Everything, everywhere all at once

Morgane König is a postdoc in theoretical cosmology at MIT and at Dartmouth College and is a 2023 MLK Visiting Scholar at MIT. Her research focuses on the study of the universe as a whole, from the era of inflation to the present. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

MIT’s Science Policy Initiative holds 13th annual Executive Visit Days

Under the aegis of the Science Policy Initiative, 22 MIT students visited federal agencies including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Department of Energy, NASA, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health, the EPA, and the NSF to discuss science policy issue … | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

A new way to see the activity inside a living cell

A new method allows scientists to label and image many different molecules at once within a living cell. The technique, developed at MIT, relies on “switchable fluorophores” — fluorescent proteins that turn on and off at a specific rate. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Serious play at the MIT Game Lab

The MIT Game Lab helps students think critically about the games they’ve often been playing for years, and prepares them to engage in thoughtful design practices themselves. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Celebrating five years of MIT.nano

The Nano Summit highlights nanoscale research across multiple disciplines at MIT. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

MIT students build connections with Black and Indigenous Brazilians to investigate culture and the environment

"Race Place and Modernity in the Americas" is a three-week immersive course held in Brazil where students study how art and cultural activism can impact racial justice and environmental issues. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Team engineers nanoparticles using ion irradiation to advance clean energy and fuel conversion

A team of MIT researchers has demonstrated a way to precisely control the size, composition, and other properties of nanoparticles key to the reactions involved in a variety of clean energy and environmental technologies. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

A green hydrogen innovation for clean energy

At the 2023 Wulff Lecture, MIT alumna Sossina Haile described her pursuit of a sustainable future with green hydrogen, advancing renewable energy and addressing climate change through innovative fuel cell technology. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Richard Fletcher named a 2023 Packard Fellow

MIT atomic physicist Richard Fletcher has been named a 2023 Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering. MIT alumni Ritchie Chen and Yang Yang were also named. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

New method uses crowdsourced feedback to help train robots

A new technique enables an AI agent to be guided by data crowdsourced asynchronously from nonexpert human users as it learns to complete a task through reinforcement learning. The method trains the robot faster and better than other approaches. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Search algorithm reveals nearly 200 new kinds of CRISPR systems

A new search algorithm has identified 188 kinds of new CRISPR systems in bacterial genomes. The systems have a range of functions and could enable gene editing, diagnostics, and more. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Judgment, reason, and the university

Malick Ghachem spoke at MIT’s “Dialogues across Differences” lecture series about university politics and whether colleges can or should be “neutral” on civic and global matters. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Liberty Ladd: Going above and beyond

For MIT student Liberty Ladd, who studies political science and mechanical engineering while participating in ROTC, systematic change starts with personal actions. After serving in the Air Force, she hopes to become a policymaker working on issues such as voting rights and servic … | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Scholarship keeps John F. Kennedy’s legacy alive at MIT

The Kennedy Scholarship program, overseen by the Kennedy Memorial Trust, a UK charity, has kept the ideals of Kennedy’s presidency alive by sending generations of British students to Massachusetts to study tuition-free at MIT and Harvard University since 1966. More than 570 UK ci … | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Students pitch transformative ideas in generative AI at MIT Ignite competition

At the first-ever MIT Ignite: Generative AI Entrepreneurship Competition, 12 teams of MIT students and postdocs presented their ideas for startups that utilize generative AI technologies to develop solutions across a diverse range of disciplines. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Merging science and systems thinking to make materials more sustainable

Passionate about materials science “from the atom to the system,” Elsa Olivetti brings a holistic approach to sustainability to her teaching, research, and coalition-building. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

A civil discourse on climate change

The Civil Discourse initiative includes two components: the speaker series open to the MIT community, and seminars where students can discuss freedom of expression and develop skills for successfully engaging in civil discourse. Steve Koonin and Kerry Emanuel discussed “Climate C … | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Three MIT affiliates receive Schmidt awards

MIT Professor Jörn Dunkel and alumnus Surya Ganguli received the 2023 Schmidt Science Polymath award, while Professor Josh Tenenbaum was named a Schmidt Futures’ AI2050 Senior Fellows. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Peer coaching helps graduate students thrive

The Graduate Student Coaching Program teaches students the “coaching mindset” to help them reach their personal and professional goals. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Gitanjali Rao honored at White House “Girls Leading Change” celebration

MIT student Gitanjali Rao was honored by First Lady Jill Biden at the first Girls Leading Change celebration held at the White House. Rao, a first-year undergraduate, is an accomplished inventor and author. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Synthetic imagery sets new bar in AI training efficiency

MIT researchers have developed StableRep, an AI training method using synthetic images generated by text-to-image models, which surpasses traditional training on real images. The approach leverages multi-positive contrastive learning, promising more efficient, less biased, and re … | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

How do reasonable people disagree?

A study by MIT philosopher Kevin Dorst explores how people might rationally come to hold very different views about some political matters. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Celebrating diversity and cultural connections

At the "Heritage Meets Heritage" event held in MIT’s Bush Room on Oct. 19, students made cultural connections, answered trivia questions, and enjoyed global delicacies. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Working to beat the clock on climate change

At the Clean Energy Education and Empowerment symposium and awards, participants rallied to beat the clock on climate change. The conference is part of the C3E Initiative, which aims to connect women in clean energy, recognize the accomplishments of leaders across different field … | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Mark Bear wins Society for Neuroscience Julius Axelrod Prize

Award recognizes professor's synaptic plasticity research, its translation to potential amblyopia and autism treatments, and his career of mentorship. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Foreign policy scholars examine the China-Russia relationship

Foreign policy scholars examined the relationship between China and Russia at an MIT Starr Forum, explaining that although the two countries do not have an “alliance” in a traditional sense, they maintain a durable alignment. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Ingestible electronic device detects breathing depression in patients

A new ingestible capsule can monitor vital signs from within the patient’s GI tract. The sensor could be used for less intrusive monitoring of sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, or for detecting opioid overdoses. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Rewarding excellence in open data

The MIT Libraries and the MIT School of Science awarded the MIT Prize for Open Data to 10 individual and group projects by MIT-affiliated researchers. Winners each presented short talks on their research and the role of open data. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Aging Brain Initiative symposium showcases “cutting-edge” research across MIT

Seed projects, posters represent a wide range of labs working on technologies, therapeutic strategies, and fundamental research to advance understanding of age-related neurodegenerative disease. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

How cell identity is preserved when cells divide

MIT study suggests 3D folding of the genome is key to cells’ ability to store and pass on “memories” of which genes they should express. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Five MIT affiliates receive awards from the American Physical Society

The American Physical Society (APS) honored five MIT affiliates for their contributions to physics: Professor Wit Busza, Instructor Karol Bacik, postdocs Cari Cesarotti and Chao Li, and alumnus Pablo Gaston Debenedetti. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

A new ultrasound patch can measure how full your bladder is

A wearable ultrasound monitor can image the bladder and determine how full it is. The MIT-developed device could help patients with bladder or kidney disorders more easily track whether these organs are functioning properly. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Technique enables AI on edge devices to keep learning over time

The PockEngine technique enables deep learning models, like those that underlie AI chatbots or smart keyboards, to efficiently and continuously learn from new user data directly on an edge device like a smartphone. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Future Leaders in Aerospace prepares the next generation for research careers

The 2023 symposium offered candid insights and practical advice for aeronautical and astronautical engineers interested in pursuing academia. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Dennis Whyte steps down as director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center

Dennis G. Whyte, the director of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, has announced he will step down at the end of the year to focus on fusion research and teaching as part of nuclear science and engineering. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Professor Emeritus Willard R. Johnson, political scientist who specialized in African studies, dies at 87

Willard R. Johnson, a professor emeritus in the MIT Department of Political Science who specialized in African studies, died at age 87. Johnson served as a member of the MIT faculty for nearly 60 years. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

New laser setup probes metamaterial structures with ultrafast pulses

LIRAS is a new technique that offers a safe, reliable, and high-throughput way to dynamically characterize microscale metamaterials. The method could speed the development of acoustic lenses, impact-resistant films, and other futuristic materials. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

This 3D printer can watch itself fabricate objects

Computer vision enables contact-free 3D printing, letting engineers print with high-performance materials they couldn’t use before. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Microbes could help reduce the need for chemical fertilizers

A new metal-organic coating protects bacterial cells from damage without impeding their growth or function. The coated bacteria, which produce ammonia, could make it much easier for farmers to deploy microbes as fertilizers. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Materials science and engineering career fair connects students with industry opportunities

The MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering held its first-ever jobs fair, attracting industry giants, startups, and students for networking and career exploration. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Gene-Wei Li and Michael Birnbaum named Pew Innovation Fund investigators

MIT professors Gene-Wei Li and Michael Birnbaum are among the 12 researchers named 2023 Innovation Fund investigators by The Pew Charitable Trusts. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

MIT physicists turn pencil lead into “gold”

MIT physicists have metaphorically turned graphite, or pencil lead, into gold by isolating five ultrathin flakes stacked in a specific order. The resulting material can then be tuned to exhibit three important properties never before seen in natural graphite. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Writing code, and decoding the world

In “Code Work: Hacking Across the US/México Techno-Borderlands,” MIT Assistant Professor Héctor Beltrán explores the relationship between computer culture and society in Mexico. He finds that coding generates fruitful reflection by the coders, about themselves, their political an … | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Kristala Prather named head of the Department of Chemical Engineering

Professor Kristala Prather, an expert in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, has been named the new head of MIT's Department of Chemical Engineering. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

ILLUMA-T launches to the International Space Station

MIT Lincoln Laboratory's ILLUMA-T, a laser communications terminal in low Earth orbit, seeks to demonstrate high data rates from the ISS to NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration satellite in geosynchronous orbit and ultimately to Earth, and from the ground back up … | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Professor Emeritus Walter Hollister, an expert in flight instrumentation and guidance, dies at 92

Walter M. Hollister, an MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics professor emeritus and alumnus who will be remembered as a pilot and aviation enthusiast, passed away Sept. 9 at age 92. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

Spoken-word collaboration shows off the MIT community’s musical talents

"It gives people an outlet and a way of expressing themselves through music,” says one contributor to the MITverses project. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago

The power of knowledge

Joshua Kuffour aims to take classes in as many departments as possible before he graduates from MIT. “It's taught me about valuing different ways of thinking,” says the senior, who is double-majoring in chemical engineering and mathematics, with a minor in energy studies. | Continue reading


@news.mit.edu | 1 year ago