The power of two
Graduate student Ellen Zhong helped biologists and mathematicians reach across departmental lines to address a longstanding problem in electron microscopy.
3 Questions: Anna Jagielska on printing artificial axons
How 3D-printed models of neuronal axons could accelerate development of new therapies to treat neurodegenerative disorders.
LIGO and Virgo detect rare mergers of black holes with neutron stars for the first time
In a 3Q, Salvatore Vitale describes how gravitational-wave signals suggest black holes completely devoured their companion neutron stars.
New face mask prototype can detect Covid-19 infection
The sensor technology could also be used to create clothing that detects a variety of pathogens and other threats.
Engineered yeast could expand biofuels’ reach
By making the microbes more tolerant to toxic byproducts, researchers show they can use a wider range of feedstocks, beyond corn.
As novel sights become familiar, different brain rhythms and neurons take over
As “visual recognition memory” emerges in the visual cortex, one circuit of inhibitory neurons supplants another, and slower neural oscillations prevail.
Tackling air pollution with autonomous drones
Alumni of the MIT New Engineering Education Transformation Program (NEET) worked together remotely from across the globe to design thinking machines.
Ultralight material withstands supersonic microparticle impacts
The new carbon-based material could be a basis for lighter, tougher alternatives to Kevlar and steel.
Revisiting a quantum past for a fusion future
Principal Research Scientist Abhay Ram circles back to his graduate school studies for a new initiative combining classical physics and quantum computing.
E-scooters as a new micro-mobility service
SMART researchers explore the potential of e-scooter sharing as a replacement for short-distance transit in Singapore.
Physicists uncover secrets of world’s thinnest superconductor
First experimental evidence of spin excitations in an atomically thin material helps answer 30-year-old questions, could lead to better medical diagnostics and more.
How the surfaces of silicone breast implants affect the immune system
Implant surface topography can influence the development of scarring, inflammation, and other complications, researchers find.
Physicists bring human-scale object to near standstill, reaching a quantum state
The results open possibilities for studying gravity’s effects on relatively large objects in quantum states.
Clearing the way toward robust quantum computing
MIT researchers demonstrate a way to sharply reduce errors in two-qubit gates, a significant advance toward fully realizing quantum computation.
Queen of hearts
Professor Laurie Boyer studies cardiac development, and how we might be able to mend broken hearts.