Astronomers have discovered a star slowly consuming a brown dwarf, 300 light years away, in a system that challenges the traditional view of stellar cannibalism. The slow stellar cannibalism could carry on for hundreds of thousands, or even billions of years, offering an alternative to the star swallowing its companion.
A study by MIT researchers found that algorithmic monoculture, like using a single algorithm in hiring, can create informational echo chambers that hinder exploration. However, bundling multiple algorithms together can overcome this limitation, enabling monoculture to perform as well as or better than a polyculture.
MIT researchers have found that lung cancers can use two different mechanisms to evade KRAS-inhibiting drugs, with some tumor cells developing resistance by amplifying the KRAS gene and others changing their tumor type, leading to new insights into treatment resistance and potential targets for new drugs.
Researchers developed an AI system, Ataraxos, that excels at Stratego, a two-player game of imperfect information, by combining efficient training algorithms with new techniques for calculated decision-making. The system defeated top human players and outperformed other models in strategic games, demonstrating its potential to help hum...
A new paper-thin robot powered by muscle cells can swim through a watery maze, offering a way to design small, efficient biohybrid robots. The robot uses a layer of live muscle cells that twitch in response to light, allowing it to control its direction and speed.
MIT researchers developed a new technique to produce lipid nanoparticles with precise control over size and shape, accelerating the development of RNA and DNA therapeutics. The automated system can produce particles of varying sizes and shapes, enabling targeted delivery to specific organs and tissues.
Researchers developed a new experimental approach using high pressurization in a wind tunnel to simulate the flow physics in the atmosphere, offering new insights into optimizing turbine alignment, blade pitch angles, and tip speed to boost power output. The study also validated a computationally lightweight model for testing different...
Researchers at MIT have found a way to stabilize lipid nanoparticles used to deliver RNA vaccines, making them more heat-resistant. This breakthrough could allow for wider distribution and enable novel administration methods like microneedle patches.
Researchers at MIT identified a cellular pathway necessary for colorectal cancer metastasis, controlled by protein YAP1, which promotes cell proliferation and migration. A high-fat diet triggers activation of this pathway, and drugs blocking ceramide production may help prevent metastasis.
Researchers at MIT have developed a handheld device to collect living cells from specific locations in patient samples, enabling early cancer detection and personalized medicine development. The device uses a microfluidic channel to gently detach living cells from tissue, allowing for targeted sampling and cultivation for diagnostics a...
Researchers at MIT have created tiny, bioresorbable batteries that can power ingestible electronic devices, such as RFID tags and capsules that stimulate ghrelin production, for up to three days. The batteries, made from magnesium and molybdenum trioxide, can be fully broken down and absorbed by the body, reducing environmental impact.
Researchers at MIT have developed a noninvasive way to detect biomarkers of senescence, a state of cells that stop dividing but do not die, using Raman microscopy and gene expression data. This method could lead to better diagnosis and treatment of age-related disorders.
The robotic lab can autonomously assemble and fine-tune optics experiments, reducing manual setup time from days or months to minutes. This could enable scientists to focus on theoretical work and accelerate innovation in fields like quantum technologies and renewable energy.
Researchers at MIT created a new computing platform that mimics the firing behavior of a neuron, enabling brain-inspired computing with low power and high efficiency. The device uses reconfigurable motion to remember and process information, similar to how neurons behave in the brain.
Researchers developed xvr, a patient-specific AI technique that accurately matches X-rays with 3D medical scans, improving surgical navigation and safety. This innovation enables faster and more precise minimally invasive surgeries, particularly in fields like orthopedics and neurosurgery.
MIT researchers developed a new technique to help generative AI models meet strict safety requirements without sacrificing output quality. The 'HardFlow' algorithm reformulates hard-constrained sampling as a trajectory-optimization problem, enabling subtle corrections while enforcing hard constraints.
A new study projects significant disparities in access to food, water, and energy by 2050, with lower-income groups facing significant challenges. The study finds that in some regions, lower-income people could spend up to 50% of their income on food, while higher-income groups spend only 5%.
Researchers at MIT found that short bursts of pink noise during sleep can increase the amplitude of slow electrical waves and CSF flow, leading to more restorative sleep. This technology may also help clear brain waste and potentially improve cognitive function, particularly in people with insomnia and neurodegenerative diseases.
Researchers have created an electrochemical approach to extract pure hydrogen gas from ammonia while separating and concentrating it into a high-purity stream. This method reduces the temperature and energy required to recover hydrogen, producing a concentrated stream of hydrogen gas without the need for additional purification.
A new method, called CW-Net, translates the reasoning process of an autonomous vehicle's AI system into understandable concepts that explain its behavior. CW-Net explains the decisions of machine learning-based planners using concepts like
Scientists at MIT have shown that a neutrino laser, proposed to produce a concentrated beam of neutrinos, is impossible due to recoil and fermionic nature. The research demonstrates that the concept, previously thought to be plausible, is fundamentally flawed.
A new atlas of the brain’s striatum has identified 31 subgroups of neurons, including those involved in addiction, depression, and schizophrenia. The atlas may help scientists develop new drugs to combat these conditions, particularly by targeting specific cell populations affected by Huntington’s disease.
Scientists have found that short peptides can remain stable and fold into shapes that may give them biological functions in highly acidic conditions similar to Venus's cloud layer. This discovery opens up new possibilities for the search for life on planets that don't resemble Earth.
Researchers at MIT developed bifur-circuits, a new type of shape-changing smart device that can be reconfigured to form different shapes and maintain electrical connections. These interactive building blocks can be used to create adaptable smart devices, such as assistive furniture and reconfigurable robotic grippers.
