Researchers have demonstrated a method for getting high-energy photons to kick out two electrons instead of one, potentially breaking the theoretical solar-cell efficiency limit. The new approach could add several percentage points to the maximum output of conventional silicon cells.
A newly developed aerogel material can passively capture solar heat, reaching temperatures of up to 220°C in tests. This could enable lower-cost and simpler solar heat collection systems for various industrial and domestic uses.
MIT researchers have created a set of five fundamental parts that can be assembled into various functional devices, including a tiny walking motor. The new system uses 'digital materials' and offers an alternative approach to constructing robots, which could lead to the development of standardized kits for specific tasks.
Researchers at MIT have designed surfaces that cause droplets to bounce away from surfaces, reducing contact time and area of impact. The new method focuses on minimizing the spatial extent of contact, creating a bowl-shaped splash pattern that redirects droplets upward and prevents icing or soaking.
Researchers developed a system called Northstar that runs on touchscreens and enables users to manipulate datasets, uncover trends and patterns. The new component VDS instantly generates machine-learning models to run prediction tasks, democratizing data science and making it accessible to everyone.
Researchers develop a technique to confine cytokine treatments to tumors by attaching a collagen-binding protein called lumican. The treatment improves survival rates in mice when combined with immunotherapies, while eliminating toxicity associated with cytokines alone.
MIT researchers create a system to convert protein molecular structures into audible sound, allowing for the creation of new proteins with useful properties. The system uses artificial intelligence to study cataloged melodies and introduce slight changes, resulting in new protein designs.
MIT researchers have created a novel way to encapsulate islet cells, which they are developing as a possible treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes. The crystallized drug formulation prevents immune system rejection and allows the device to function for more than a year.
A new study shows that social robots can lead to more positive emotions in sick children. The robotic teddy bear, Huggable, improved various patient outcomes compared to traditional interventions.
Researchers at MIT used NMR spectroscopy to determine the structure of glucagon fibrils, finding a novel antiparallel beta sheet conformation and steric zippers that make the protein stable. This discovery may lead to shelf-stable versions of the hormone, which is used to control diabetes.
Researchers at MIT developed a new method to create nanoemulsions, stable droplets that can remain intact for over a year and carry large payloads of active ingredients. By adding heat-sensitive polymers, they can easily convert the emulsions into gels when exposed to body temperature.
Researchers created a pliable, 3D-printed mesh material that can be tailored to support soft tissues like muscles and tendons. The mesh was successfully tested on human ankles, increasing stiffness during inversion while leaving it unaffected in other directions.
Researchers at MIT develop a new algorithm that can accurately pick out an object, such as a small animal, in a dense cloud of dots within seconds. The technique prunes away outliers quickly, even for increasingly dense clouds, making it suitable for applications like driverless cars and robotic assistants.
A new system uses a single labeled scan and unlabeled scans to automatically generate a large dataset of distinct training examples. The system's approach learns anatomical, brightness, and contrast variations from unlabeled scans to synthesize realistic and accurately labeled scans.
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology-developed system automatically generates optimized cryptography code for Google Chrome browsers and web applications, matching performance of handwritten code but faster. The system, known as Fiat Cryptography, is being widely used by tech firms and has populated Google's BoringSSL library.
Under confined conditions, bubbles can form spheres as perfectly matched as droplets. The new findings have implications for biomedical research and understanding natural gas interactions with petroleum.
Researchers at MIT and China create macaque monkeys with Shank3 gene mutation linked to autism, exhibiting behavioral traits similar to those seen in humans. The new model aims to study treatment options and potentially develop better medicines for severe neurodevelopmental disorders.
Researchers at MIT have identified a brain circuit that filters out distracting sensory stimuli, allowing us to focus on our chosen input. The circuit is controlled by the prefrontal cortex and involves the basal ganglia, which play a role in controlling attention.
Researchers at MIT have developed an algorithm that accurately aligns partial trajectories in real-time, allowing motion predictors to anticipate the timing of a person's motion. This breakthrough enables robots and humans to work together in close proximity without unnecessary pauses or conflicts.
A recent study from MIT has found that dendrites are nearly always active when the main cell body of a neuron is active, suggesting a larger role in neural computation. The researchers used calcium imaging to measure activity in both soma and dendrites of individual neurons in the visual cortex.
Researchers discovered a compound that blocks a DNA repair pathway, increasing cell killing with cisplatin and preventing mutations. In mouse models, tumors shrank more when treated with the combination of the compound and cisplatin, suggesting improved treatment outcomes.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new latching mechanism for autonomous boats, allowing them to form 'pop-up' structures such as bridges and stages. This innovation enables more efficient use of Amsterdam's canals for transportation, waste collection, and other purposes.
Researchers developed a low-cost, sensor-packed glove that enables an AI system to recognize objects through touch alone. The glove produced high-resolution data at a fraction of the cost of existing sensors, allowing for accurate object classification and weight prediction with up to 76% accuracy.
A team of MIT researchers has developed a system that enables driverless cars to navigate through new, complex environments using only simple maps and visual data. The system learns to mimic human drivers' steering patterns and adapt to new roads and obstacles, making it more robust for autonomous navigation.
Researchers at MIT and the University of Vienna have developed a new method to manipulate atoms using a highly focused electron beam, enabling precise control over atomic positioning and bonding orientation. This breakthrough could lead to new ways of making quantum computing devices and sensors.
