Stars, brains, and enzymes: a celebration of MIT science
First virtual MIT Better World gathering featured MIT researchers sharing some of the ways the Institute excels as a hub of science and innovation.
Storm in a cosmic teacup: A new paradigm for understanding plasma turbulence
PhD candidate Lucio Milanese uncovers new fundamental mechanism in turbulence.
Brain waves guide us in spotlighting surprises
The brain uses different frequency rhythms and cortical layers to suppress expected stimulation and increase activity for what’s novel.
Ten “keys to reality” from Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek
To understand ourselves and our place in the universe, “we should have humility but also self-respect,” the physicist writes in a new book.
MIT.nano’s Immersion Lab opens for researchers and students
Facility within MIT.nano offers equipment and capabilities for visualizing data, creating immersive environments.
Neuroscientists identify brain circuit that encodes timing of events
Findings suggest this hippocampal circuit helps us to maintain our timeline of memories.
Scientists discover slimy microbes that may help keep coral reefs healthy
The bacteria scrub out nitrogen, potentially defending against certain nutrient overloads.
Rock magnetism uncrumples the Himalayas’ complex collision zone
MIT EAPS researchers find the impressive mountain range formed over a series of impacts, not a single event, as previously thought.
InEnTec: Turning trash into valuable chemical products and clean fuels
Climate goals expand impact of MIT waste-processing spinoff that capitalizes on a process called plasma gasification.
RNA molecules are masters of their own destiny
Research suggests the products of transcription — RNA molecules — regulate their own production through a feedback loop.
Cortex over reflex: Study traces circuits where executive control overcomes instinct
Frontal brain region overrides reflexive inclination of a deeper, older region when rules require.
Aerosols from pollution, desert storms, and forest fires may intensify thunderstorms
Researchers identify a mechanism by which small particles in the atmosphere can generate more frequent thunderstorms.
Professor and astrophysicist Sara Seager appointed officer to the Order of Canada
Pioneer in exoplanet research helped transform the burgeoning field into one of the fastest-growing and most exciting in space science.
3 Questions: Rona Oran and Benjamin Weiss on the ancient moon’s missing magnetism
Simulations rule out plasmas caused by meteoroid impacts as the source of lunar magnetism, supporting the proposal that the ancient moon generated a core dynamo.
MIT community in 2020: A year in review
In a year full of challenges, top Institute stories dealt with resilience, innovation, and MIT’s drive to embody its longstanding values in a changing world.