Astrophysicists at MIT have discovered an extended dark matter halo around Tucana II, a primitive ultrafaint dwarf galaxy. The halo is estimated to be three to five times more massive than previously thought, implying that the first galaxies in the universe were likely larger and more massive.
Researchers discover ultra-strongly coupled superconductivity in a trilayer graphene sandwich, exhibiting more robust superconductivity than its bilayer counterpart. The team can tune the material's superconductivity using external electric fields, opening new avenues for quantum information and sensing technologies.
Researchers create more detailed record of global temperature during early Paleozoic era, revealing temperature variations coinciding with shifts in planet's biodiversity. The new timeline is based on analysis of carbonate muds, which preserve signatures of their original surrounding temperature.
Researchers used an 'organs-on-a-chip' system to model the influence of gut bacteria on brain health and found that short-chain fatty acids can worsen Parkinson's disease. The study suggests a link between lipid metabolism and neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the complex interactions between the gut and brain.
Researchers developed a neural network that can adapt to new data inputs, continuously learning from changing time series data streams. This 'liquid' network could boost the development of emerging technologies like self-driving cars and medical diagnostics.
Researchers at MIT have devised a way to label and sequence individual RNA molecules within a tissue sample, allowing for a unique snapshot of which genes are being expressed in different parts of a cell. This technique offers new insights into how gene expression is influenced by a cell's location or its interactions with nearby cells.
Researchers found that fact-checking labels, when attached to online news headlines, are more effective when shown immediately after participants read the headlines. This approach reduced people's misclassification of those headlines by 25.3 percent, compared to 8.6 percent and 5.7 percent with other timing methods.
Researchers at MIT have developed a method to significantly boost the performance of systems capturing and converting carbon dioxide from power plant emissions. By concentrating carbon dioxide next to the catalyst surface, the system nearly doubles the reaction rate and produces valuable products like fuels and chemical feedstocks.
Physicists at MIT searched for axions in Betelgeuse, a nearby star expected to burn out soon, but found no signs of the hypothetical dark matter particles. The null result sets new constraints on axion properties, making it harder to detect them through X-ray signals.
Researchers have developed a system called robomorphic computing that generates a customized computer chip to minimize a robot's response time. This technology uses a robot's physical layout and intended applications to create an optimized hardware architecture, resulting in faster reaction times and improved performance.
Researchers at MIT have successfully grown structures made of wood-like plant cells in a lab, hinting at the possibility of more efficient biomaterials production. The team demonstrated the concept using zinnia leaves, growing rigid, wood-like structures by controlling the levels of two plant hormones.
A new study from MIT researchers reveals that installing charging stations on residential streets and adding high-speed charging stations along highways can greatly increase the adoption of electric cars. The findings suggest that making convenient charging options available to people, especially those with limited access to garages or...
MIT researchers have created a new computational model that can predict which sections of viral surface proteins are more likely to mutate in a way that enables viral escape. The model identifies potential targets for vaccines against influenza and HIV, offering hope for developing effective treatments.
Researchers propose a hybrid-electric plane design that eliminates 95 percent of aviation's nitrogen oxide emissions, reducing premature deaths by 92 percent. The system combines a conventional gas turbine with an electric generator to power electrically driven propellers or fans.
The American Academy of Arts & Sciences and The MIT Press have announced that Daedalus, Journal of the American Academy, will now be an open access publication. This move makes hundreds of previously inaccessible essays freely available to audiences worldwide.
Researchers developed a new way to generate tough, functional materials using a mixture of bacteria and yeast, producing cellulose embedded with enzymes that can sense environmental pollutants. They also incorporated yeast directly into the material, creating 'living materials' for purifying water or detecting damage.
A study from MIT neuroscientists has identified a hippocampal circuit that stores information about the timing of events, allowing mice to remember when to turn left or right in a maze. Disrupting this circuit impaired their ability to remember direction, but not location.
Researchers identified nitrogen-scrubbing bacteria living in coral slime, which can take up excess nitrogen and prevent algae blooms. This natural defense mechanism may help corals protect themselves from certain stressors.
A new deep-learning algorithm called TadGAN has been developed to detect anomalies in time series data, outperforming traditional methods. The algorithm combines the strengths of generative adversarial networks and autoencoders to strike a balance between vigilance and false positives.
Researchers discovered diverse behaviors in ultracold lithium atom spins influenced by magnetic forces. They used lasers to trap and arrange strings of 40 atoms each, inducing helical patterns that disappeared as individual spins approached equilibrium. The findings may help engineer spintronic devices and novel magnetic materials.
A new study by MIT scholars suggests that mammogram screening may be more effective for targeted testing, rather than age-based recommendations. Women who start getting mammograms at age 40 are found to be healthier and less likely to have cancer, making targeting higher-risk groups a potential solution.
Researchers at MIT have designed an atomic clock that measures the vibrations of entangled atoms, achieving four times faster precision than current state-of-the-art clocks. This breakthrough enables scientists to detect phenomena like dark matter and gravitational waves, while also shedding light on gravity's impact on time.
Researchers found that reading computer code primarily activates the multiple demand network, which is also recruited for complex cognitive tasks such as math and problem-solving. This finding suggests that coding does not rely on language-processing centers, contrary to previous hypotheses.
A new study by MIT researchers reveals that Arctic eddies are driven by ice friction and ocean stratification, leading to a seasonal shift in their activity. The findings suggest that as the Arctic loses summertime ice, waters will become more turbulent, with implications for climate change predictions.