Researchers discovered a brain circuit that helps break decisions down into smaller pieces, allowing for more confident reasoning about probable causes of failure. The circuit enables individuals to navigate hierarchical decisions and adjust their approach based on confidence levels.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new surface treatment that can improve the efficiency of refrigeration systems. By promoting droplet formation, the coating facilitates heat transfer, leading to an overall efficiency improvement of about 2%. The process is scalable and can be applied to various materials, making it a promising solut...
The new design achieves around 95% indistinguishability and three times higher efficiency than traditional cavities. It enables the production of high-quality single photons necessary for practical quantum computing, solving problems intractable for classical computers.
Researchers found higher levels of aneuploidy lead to greater lethality risk among prostate cancer patients, suggesting a possible way to predict prognosis and inform treatment. The study also identified chromosomes 7 and 8 as commonly aneuploid in prostate tumors.
Researchers developed a novel machine-learning approach to discover an additional mechanism by which some antibiotics kill bacteria. This secondary mechanism involves activating the bacterial metabolism of nucleotides necessary for DNA replication, leading to increased energy demands and toxic byproducts that contribute to cell death.
Astronomers found that early supernovae ejected violent jets, enriching the gas clouds of subsequent stars. The team's discovery challenges previous assumptions about the first stars' explosions.
Marko, a wireless movement-tracking system, transmits low-power radio-frequency signals to analyze reflections and associate them with specific individuals. The system traces movement patterns to provide insights into behavior and health, offering a new passive way to track functional health profiles of patients at home.
Researchers found an ocean heat-transporting mechanism controlling the monsoon's intensity. The mechanism strengthens the monsoon when winds drive south-flowing waters that cool the ocean.
Researchers found that visual stimulation can prevent neuron degeneration and enhance synaptic function in Alzheimer's disease models. The treatment also improved spatial memory performance in older mice without a predisposition for the disease.
Researchers developed an algorithm called Scanorama that merges over 20 diverse human cell datasets into a single, diverse source of data. The algorithm uses a modified computer-vision technique to find matching cells across datasets and preserves unique cell types.
Researchers develop nanobodies that home in on ECM proteins surrounding cancer cells, allowing for early detection and treatment of tumors. The technique has shown promise in imaging and delivering therapeutic treatments to tumors.
MIT researchers develop a method to extract comprehensive samples of massive cell datasets, preserving rare cell types and their biological information. The 'sketching' approach generates compact summaries of large datasets in minutes, making it practical for biological studies.
New research quantifies seagrass' ability to dissipate wave energy and protect vulnerable shorelines. Seagrass meadows can trap fine sediment, reducing eutrophication and promoting marine life.
Researchers at MIT have demonstrated that artificial neural networks can be used to drive specific brain neurons, showing a strong activation pattern. The study suggests that these models could be used to control brain states in animals and establish their usefulness, paving the way for further research.
Researchers analyzed postmortem brain samples from 24 people with Alzheimer's and 24 without the disease to identify cellular pathways affected by the disease. The study found that axon myelination is disrupted in patients, and gene expression patterns vary significantly between men and women, suggesting potential new drug targets.
MIT engineers have developed thin polymer films that conduct heat better than many metals, including steel and ceramic. The films, which are thinner than plastic wrap, exhibit high thermal conductivity due to the untangled molecular structure of polyethylene.
MIT engineers designed tiny robots that use magnetic fields to push nanoparticles out of blood vessels and into tumors, improving drug delivery efficiency. The robots create fluid currents that drag nanoparticles along, overcoming one major obstacle to targeted nanoparticle delivery.
Researchers at MIT have developed a novel fluorescence imaging system to improve surgery for ovarian cancer, enabling surgeons to detect and remove tumors as small as 0.3 millimeters. This technology has shown promising results in mice, with median survival rates 40% longer than those without image guidance.
Researchers at MIT have created liquid-impregnated surfaces that can significantly reduce friction for yield-stress fluids like gels and pastes. These coatings enable the efficient processing of materials in industries such as food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, reducing waste and improving product quality.
Researchers created hydrogels that mimic muscle properties through mechanical training, producing strong, soft, and fatigue-resistant materials for medical implants and engineering applications. The trained hydrogels demonstrate improved tensile strength, soft flexibility, and high water content.
A study by MIT neuroscientists found that a genetic mutation linked to Williams Syndrome leads to thinning of the fatty layer that insulates neurons. Reversing this effect with drugs improved symptoms, suggesting a new direction for treatment.
A team of scientists at MIT developed a neural network that can read scientific papers and generate a plain-English summary. The system, called RUM, uses vectors rotating in multidimensional space to represent words and improve memory and recall capabilities.
A new learning system developed by MIT researchers improves robots' abilities to shape materials and predict their interactions. The system, called a learning-based particle simulator, can handle diverse materials, including rigid objects, liquids, and deformable materials.
Researchers found that the nutrient composition of interstitial fluid surrounding pancreatic tumors differs from blood and culture medium used to grow cancer cells. This discrepancy suggests growing cancer cells in a more similar environment could help predict how experimental drugs will affect cancer cells.
The TESS mission has discovered its first Earth-sized exoplanet, HD 21749c, which orbits a nearby star in just 7.8 days. The planet is likely a rocky, uninhabitable world with surface temperatures of up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit.