What can we learn from lottery spending?
“City Digits: Local Lotto” teaches Brooklyn high school students how to work with data by analyzing lottery spending patterns.
Better wisdom from crowds
MIT scholars produce new method of harvesting correct answers from groups.
Energy-efficient design
MIT researchers are helping architects optimize both design and energy efficiency.
New sensors can detect single protein molecules
Modified carbon nanotubes could be used to track protein production by individual cells.
Catalyst adds fluorine-containing groups to make new compounds
Introducing such groups to potential drugs could make them more effective.
Faster websites with fewer bugs
System that automatically handles database caching in server farms increases speed and reliability.
RNA hitches a ride on ultrasound waves
Technique enables rapid delivery of RNA to treat colon inflammation.
SMART automation
MIT Professor Daniela Rus combines automation and mobility to create a smarter world.
Study: Technological progress alone won’t stem resource use
Researchers find no evidence of an overall reduction in the world’s consumption of materials.
Taming data
System finds and links related data scattered across digital files, for easy querying and filtering.
Study tracks “memory” of soil moisture
First year of data from SMAP satellite provides new insights for weather, agriculture, and climate.
Technique enables adaptable 3-D printing
Once fabricated, objects can be altered by adding new polymers.
Study of MOOCs offers insights into online learner engagement and behavior
New report, based on four years of data from edX, represents one of the largest surveys of massive open online courses to date.
House rules
Research shows how rebuilding Britain’s Houses of Parliament in the 1800s helped create clean-air laws.