Advocating for science budget and policy
MIT’s Science Policy Initiative sends students and postdocs to Capitol Hill to advocate for continued and increased federal support for scientific research.
Training machines to learn more like humans do
Researchers identify a property that helps computer vision models learn to represent the visual world in a more stable, predictable way.
US and UAE governments highlight early warning system for climate resilience
One of MIT’s five Climate Grand Challenges flagship projects, the Jameel Observatory-CREWSnet project will pilot in Bangladesh and Sudan to help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change.
An unprecedented view of gene regulation
MIT engineers’ new technique analyzes the 3D organization of the genome at a resolution 100 times higher than before.
Researchers create a tool for accurately simulating complex systems
The system they developed eliminates a source of bias in simulations, leading to improved algorithms that can boost the performance of applications.
Scientists discover how mutations in a language gene produce speech deficits
Faulty versions of the Foxp2 gene disrupt neurons’ ability to form synapses in brain regions involved in speech, a new study shows.
Researchers develop novel AI-based estimator for manufacturing medicine
A collaborative research team from the MIT-Takeda Program combined physics and machine learning to characterize rough particle surfaces in pharmaceutical pills and powders.
In a first, astronomers spot a star swallowing a planet
Earth will meet a similar fate in 5 billion years.
Open-source platform simulates wildlife for soft robotics designers
SoftZoo is a soft robot co-design platform that can test optimal shapes and sizes for robotic performance in different environments.
Scientists discover anatomical changes in the brains of the newly sighted
Following cataract removal, some of the brain’s visual pathways seem to be more malleable than previously thought.
J-PAL North America announces six new evaluation incubator partners to catalyze research on pressing social issues
The research center will support two nonprofits and four government agencies in designing randomized evaluations on housing stability, procedural justice, transportation, income assistance, and more.
Study: Covid-19 has reduced diverse urban interactions
Mobility-related data show the pandemic has had a lasting effect, limiting the breadth of places people visit in cities.
Astronomers detect the closest example yet of a black hole devouring a star
The event was spotted in infrared data — also a first — suggesting further searches in this band could turn up more such bursts.
Deep-learning system explores materials’ interiors from the outside
A new method could provide detailed information about internal structures, voids, and cracks, based solely on data about exterior conditions.
How to untangle a worm ball: Mathematicians solve a knotty mystery
California blackworms tangle themselves up by the thousands, then separate in a split second. Their trick may inspire the design of self-detangling materials and fibers.