A new model developed by MIT researchers shows that delaying state reopenings could have prevented over 100,000 infections in Texas and Florida. The model calculates the 'quarantine strength' of a region, reflecting its ability to keep infected individuals from infecting others.
Researchers at MIT have developed a silicon chip with fully integrated LEDs, enabling state-of-the-art sensor and communication technologies. The advance could lead to cheaper manufacturing, improved performance, and increased efficiency in nanoscale electronics.
Advanced metal alloys are crucial in modern life, but creating new ones with specific properties has been limited by researchers' understanding of grain boundary behavior. A team at MIT used computer simulations and machine learning to predict alloy properties, showing that many previously ruled-out combinations are feasible.
A new paper suggests that traditional deterrence strategies in cybersecurity can lead to escalation and counterproductive responses. The authors propose a more judicious approach involving selective retaliation based on improved detection and information gathering.
A team of researchers has developed a method to tease out primordial gravitational waves from gravitational-wave data. The new approach allows for the detection of faint signals that could reveal insights into the early universe's conditions and processes.
Researchers at MIT have found a way to overcome oxide trapping issues, allowing InGaAs transistors to compete with silicon technology. The alloy's electron transport properties enable faster calculations and improved energy efficiency.
A study by MIT researchers suggests that industrial parks in China with strong political connections underperform their counterparts, leading to a 5.2% decrease in GDP per capita. The research found that about a quarter of provincial-level party secretaries have ties to city-level party secretaries, influencing economic decisions.
MIT physicists create a perfect fluid in the laboratory, capturing its sound waves to measure viscosity. The results confirm that strongly interacting fermion gas behaves as a perfect fluid, with properties applicable to studying neutron stars and the early universe's plasma.
A new diagnostic tool has been developed by MIT engineers to detect both fatty liver disease and fibrosis, which can lead to liver failure. The sensor uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology to measure water diffusion in tissue, revealing the presence of fatty or scarred tissue with high accuracy.
A new microscopy technique allows direct observation of droplet nucleation, enabling precise mathematical descriptions of the process. The technique improves contrast and resolution, revealing a different relationship between site density and nearest-neighbor function.
Researchers developed a combined hardware and software printing system that uses off-the-shelf varnishes to finish objects with realistic, spatially varying gloss patterns. The technology has potential applications in fine art reproduction and prosthetic design, offering near-flawless replicas and more realistic-looking prosthetics.
Researchers have discovered subnetworks within BERT that can complete the same task more efficiently, reducing computing costs and increasing accessibility to state-of-the-art natural language processing. The 'lottery ticket hypothesis' identifies these leaner subnetworks, which can be repurposed for multiple tasks.
Researchers have found that frozen hydrate formations can facilitate the release of methane gas from deep-sea environments. By creating channels and directing flow, hydrate formation enables the gas to persist in its gaseous form for longer periods.
Researchers at MIT have created a system called RoboGrammar that optimizes the shape of robots for traversing different terrain types. The system uses a graph grammar inspired by arthropods to generate hundreds of thousands of potential robot structures, which are then evaluated using a neural network algorithm.
A new fluorescent imaging technique allows scientists to observe up to five different molecule types at a time, enabling them to study complex signaling networks and their relationships. By identifying two populations of neurons with distinct calcium signaling dynamics, researchers hope to understand how they encode long-term memories.
A new study from MIT finds that long periods of social isolation activate the brain's substantia nigra region in a way similar to food cravings. The researchers used an innovative isolation method to induce strong feelings of loneliness, and found that the resulting craving signal was correlated with self-reported levels of loneliness.
Researchers suggest that the mechanical properties of spike proteins can account for a strategy used by coronaviruses to trick cells into letting the viruses inside. The study found strong correlations between the rate and intensity of the spikes' vibrations and infectivity, as well as lethality rates.
A neural network has been developed to estimate uncertainty, allowing for safer outcomes in AI-assisted decision-making. The 'deep evidential regression' approach accelerates uncertainty estimation, enabling faster and more accurate confidence levels, reducing the risk of errors.
Researchers created tiny building blocks called voxels that exhibit special properties and can be assembled into large, complex objects. Examples include cars, robots, and wind turbine blades that respond to environmental stimuli in predictable ways.
A team of researchers at MIT and IIT developed a solar-powered system to generate pressurized steam for autoclaving medical tools. The system uses optically transparent aerogel to trap heat and can maintain safe sterilization conditions without electricity or fuel.
A new analysis by MIT researchers details the underlying issues causing cost overruns on US nuclear power plants, highlighting ways to reimagine engineering strategies to reduce delays and expenses. The study suggests that designing plants with resilience to variable construction conditions can help minimize costs.
A new system called MCUNet enables artificial intelligence on household appliances while improving data security and energy efficiency. The technology uses compact neural networks to deliver unprecedented speed and accuracy for deep learning on IoT devices.
MIT chemists determine the molecular structure of a key coronavirus protein, E, which forms an ion channel that plays a key role in viral replication and inflammation. The study may lead to the development of alternative small molecules that target this channel with high affinity.
Researchers at MIT developed a two-layered material that provides extended cooling using evaporation, inspired by camel fur. The system can keep perishable goods fresh for up to eight days and has potential applications in food packaging and pharmaceutical storage.
An MIT-led team simulates nuclear interactions, finding a universal short-range pairing behavior that applies to all types of atomic nuclei. This discovery helps investigate neutron stars and heavy radioactive nuclei.
A new MIT study found that Covid-19 super-spreading events, where one person infects many others, are more common than expected. The researchers developed a mathematical model that shows limiting gatherings to 10 or fewer people could significantly reduce the number of super-spreading events and lower overall infections.