Researchers at MIT have discovered a process to remove defects in new solar cell materials using intense light, improving their efficiency and consistency. The technique, called photo-induced cleaning, uses illumination to migrate ions that sweep away most of the defects in the material.
Retailers can boost profits by 7-10% by using higher prices with occasional sales for fashionable goods, according to a new study. The approach works because high-value customers are willing to pay more to avoid regret over not buying now, while lower-priced items attract price-conscious customers.
A study by MIT linguistics professors and Carleton University researchers found that children between 3-6 years old use a similar logical approach to adults when evaluating ambiguous sentences, but fail to consider the implications of substituting 'and' for 'or',
Researchers at MIT found that just eight tweets per day can identify users' homes and workplaces. Participants correctly identified homes roughly 65% of the time and workplaces around 70%.
Researchers found that strains of E. coli resistant to one antibiotic can protect other bacteria growing nearby, demonstrating a type of mutualism known as cross-protection. This phenomenon allows bacteria to form drug-resistant communities and survive in environments containing both antibiotics.
Researchers at MIT and partners developed a tiny origami robot that can unfold from a swallowed capsule and remove stuck objects or patch wounds. The robot uses external magnetic fields to navigate and is made of biocompatible materials, enabling potential medical applications.
A recent MIT course has successfully challenged students to redesign the fundamentals of 3-D printing, leading to innovative projects such as printing custom jewelry, cable organizers, and even molten glass. The course's outcomes have also led to patents and entrepreneurial efforts, accelerating innovation in design and manufacturing.
A silicone-based polymer coating has been developed to mimic the mechanical and elastic properties of healthy skin. The material can temporarily tighten skin, reduce water loss from dry skin and provide long-lasting UV protection.
A new paper-based test developed at MIT and other institutions can diagnose Zika virus infection within a few hours. The test distinguishes Zika from the similar dengue virus, making it potentially practical for widespread use.
Researchers developed a new technique using ocean waves and seismic vibrations to monitor ice sheet volume changes, which may help scientists identify vulnerable regions. The technique has been shown to have high precision and can be used continuously, unlike traditional methods that only gather data several times a year.
A study by MIT professor David Atkin found that migrants who hold onto their native cuisines often face a caloric tax, resulting in reduced calorie intake. In India, this phenomenon affects poor migrants on tight budgets, with a 7.2% reduction in calories.
Researchers have developed nanoparticles that deliver antiobesity drugs directly to fat tissue, transforming white adipose tissue into brown and stimulating angiogenesis. The treatment resulted in a 10% weight loss in mice without adverse side effects.
Three exoplanets, similar to Earth and Venus, orbit an ultracool dwarf star just 40 light years from Earth. The planets may have regions with temperatures suitable for liquid water and life.
Researchers developed a noninvasive data analysis technique to distinguish between actively driven and thermally induced motions inside cells. The method, based on statistical physics, tracks particle transitions between states and identifies imbalances that indicate active processes.
Researchers found that tablet use significantly improved children's performance on standardized tests of reading preparedness in three deployments. The system used inexpensive tablets loaded with educational apps and allowed children to explore and figure out the content on their own, yielding promising results.
A new system allows scientists to image RNA inside living cells, monitor its activity and even control it. The modular components enable easy performance of a wide variety of RNA manipulations.
A new decentralized planning algorithm for teams of robots factors in moving obstacles, reduces communication bandwidth, and preserves strong mathematical guarantees. The algorithm allows robots to operate in a world with static and dynamic obstacles while retaining their local and global objectives.
Researchers at MIT have successfully created simple electrical heating devices using coal, showcasing its potential for various high-tech uses. The team characterized the chemical, electrical, and optical properties of four different types of coal, revealing a range of conductivities that can be tailored to specific applications.
Geologists at MIT identified ancient tectonic collisions as the trigger for two ice ages, 80 million and 50 million years ago. The collisions exposed rock to the atmosphere, leading to chemical reactions that absorbed large amounts of carbon dioxide.
MIT researchers developed a system that can quickly analyze tens of thousands of lines of code to find security flaws in popular web apps. The new debugger, called Space, evaluates data access procedures and identifies seven common ways web applications control access to data.
Researchers at MIT and Harvard University have successfully fabricated nanoscrolls made from graphene oxide flakes. The scrolls exhibit mechanical properties similar to graphene and can be tailored to trap specific molecules and pollutants.
Researchers have developed an implantable device that delivers chemotherapy drugs directly to pancreatic tumors, showing promising results in slowing disease progression and shrinking tumors. The device uses a flexible film that conforms to the tumor shape and releases drugs locally, minimizing side effects and improving treatment outc...
A new study finds that the richest 1% of Americans live significantly longer than the poorest 1%, with a growing gap over the last 15 years.
A team of researchers at MIT found that spinning particles, even when separated by tens of times their size, will ultimately migrate toward each other due to long-range interactions. The phenomenon was observed in a liquid medium with inert particles and has potential applications in biological systems and synthetic materials.
Researchers at MIT describe a feedback-control system that preserves quantum superposition in nitrogen-vacancy centers, enabling reliable quantum computing. The system uses entangled spins of nitrogen and NV center atoms to correct errors during computations.
Researchers design a new type of extended-release pill that can attach to the gastrointestinal tract lining and release its contents slowly. The dual-sided device uses mucoadhesives and omniphobic materials to resist being pulled away by food and liquids.
