Facing up to democratic distrust
Study: False assumptions about election malfeasance could create a “death spiral” for democracy — but also provide some hope for bipartisan repair.
A telescope’s last view
Astronomers discover the last three planets the Kepler telescope observed before going dark.
Even lawyers don’t like legalese
A new study shows lawyers find simplified legal documents easier to understand, more appealing, and just as enforceable as traditional contracts.
River erosion can shape fish evolution, study suggests
The new findings could explain biodiversity hotspots in tectonically quiet regions.
Using AI, scientists find a drug that could combat drug-resistant infections
The machine-learning algorithm identified a compound that kills Acinetobacter baumannii, a bacterium that lurks in many hospital settings.
Study doubles the number of known repeating fast radio bursts
Statistics tools support the idea that all radio bursts may repeat if observed long enough.
Probabilistic AI that knows how well it’s working
It’s more important than ever for artificial intelligence to estimate how accurately it is explaining data.
Helping robots handle fluids
Researchers create a new simulation tool for robots to manipulate complex fluids in a step toward helping them more effortlessly assist with daily tasks.
A better way to match 3D volumes
By mapping the volumes of objects, rather than their surfaces, a new technique could yield solutions to computer graphics problems in animation and CAD.
Tiny diamond rotor could improve protein studies
A new way of machining microscale rotors from diamond crystal can enable ultrasensitive NMR devices for probing proteins and other materials.
Understanding boiling to help the nuclear industry and space missions
Florian Chavagnat seeks to answer fundamental questions about heat transfer that will shape the success of nuclear power plants — and extended missions in space.
Exploring new methods for increasing safety and reliability of autonomous vehicles
A new study finds human supervisors have the potential to reduce barriers to deploying autonomous vehicles.
Researchers use AI to identify similar materials in images
This machine-learning method could assist with robotic scene understanding, image editing, or online recommendation systems.
From molecular to whole-brain scale in a simple animal, study reveals serotonin’s effects
With full genetic control and visibility into neural activity and behavior, MIT scientists map out chemical’s role in behavior.
3 Questions: A new model of nervous system form, function, and evolution
Developing a new neuroscience model is no small feat. New faculty member Brady Weissbourd has risen to the challenge in order to study nervous system evolution, development, regeneration, and function.