Making prosthetic limbs feel more natural
Muscle grafts could help amputees sense and control artificial limbs.
Wearable system helps visually impaired users navigate
Device provides information from a 3-D camera, via vibrating motors and a Braille interface.
Exploring elusive high-energy particles in an unusual metal
Exotic metal displays behavior that could lead to new infrared detectors.
In search of the fundamental laws of microecology
A new MIT-led Simons Foundation collaboration aims to understand basic principles and laws of microbial ecosystems.
New method enables real-time monitoring of materials during irradiation
Technique will enable continuous measurement of damage to materials in high-radiation environments.
New scaling law predicts how wheels drive over sand
Formula could help optimize construction vehicles, military tanks, and rovers on Mars.
Chemists reveal amyloid structure
Discovery of how amyloids bind metal ions sheds light on protein function.
Conch shells spill the secret to their toughness
Three-tiered structure of these impact-resistant shells could inspire better helmets, body armor.
Bacteria with multicolor vision
Red, green, and blue light can be used to control gene expression in engineered E. coli.
Toward mass-producible quantum computers
Process for positioning quantum bits in diamond optical circuits could work at large scales.
Armando Solar-Lezama: Academic success despite an inauspicious start
Initially turned down by nearly every college he applied to, the computer scientist cleared his own path to MIT.
Faster, more nimble drones on the horizon
New algorithm quickly makes sense of incoming visual data.
Researchers engineer shape-shifting noodles
Sheets of gelatin transform into 3-D shapes when dunked in water; could save food shipping costs.
Zika virus likely circulated in Americas long before its detection
Analysis of largest collection of Zika genomes to date reveals trajectory and evolution of the virus.
Using Bitcoin to prevent identity theft
System piggybacks on the digital currency’s security protocols to thwart hijacked servers.