Researchers at MIT propose a hybrid system that combines coal gasification and fuel cells to boost efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The system achieves efficiencies up to 55-60%, compared to conventional plants' 30% efficiency.
A new theory predicts the mechanical response of shells, from small pharmaceutical capsules to large airplane bodies. By controlling a few key variables, engineers can create uniformly smooth shells with precisely tailored thickness, with applications far beyond the chocolate shop.
Researchers at MIT have created a programming language that allows users to design complex DNA-encoded circuits in living cells, giving new functions to bacteria and yeast. The language uses Verilog-like syntax and allows users to write programs for specific environmental conditions, such as detecting oxygen or glucose levels.
A compact, portable pharmaceutical manufacturing system can be reconfigured to produce a variety of drugs on demand. The system is designed to provide an alternative for special situations, such as emergency outbreaks or manufacturing plant shutdowns.
A new study from MIT reveals how two populations of neurons in the amygdala form parallel channels that carry information about pleasant or unpleasant events. The findings suggest that to fully understand how the brain processes emotions, neuroscientists will have to delve deeper into more specific populations.
A new study by MIT scientists predicts widespread water shortages in Asia by 2050, with 1 billion more people becoming water-stressed. Economic and population growth, combined with climate change, exacerbate water-access problems.
A team of MIT researchers has discovered a method to greatly reduce the damaging effects of hydrogen on metal alloys, which are widely used in nuclear reactors and other energy systems. By carefully engineering a layer of zirconium oxide on the surface of the alloy, they can inhibit hydrogen from entering the metal's crystal structure.
Scientists have observed an exoplanet named HD 80606 b that orbits its star at incredible distances, experiencing scorching temperatures and then plummeting to extremely cold temperatures as it moves away. This unique system challenges existing theories on the formation of hot Jupiters and may require alternative explanations.
Researchers from MIT developed a new infrared depth-sensing system that works outdoors, using a smartphone with a $10 laser. The system captures four frames of video and subtracts ambient infrared light to improve accuracy. It has been tested on a driverless golf cart and shows promise for autonomous vehicles.
A new web-based prototype of a speech-controlled nutrition-logging system has been developed to make meal logging easier. The system allows users to verbally describe the contents of a meal, and automatically retrieves pertinent nutritional data from an online database.
Researchers have developed a method to observe nanocrystal self-assembly in real-time, shedding light on the complex structures' formation. The technique uses synchrotron X-ray scattering and imaging, allowing for the direct manipulation of superlattices.
Researchers at MIT have discovered a new set of chemical constituents that could make liquid batteries more practical and affordable. The breakthrough uses calcium, an abundant element, to form the basis for both the negative electrode layer and molten salt in three-layer battery.
Researchers have discovered a new way to manipulate plasmons on graphene and TMDs using circularly polarized light, enabling separation of particle streams without magnetic fields. This breakthrough could lead to novel electro-optical devices and applications in chip-scale optical isolation.
Researchers at MIT and Harvard University have developed a new cryptographic system called Sieve that allows users to store and manage their personal data securely. With Sieve, users can control which apps have access to their data and revoke access with ease.
Researchers propose a system where high-tech vehicles communicate with each other to maintain safe distances and speed up traffic flow. By removing traffic lights, they create a more efficient system that allows for consistent flow at an optimal middle speed.
Researchers found that neurons fire in brief, coordinated bursts as information is held in working memory, allowing for multiple items to be stored separately. This discovery fits a new model of rapid synaptic strength changes and gamma frequency oscillations.
A new study from MIT reveals that certain cancers develop a backup system to evade treatment, which can be detected in blood samples. Combining kinase inhibitors with another drug shows promise in improving results, according to researchers.
A study by MIT neuroscientists suggests that early-stage Alzheimer's patients can form new memories but struggle to recall them. The researchers used optogenetics to stimulate the cells holding these memories and were able to retrieve them in mice with Alzheimer's symptoms.
A new study by MIT economists suggests that increasing research and development (R&D) funding for clean energy technologies is crucial to hasten the transition to a greener economy. The researchers propose a policy framework that combines R&D subsidies with a carbon tax to make clean energy more economically competitive.
A new study from MIT reveals how cancer cells take their first steps towards metastasis by remodeling their environment, enabling them to migrate into blood vessels. High levels of the Mena protein, MenaINV, are correlated with metastasis and earlier deaths among breast cancer patients.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new battery system that harnesses heat and uses no toxic materials, with efficiency improvements of over 1,000 times. The technology, based on carbon nanotubes, shows promise for powering small devices and has potential applications in fields such as energy storage and aerospace.
Researchers developed Eyebrowse, a system allowing users to share self-selected aspects of their online activity with friends and the public. Users can add whitelisted sites, track friend visits, and view community browsing history, providing insights for academics and companies targeting consumers.
A recent study by MIT biologists found that cancer cells use amino acids to build new cell mass, contradicting the long-held assumption that glucose is the primary source. The largest contributors to cell mass were amino acids, making up 20-40% of total mass.
Researchers from MIT and University of Innsbruck have designed a scalable quantum system that can factor large numbers efficiently using 5 atoms. This breakthrough represents the first implementation of Shor's algorithm in a scalable manner, enabling potential cracking of encryption schemes for protecting sensitive data.