The mystery of the Chinese tea chest label
MIT historian Tristan Brown uncovers the true origins of an artifact once thought to be a relic of the Boston Tea Party.
On the hunt for dark matter
From Broadway to MIT’s Laboratory for Nuclear Science, PhD student Jessica Fry doesn’t do anything halfway. Now she’s hunting for the universe’s most elusive particle.
With a feel for physics, AI models simulate a wider range of real-world scenarios
“GeoPT” helps AI models understand the basics of physics so they can simulate how objects respond to things like wind and water more efficiently and accurately.
High-orbit satellites could light the way for travel to the moon
Acting as cooperative optical beacons, the satellites could provide GPS-like navigation and communications support for spacecraft operating across cislunar space.
MIT researchers tackle the economic realities of fusion power
Their new study aims to give budding industry a framework for understanding how fusion can be profitable.
Physicists watch a material’s electrons assemble, and reassemble, into coexisting phases
The study could help scientists understand how superconductivity and other more complex phenomena emerge in quantum materials.
A new way to watch heat move through electronics
MIT researchers can now precisely measure how heat moves through multilayered materials like computer chips.
Personalized physical therapy: Stroke rehabilitation powered by AI
MIT engineers introduce an adaptive physical therapy system that uses generative AI to learn from physical therapists and interactively support stroke patients.
Researchers make air-stable, ultrathin superconductors, for more scalable quantum devices
A new technique produces wafer-scale samples, overcoming a major roadblock to using these materials in quantum technologies.
Scientists unveil more than 600 new tissue models of human cancer
Derived from patient tumor samples and available to researchers around the world, the cells will aid the development of new cancer treatments.
These 3D-printed objects can tell you if they’re being used properly
The “ShiftLens” design and fabrication system creates objects that change their surface appearance based on user interactions, without any electronics.
Solving the solvent problem
By focusing on electrolytes, MIT scientists are making sodium-metal batteries a more practical energy storage option.
The benefits of medical AI assistance vary based on user expertise
Study finds non-experts deferred to LLM-based diagnostic assistance, even when it was wrong, while clinicians caught AI errors.
Turning molecules into reliable electronic devices
A new fabrication platform integrates molecules into electronic devices, opening the door to emerging computing technologies.
Why some nitrogen-processing enzymes are more efficient than others
New findings could help researchers design synthetic catalysts that convert nitrogen gas to ammonia, a key step in fertilizer production.