A new lane-change algorithm developed by MIT allows autonomous vehicles to model an entire range of driving styles, from conservative to aggressive, with safety guarantees. The system computes buffer zones on the fly and ensures collision avoidance within a given time frame.
Researchers have devised a way to rapidly synthesize and screen millions of novel proteins that could be used as drugs against Ebola and other viruses. These 'xenoproteins' offer advantages over naturally occurring proteins, including increased stability and potential for better immune response.
A new nanoparticle vaccine developed by MIT researchers can deliver multiple doses of the polio vaccine in just one injection, making it easier to immunize children in remote regions. The vaccine uses a biodegradable polymer that releases the vaccine in bursts at defined time points, providing long-lasting immunity.
MIT engineers create a new virtual-reality training system for drones, enabling vehicles to navigate through an empty physical space while 'seeing' a rich, virtual environment. The system, dubbed Flight Goggles, reduces the number of crashes that drones experience in actual training sessions.
Researchers have designed a robotic glider that can skim along the water's surface, riding the wind like an albatross while also surfing the waves like a sailboat. The system can cover a given distance using one-third as much wind as an albatross and traveling 10 times faster than a typical sailboat.
The MIT researchers developed modular blocks that can be assembled to produce diagnostic devices for diseases such as cancer, Zika virus, and tuberculosis. These 'plug-and-play' devices are inexpensive, easy to use, and can perform multiple biochemical functions, potentially improving access to medical technology in developing countries.
Recipients of government aid in rural Indonesia receive 26% more subsidized rice after receiving simple information cards with program details. The study found that tangible information provides bargaining power, allowing villagers to negotiate better outcomes.
Researchers at MIT and Stanford University present a new system for protecting genomic data privacy in large-scale biomedical studies. The system uses secret sharing to divide sensitive data among multiple servers, enabling efficient privacy protection for millions of genomes.
Researchers pinpoint neural interactions that allow us to learn from observing others' experiences. The ACC and BLA regions in the brain are found to be active when we learn by watching others, and a specific circuit is identified that enables this type of learning.
MIT researchers have discovered the factors that determine whether a DNA knot moves along the strand or jams in place. By manipulating the electric field strength, they can induce knots to move towards one end of the molecule, potentially enabling more accurate genome sequencing and knot removal methods.
A 24-hour fast can reverse age-related decline in intestinal stem cells' regenerative capacity. Fasting induces a metabolic switch that enhances stem cell function, which can be reproduced by activating PPARs with a molecule.
A new study by MIT researchers found that children can learn grammar up to age 17 or 18, while adults struggle to achieve native speaker-level proficiency unless they start learning before age 10. The study analyzed data from nearly 670,000 people and suggests a longer critical period for language learning.
MIT researchers have developed a new MRI sensor that can detect direct signals of neural activity by tracking calcium ions, allowing for more precise mapping of brain function. The sensor can detect subtle changes in calcium concentrations outside of cells and respond in a way that can be detected with MRI.
A team of researchers at MIT analyzed four different solar cell technologies and found that the most efficient but expensive panels were the best option for residential systems in dry locations. However, for utility-scale installations or in wetter climates, less efficient but cheaper panels are more economical.
The new approach uses flat, artificial material composed of nanostructured optical elements to control and detect mid-IR waves, enabling cheaper, flatter, and more efficient detectors for night vision, biomedical sensing, and free-space communication. The devices can transmit up to 80% of mid-IR light with high efficiency and are made ...
A new implantable device could help insulin-producing cells live longer after transplant and improve treatment of type 1 diabetes. The device, developed by MIT researchers, supplies oxygen to transplanted islet cells, allowing them to remain viable for several months and maintain normal blood glucose levels.
A new MIT study estimates that China's climate policy would improve air quality and human health, saving $339 billion in health costs by 2030. The researchers used a new modeling approach to simulate the effects of different policy scenarios on provincial air quality and public health.
Researchers at MIT have developed a physics-based system to verify the destruction of nuclear warheads, using cryptographic keys in physical form. The new method uses neutron detection and resonance processes to identify authentic warheads, while concealing their designs.
A new technique allows for the assembly of optical and electronic components on separate layers of silicon, enabling the use of modern transistor technologies. This breakthrough increases the speed and reduces the power consumption of chips, which is crucial as transistors continue to rise in count.
Researchers trained a deep neural network to perform two auditory tasks, including speech and music identification. The model accurately replicated human performance and provided evidence for the hierarchical organization of the auditory cortex.
Researchers have discovered that diamond can bend and stretch by up to 9 percent without breaking when grown in extremely tiny needle-like shapes. This finding could lead to the development of diamond-based devices for various applications, including biocompatible imaging and drug delivery.
Researchers at MIT have developed a continuous manufacturing process to produce long strips of high-quality graphene. The team's results are the first demonstration of an industrial, scalable method for manufacturing high-quality graphene suitable for membrane applications.
Artificial antimicrobial peptides, developed by researchers using a computer algorithm, have shown promise in combating drug-resistant bacteria. The most promising candidate, guavanin 2, has been found to be more potent than naturally occurring peptides and effective against Gram-negative bacteria.
Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed biocompatible gels for drug delivery using caffeine as a catalyst, eliminating the need for hazardous metal catalysts.
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will survey nearly the entire sky for signs of passing planets. The spacecraft aims to detect thousands of stars hosting transiting planets and measure the masses of at least 50 small planets less than four times that of Earth.
A team of planetary scientists from MIT has identified large concentrations of sulfidic anions in shallow lakes on early Earth, which may have sped up the chemical reactions required to convert simple prebiotic molecules into RNA. This finding fundamentally changes our knowledge of early Earth and its potential role in the origin of life.
A team of researchers at MIT has shown that an FDA-approved dye can be used for short-wave infrared imaging, producing clearer images of blood vessels and other body tissues. This breakthrough could enable doctors to visualize these structures with greater accuracy, leading to improved diagnosis and research.
A study by researchers at MIT and NREL found that carbon taxes can be an effective way to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. The analysis showed that depending on the exact mechanism chosen, such a tax can also be fair and not hurt low-income households. The most efficient way to achieve reductions in terms of overall impact on the ec...
A team of researchers found that an ultrathin layer of aluminum oxide can flow like a liquid, filling cracks and gaps as they form. This discovery could provide a protective barrier to prevent further oxidation and corrosion in metals, particularly in applications such as fuel-cell cars and nuclear power plants.
A new device developed by MIT researchers can monitor white blood cell levels at home without taking blood samples, potentially preventing thousands of infections among chemotherapy patients. The technology uses a tabletop prototype that records video of blood cells flowing through capillaries beneath the skin's surface.
A team of MIT researchers has developed a machine-learning system that can automatically search for debris disks around stars, indicating the presence of exoplanets. The system achieved a 97% accuracy rate and identified 367 previously unexamined celestial objects as promising candidates for further study.
A team of MIT engineers has developed a polymer thermal conductor that can dissipate heat more efficiently than traditional insulators. The new material is lightweight and flexible, conducting 10 times as much heat as most commercially used polymers.
MIT engineers create kirigami-patterned adhesive films that stick to highly deformable regions of the body, such as knees and elbows, and maintain their hold even after 100 bending cycles. The films' slits open at the center of bending, releasing tension and improving grip.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new approach to designing battery materials that could lead to improved ion mobility and reduced reactivity. By analyzing the lattice properties of solid materials, they found a correlation between vibrational frequency and conductivity, allowing for accurate predictions of material properties.
Researchers at MIT have developed a device that can extract potable water from even the driest of desert air, with relative humidities as low as 10 percent. The system uses metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and can be powered solely by sunlight.
Researchers at MIT have found a compound that promotes new blood vessel growth, boosting endurance in elderly mice by up to 80 percent. The study suggests that this restoration of muscle mass could help combat age-related frailty and related conditions.
Researchers found that medical expenses account for approximately 4 percent of bankruptcy filings, contrary to commonly cited estimates. Poor health leads to negative economic consequences, including a 20 percent drop in earnings and an 11 percent drop in employment among adults aged 50-59 who were hospitalized.
The MIT system uses a time-of-flight camera to measure the arrival times of reflected light and estimates a gamma distribution to filter out fog reflections. It calculates a different gamma distribution for each pixel, handling variations in fog density, and produces images of objects at distances up to 57 centimeters.
Researchers create first kagome metal, an electrically conducting crystal with individual atoms arranged in a repeating triangular pattern. The material exhibits strange, quantum-like behaviors in passing electrons, including bending and creation of nearly massless particles.
MIT engineers develop a 'physiome on a chip' that connects engineered tissues from up to 10 organs, allowing accurate replication of human organ interactions for weeks. This technology could reveal potential side effects of drugs and improve evaluation before human testing.
Researchers at MIT and Australian National University found that seismic waves are essentially blind to water in the Earth's upper mantle. The team's experiments showed that even tiny amounts of water have no effect on seismic wave speeds, contradicting previous assumptions.
A new study from MIT found that children as young as 3 have a brain network devoted to interpreting thoughts of other people. The researchers scanned the brains of 122 children aged 3-12 and found early signatures of this theory-of-mind network being wired up.
Electrically charging a plane could significantly reduce its risk of being struck by lightning, according to MIT researchers. The proposed system would charge the aircraft to a negative level to dampen the more highly charged positive end, preventing it from reaching a critical level and initiating a lightning strike.
A new MIT study found that false news travels more rapidly and deeply on Twitter than real news, with false statements retweeted up to 70% more often. Researchers attribute the phenomenon to human psychology, suggesting that novelty drives the spread of falsity.
A new MIT study found that false news spreads widely and easily on Twitter, traveling farther and faster than the truth. Contrary to conventional wisdom, humans play a key role in spreading false news, with falsehoods being 70% more likely to be retweeted.
A new study from MIT reveals that the brain uses both speed and rhythmic patterns to track objects in motion, leading to more accurate estimates. Researchers found that participants made better predictions when they had access to information about both speed and timing.
Researchers have found that graphene can be tuned to behave as an insulator or a superconductor, exhibiting unusual electronic properties. By creating a 'superlattice' of stacked graphene sheets, the team demonstrated intrinsic superconductivity in pure carbon-based material.
Researchers from MIT and Arizona State University have detected faint signals of hydrogen gas from the primordial universe, tracing them back to just 180 million years after the Big Bang. The discovery indicates that the first stars may have started turning on around this time, causing hydrogen atoms to absorb background radiation.
Researchers at MIT have created a fluorescent sensor that allows them to image neurons' electrical communications without electrodes. This breakthrough could enable the study of brain activity in millisecond-by-millisecond detail, revolutionizing our understanding of neural behavior and cognition.
A new system called Veil provides added protections for users in shared computing environments, ensuring data remains encrypted until displayed. The Veil system works by using a blinding server to transmit decrypted pages, making it harder for attackers to retrieve sensitive information.