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.
Researchers at MIT have discovered that cities with grid-like street patterns tend to accumulate more heat than those with chaotic patterns, leading to increased urban heat islands and health risks. The study provides new insights into the impact of city design on heat buildup, offering potential solutions for urban planners.
MIT researchers successfully grow dormant malaria parasites in engineered human liver tissue, allowing them to study the parasite's biology and vulnerabilities. The team also sequenced the parasite's RNA transcriptome, paving the way for new antimalarial drugs.
Researchers propose that cave art may have played a role in the development of human language, citing acoustic properties and visual representations. The study suggests that early humans used sound echoes to convey symbolic thinking, which eventually led to the creation of language.
A new robotic system developed by MIT engineers can grasp and pack items with high accuracy, making it suitable for various applications such as warehouse sorting and kitchen tasks. The system uses an object-agnostic grasping algorithm to assess a bin of random objects and determine the best way to grip or suction onto an item.
Researchers used cryo-electron microscopy to discover the structure of an enzyme critical for maintaining adequate DNA building blocks in human cells. The human version differs from its bacterial counterpart, suggesting potential for designing antibiotics that selectively block the bacterial enzyme.
Researchers observe groups of three photons interacting, forming a new kind of photonic matter. The bound photons acquire mass and travel slower than non-interacting photons.
A novel system, called a thermal resonator, converts daily temperature swings into electrical power. The device takes advantage of the ambient temperature fluctuations that occur during the day-night cycle, making it suitable for remote sensing systems without requiring batteries or other power sources.
Researchers found that back-and-forth conversations between adults and children significantly impact brain response to language and lead to better language skills. The study suggests that parents can influence their child's language development by engaging them in interactive dialogue, not just talking to them.
MIT researchers developed a special-purpose chip that increases the speed of neural-network computations while reducing power consumption. The chip can calculate dot products for multiple nodes in a single step, improving efficiency and making neural networks more practical for handheld devices.
A new study reveals that increased corn and soybean production in the Midwest led to significantly cooler and wetter summers. The research suggests a strong correlation between agricultural intensification and regional climate changes.
MIT researchers have developed a new chip that consumes only 1/400 as much power as software execution of public-key encryption protocols, executing 500 times faster. The chip uses a general-purpose elliptic-curve design and features a dedicated inverter circuit to increase energy efficiency and reduce surface area.
Researchers found neurons that fire at the beginning and end of a behavior, marking the start and end of habits. The study sheds light on how the brain groups behaviors together into routines.
Researchers identify protein Npas4 as key controller of synaptic strength in CA3, essential for encoding contextual memories. Without Npas4, synapses become over-strong and unable to be further strengthened.
Researchers found that adding volcanic ash to traditional cement reduces the overall energy needed to manufacture concrete, with a 16% decrease in energy required. The optimal particle size of volcanic ash affects the strength and energy efficiency of the concrete.
Researchers at MIT developed a mathematical model to describe the relationship between hairy surface dimensions, dipping speed, and fluid properties. The model predicts optimal fluid entrainment for hairy-tongued nectar feeders like bats, honeybees, and possums.
MIT researchers have developed a new approach to microfluidics using LEGO bricks, enabling the creation of modular devices that can perform various biological operations. The team has designed fluidic bricks with specific patterns of channels to perform tasks such as mixing and sorting fluids.
A team of MIT researchers has created a miniaturized system that can deliver tiny quantities of medicine to specific brain regions, allowing for more precise treatment of neurological disorders. The device consists of several tubes contained within a needle and can deliver targeted doses with precise control.
Researchers at MIT and Albert Einstein College of Medicine isolate and study a new group of viruses that lack tails and can infect dozens of different types of bacteria. The Autolykiviridae provide key insights into viral evolution, bacterial populations, and the ocean's ecosystem.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new approach to rechargeable batteries using a metal-mesh membrane, which overcomes the limitations of previous ceramic membranes and enables cost-effective power storage for large-scale installations.
Researchers at MIT have designed an artificial synapse that can precisely control the strength of an electric current flowing across it, similar to the way ions flow between neurons. The team found that their chip and its synapses could recognize samples of handwriting with 95% accuracy.
Researchers at MIT have developed a system that uses electric fields to manipulate droplets of chemical or biological solutions on a surface. This new approach enables parallel testing of thousands of reactions and could revolutionize the field of biological research.
Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed a capsule that can deliver a week's worth of HIV drugs in a single dose. The new design allows for gradual release of the drug throughout the week, improving patient adherence and potentially preventing infections by up to 20 percent.
Researchers at MIT have developed a process to produce ultrafine fibers with exceptional strength and toughness, exceeding existing materials in specific modulus and specific strength. The new gel-electrospun polyethylene fibers have similar degrees of strength but are much tougher and have lower density.
New research from MIT suggests the EPA's legislation may have saved over 100,000 lives annually from 2000 to 2010 through a dramatic decline in atmospheric organic aerosol. The study found that human behaviors, such as vehicle emissions and residential burning, likely drove this change.
Researchers at MIT's Media Lab have developed a new approach to time-of-flight imaging that increases depth resolution 1,000-fold. This breakthrough could enable accurate distance measurements through fog, a major obstacle to self-driving cars, and improve the resolution of existing systems.
The study found that protesters lowered the stock market valuations of politically connected firms by 13% relative to other firms. The researchers also discovered a connection between protest crowd size and valuation changes, with larger crowds leading to lower valuations for NDP-connected firms.
A team at MIT has developed a rapid screening method for new solar cell materials, bypassing time-consuming lab tests and improving accuracy. The approach uses simple lab tests combined with computer modeling to predict material performance, accelerating the search for more efficient materials.