School of Science

Brain circuit enables split-second decisions when cues conflict

New findings shed light on how we quickly assess risks and rewards before acting.

April 24, 2017

An artist’s impression of the newly-discovered rocky exoplanet, LHS 1140b, located in the liquid water habitable zone surrounding its host star, a small, faint red star named LHS 1140. The planet weighs about 6.6 times the mass of Earth and is shown passing in front of LHS 1140. Depicted in blue is the atmosphere the planet may have retained.

Another potentially habitable extrasolar planet discovered

Some 40 light-years away, "super-Earth" identified as new target for atmospheric study.

April 21, 2017

“At heart I’m still looking for good stories that explain things I see in the world around me,” says senior Kevin Zhou.

Kevin Zhou: Seeking new stories about the physical world

MIT senior will pursue theoretical physics studies as a Marshall Scholar.

April 20, 2017

Three MIT alumni are among 30 winners nationwide of the 2017 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. Clockwise from top left: Seyedeh Maryam Zekavat '15, Pratyusha Kalluri '16, and Võ Tiến Phong '15.

Three MIT alumni win 2017 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans

Fellowship funds graduate school studies for exceptional immigrants and children of immigrants.

April 20, 2017

Anthony French, professor emeritus of physics, dies at 96

Longtime Department of Physics professor assisted in nuclear bomb projects in England and Los Alamos, and was a leader in physics education.

April 18, 2017

By expanding brain tissue twice, researchers were able to obtain high-resolution images of neurons in the hippocampus.

High-resolution imaging with conventional microscopes

Tissue-expansion technique could allow scientists to map brain circuits.

April 17, 2017

MIT professors James Collins (left) and Feng Zhang are co-authors of a new paper reporting that an RNA-targeting CRISPR enzyme can be harnessed as a highly sensitive detector able to indicate the presence of as little as a single molecule of a target RNA or DNA.

Scientists unveil CRISPR-based diagnostic platform

New system adapts tool known for gene editing; to be used in rapid, inexpensive disease diagnosis.

April 13, 2017

Eleven from MIT elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2017

Prestigious honor society announces 228 new members this year.

April 12, 2017

“Giving back is very important to me,” MIT staff member Greg Walton says. “I’ve had so many people invest their time and energy into helping me and so many others, so for me, I feel it would be an injustice not to do so.” Here, Walton celebrates with his family after receiving a 2017 MIT Excellence Award.

Greg Walton: An inspirational story of success

Beloved IT service provider and consumer support engineer transformed a tough start into an award-winning career with MIT Information Systems and Technology.

April 11, 2017

“MIT has given me more opportunities than I could have imagined as a prefrosh,” Senior Elizabeth Rider says. “I've traveled to new places and met new people that I wouldn't otherwise have had the opportunity to.”

Environmentalist and explorer

Senior Elizabeth Rider uses atmospheric chemistry research to create international connections.

April 11, 2017

MIT Professor Tyler Jacks, director of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, recently testified before a U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing titled, “Federally Funded Cancer Research: Coordination and Innovation.” He is seen here presenting recommendations from the Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel report to the National Cancer Advisory Board in Septem...

Tyler Jacks: NIH budget cuts would have “devastating” effects on progress against cancer

Koch Institute director advocates support for biomedical research in testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

April 10, 2017

Researchers have found a way to make tiny particles that can be injected into the body, where they emit short-wave infrared light. The advance may open up a new way of making detailed images of internal body structures such as fine networks of blood vessels.

Nanoparticles open new window for biological imaging

“Quantum dots” that emit infrared light enable highly detailed images of internal body structures.

April 10, 2017

MIT Professor Krystyn Van Vliet (center) describes how MIT.nano clean rooms will provide a precisely controlled environment. MIT Corporation members Gregory Turner (second-from-left) and Madeleine Gaut (third-from-left) listen along with Anuradha Agarwal (fourth-from-left), a principal research scientist at the MIT Microphotonics Center.

Inside MIT.nano

The MIT Corporation tours the state-of-the-art research facility taking shape in the heart of campus.

April 7, 2017

MIT students Bryce Hwang (left) and Hannah Diehl won Barry Goldwater Scholarship Awards based on academic merit.

Hannah Diehl and Bryce Hwang named 2017-18 Goldwater Scholars

Two MIT undergraduate students honored for their academic achievements.

April 6, 2017

An MIT study of the neural circuits that underlie memory process reveals, for the first time, that memories are formed simultaneously in the hippocampus and the long-term storage location in the brain’s cortex. This image shows memory engram cells (green and red) which are crucial for permanent memory storage in the prefrontal cortex.

Neuroscientists identify brain circuit necessary for memory formation

New findings challenge standard model of memory consolidation.