MIT researchers developed a framework, CrysVCD, to generate stable materials with desired properties, reducing the need for extensive screening. The approach improves material stability by 70% and supports the creation of high-performance materials, such as computer chips and data centers.
A new study suggests that a magnetic field existed in the infant solar system, possibly playing a role in shaping the sun and early planets. The discovery was made in ancient meteorite dust, which preserved records of the magnetic field's strength and intensity.
MIT engineers develop a tool that generates plausible extreme events and worst-case scenarios without relying on extreme data, enabling planners to prepare for unprecedented scenarios. The algorithm takes a statistical approach to learn from available data, excluding implausible weather scenarios, and projects how extreme events might ...
A new study from MIT researchers found that language skills remain stable in older adults, with nearly identical brain activity to young adults, while other cognitive functions decline. The study suggests that parts of the brain specialized for specific functions, such as language processing, may be more resilient to aging.
A new training interface, World-Space Interface, mimics the movements of an excavator's arm and bucket, eliminating the need for mental maps to operate the machine. The system consists of a mechanical arm and a virtual simulator, allowing operators to physically control the excavator in a cab or remotely.
Researchers at MIT developed a new cell-preservation technique using naturally occurring sugars, reducing the need for a chemical preservative. This approach significantly improves the viability and function of CAR-T cells, making them easier to deploy in hospitals.
MIT researchers have overcome a major challenge holding back the real-world deployment of microwave quantum technologies. They developed a scalable platform that generates pairs of highly correlated radio frequency waves at room temperature, enabling secure communications and high-precision radar and sensing.
According to Paul Osterman's research, 35% of US workers are marginal employees, freelancers, or gig employees with little career prospects or security. Osterman's book, Disposable Workers, examines the growing trend of firms controlling labor costs, leaving many workers in precarious positions.
Researchers designed bacteria that function as transistors, allowing for the creation of living circuit boards that can perform complicated calculations. The transistors can be combined to create a variety of circuits, including those that add two or three inputs or send one input to a specific location.
Neuroscientists have identified flexible modules in the prefrontal cortex that can be reused to perform various tasks. The discovery supports the theory of compositionality, where cognitive building blocks can be flexibly combined to generate new behaviors.
MIT researchers found that inhibiting caspase-1, an enzyme involved in lung inflammation, reduces the risk of developing tumors. The drug has already gone into clinical trials for other diseases and may be tested as a preventative measure for people at high risk for lung cancer.
Researchers at MIT have created a new microscope that can image electrical activity in neurons distributed across the brain, revealing patterns of neural activity from milliseconds. The technique enabled observation of single voltage spikes and rapid bursts of spikes, shedding light on how the brain is activated following a stimulus.
A team of astronomers has discovered an extremely bright and red spot in the early universe, which they believe is a mashup of a black hole and a star. The object, dubbed a 'black hole star,' would help solve the mystery of other mysterious 'little red dots' found in deep-space images.
Engineers at MIT have created an interactive platform that maps habitat design factors to behavioral health outcomes such as stress, anxiety, and feelings of isolation in extreme environments. The study's findings can be applied to designing habitats in space, submarines, polar expeditions, and other isolated settings.
A new study by MIT researchers aims to give the budding industry a framework for understanding how fusion can be profitable. The method considers the physical inputs needed to sustain controlled fusion energy production and the cost of building power plants that can compete in energy markets.
Researchers created nearly 700 new cancer models derived from patient tumors to aid in drug development. The models, representing 25 types of cancer, are now available for global use, providing a resource for identifying new drug targets and testing potential treatments.
MIT researchers develop a new fabrication platform to integrate molecules into electronic devices, enabling next-generation computing technologies and emerging applications. The technique uses nanoscale surface forces to mechanically assemble delicate molecular materials without damaging them.
Nitrogenases containing molybdenum are more efficient due to their ability to help nearby iron atoms bind to nitrogen. This is a critical step in breaking the nitrogen-nitrogen triple bond and converting nitrogen gas to ammonia. The findings could guide the design of synthetic catalysts that convert nitrogen gas to ammonia.
Researchers at MIT developed a new technique called VLASH that allows robots to predict their future position, enabling smoother motions and quicker reactions. This breakthrough doubles the speed of robots performing tasks like pick-and-place and boosts performance in dynamic activities.
Researchers have created a new, recyclable yarn that mimics the properties of spandex-based yarns, offering an alternative to non-recyclable stretchy garments. The yarn is made from a form of plastic and can be melted down and reused multiple times without losing its strength and flexibility.
Researchers reveal that missing ordinary matter exists in diffuse clouds surrounding galaxy groups, extending beyond predicted distances. The findings suggest stronger and more violent star activity and black hole jets, pushing matter to larger scales.
Researchers found that as salinity increases in freshwater environments, microbial communities lose diversity due to faster-growing strains taking over, but maintain overall growth rates. This effect is also observed in natural ecosystems across different environments.
MIT researchers developed framework to make climate-informed energy siting choices, showing how location affects energy system resilience and reducing blackouts. Climate-informed energy siting reduces energy shortfalls by up to fivefold in regions like New England and Texas.
Researchers at MIT have created a precise way to engineer artificial blood vessels by mechanically stretching and pulling a "blood vessel on a chip". The new method, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, enables controlled sprouting of new vessels and programming of their growth patterns.
A new study suggests that ketogenic diets can increase the risk of cancer in the small intestine, unlike their protective effect on colon cancer. The diet's effects are driven by fat metabolism rather than ketone bodies.
Researchers at MIT have developed a microscopic pixel-based tunable lens that controls incoming infrared light for more precise thermal imaging, chemical sensing, or pollution monitoring. The system enables compact, dynamic infrared cameras with potential applications in environmental protection, space research, and military technology.