MIT affiliates win 2026 Breakthrough, New Horizons prizes
Faculty member Shu-Heng Shao, in addition to four MIT alumni, are honored by the Breakthrough Prize Foundation.
MIT astronomers discover the earliest known flickering quasar
When the universe was just 850 million years old, this voracious black hole was already surprisingly mature, a new study finds.
The crucial human component in computing and AI
The MIT Ethics of Computing Research Symposium brought together experts and researchers working at the heart of ethical and social impact in technology.
NSF renews support for MIT-led AI and physics institute, expanding a new model for discovery
IAIFI enters its second phase with increased funding, broader ambitions, and a growing community at the frontier of AI and fundamental physics.
Teaching AI agents to ask better questions by playing “Battleship”
MIT researchers use the classic game as a test bed for AI agents, finding a small AI model can outperform the biggest ones at 1 percent of the cost.
MIT chemists design impact-resistant plastics
Introducing weaker bonds into polystyrene and rubber helps these materials dissipate energy, making them more resistant to destructive forces.
Enzymes that assemble into droplets can speed up cellular reactions
MIT biologists find highly concentrated droplets can help cells keep enzymes organized and control growth signals.
Brighter MRI signals
New MRI sensors developed at MIT sensitively detect target molecules in the brain and body.
Place-based pathways to a viable future
Living Climate Futures Symposium explores climate challenges and solutions at the community level.
Eleven from MIT accept 2026 Fulbright awards
This year, over half of MIT’s Fulbright applicants won awards. The current students and alumni will embark on research projects and teaching abroad in 2026-27.
MIT students study plasma physics beneath Alaska’s aurora
Student-led expeditions use distributed instruments to observe auroral structures and probe space plasma in real-world conditions.
Learning to teach, learning to discover
MIT senior Nik Sandu bridges scientific research with a strong commitment to teaching and community.
The rules neurons follow to make sense of what we see
Brain cells take in many signals through thousands of circuit connections. A new study discerns the rules that turn inputs into a functional arrangement for neurons that process vision.
MIT affiliates elected to National Academy of Sciences for 2026
Six MIT faculty, along with 10 additional alumni, are recognized by their peers for their outstanding contributions to research in the natural and social sciences.
Four from MIT named 2026 Searle Scholars
Computational neuroscientist Sven Dorkenwald and cell biologist Whitney Henry, along with two MIT alumni, are recognized for their exceptional early-career research contributions.