “Whac-a-mole dilemma”: A smarter way to debias AI vision models
A new debiasing technique called WRING avoids creating or amplifying biases that can occur with existing debiasing approaches.
The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab launches to shape the future of AI and quantum computing
Building on a long-standing MIT–IBM collaboration, the new lab will chart the convergence of AI, algorithms, and quantum computing.
MIT engineers’ virtual violin produces realistic sounds
Based on the physics of how the instrument produces sound, the model could help violin makers in the design process.
Enabling privacy-preserving AI training on everyday devices
A new method could bring more accurate and efficient AI models to high-stakes applications like health care and finance, even in under-resourced settings.
With a swipe of a magnet, microscopic “magno-bots” perform complex maneuvers
MIT researchers’ new fabrication technique can produce soft, microscopic structures with magnetically activated moving parts.
Robotically assembled building blocks could make construction more efficient and sustainable
New research suggests constructing a simple building from interlocking subunits should be mechanically feasible and have a much smaller carbon footprint.
Mapping molecular markers of physical fitness
A new study reveals cellular pathways that appear to underlie some differences in physical fitness.