A new type of self-healing hydrogel has been developed by MIT chemical engineers that can carry one or two drugs at a time. The gel consists of a mesh network made of nanoparticles and polymers that can be injected through a syringe and released over several days, targeting specific tissues and allowing for long-term drug delivery.
Researchers at MIT developed a system that cleverly distributes data around multicore chips' memory banks, improving execution times by 18 percent on average while increasing energy efficiency. In simulations involving a 64-core chip, the system increased computational speeds by 46 percent while reducing power consumption by 36 percent.
Researchers analyzed gene and epigenetic mark changes in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease to understand the role of microglia and immune pathways in disease progression. They found conserved epigenomic signatures between mice and humans, suggesting a potential therapeutic target.
Researchers at MIT and Harvard University developed a new system called Crowdy that recruits viewers to create subgoal labels for educational videos. The system improves video annotations by leveraging crowdsourcing, reducing costs to $1 per minute, and enhancing learner retention and satisfaction.
A new study at MIT reveals the secret to the iconic Cremonese violins' powerful sound: elongated f-holes and thicker back plates. Researchers found that makers may have inadvertently crafted these features, as small errors in craftsmanship led to evolutionary changes.
A study by MIT researchers projects the growth potential of high-tech firms with new precision, identifying key characteristics and locations with higher growth prospects. The study found that firms with certain features, such as formal registration and capital investment, are more likely to grow.
A new study reveals that higher spending on emergency care produces lower mortality rates and improved patient outcomes. The research analyzed ambulance-dispatch patterns in New York state to compare the treatment received by patients at different hospitals.
Researchers at MIT have discovered a way to grow liver-like cells from induced pluripotent stem cells that can be infected with several strains of the malaria parasite. These cells offer a plentiful source for testing potential malaria drugs, which are badly needed due to emerging drug resistance.
A team from MIT and the University of Liege presents high-speed images showing that raindrops can act as a dispersing agent, catapulting contaminated droplets far from their leaf source. The researchers found that a plant's mechanical properties, particularly its compliance, determine the range of dispersal.
A team of MIT mathematicians developed a theory predicting wrinkled patterns on curved surfaces, confirmed through experiments. The theory states that curvature is the main parameter determining pattern formation, with thicker shells forming hexagonal patterns and thinner shells resulting in labyrinthine configurations.
A new way of implementing priority queues allows for performance improvement even with the addition of new cores. The algorithm uses a skip list data structure to make moving through the hierarchy more efficient, reducing collisions and achieving better scalability.
MIT researchers report that just four pieces of information are enough to identify 90% of people in a data set. Adding coarse-grained price information reduces the number of data points needed to reach 94%. The study highlights the risks of re-identification and encourages socially beneficial uses of big data.
A new MIT study analyzes residency compensation using demand analysis, finding residents accept lower wages for experience and prestige. The study suggests salaries may remain low unless residency programs increase the number of positions available.
Researchers at MIT developed an algorithm to optimize optimization algorithms, guaranteeing the best possible solution for complex engineering problems. By using a Gaussian smoothing technique, they generate a sequence of simpler problems that progressively add complexity, ensuring convergence to a global minimum.
Researchers at MIT found that injected carbon dioxide only partially converts to rock, with the majority remaining in a gaseous form. This limitation poses challenges for long-term sequestration efforts.
Researchers at MIT have developed software that assesses risk in planning algorithms, suggesting low-risk alternatives when a solution is not possible. The system uses probabilistic models to determine the feasibility of a plan and can offer modifications to relax constraints or add resources to mitigate risks.
Researchers at MIT have developed a method to enlarge tissue samples by embedding them in an expandable polymer gel, making it easier to image large biological specimens with nanoscale resolution. This technique allows for the imaging of brain cells and mapping how they connect across large regions.
Researchers at MIT found that raindrops can release aerosols when hitting porous surfaces, trapping tiny air bubbles and bursting them out into the air. This mechanism may explain petrichor, the smell released after a light rain, and potentially spread soil-based diseases.
Researchers at MIT and Purdue University have found that meteorites are not building blocks of planets, but rather byproducts of a violent planetary process. Computer simulations show that large moon-sized bodies likely existed before chondrules formed, which were then created by collisions of these bodies.
A new computer model can forecast population-level behavior during disease outbreaks, including panic reactions and misinformation. The model accurately reproduced the population-level behavior that accompanied three disease outbreaks: H1N1 flu and SARS in Hong Kong.
Researchers at MIT develop an algorithm that allows household robots to recognize four times as many objects as traditional methods, reducing misidentifications. The new approach uses a representative sampling technique, sampling hypotheses across successive images, and evaluating them more efficiently.
Researchers have built an array of light detectors sensitive enough to register individual photons and mounted them on a silicon optical chip. The approach increases detector density and sensitivity, yielding results up to 20 percent, which is a significant step toward practical quantum computing.
A new study by MIT scholars finds that immigrants from Latin America are less likely to have their labor certification requests granted, with only 67% of applications approved. However, when the US government audits applications using detailed supporting documentation, the disparity disappears, suggesting a potential remedy.
Ur/Web's compiler automatically generates XML code and style-sheet specifications and embeds JavaScript and database code in the right places. The language's typing system helps with security and coordination across Web technologies by preventing unauthorized access between page elements.
A new MIT study reveals that industrial clusters across various industries drive economic growth by fostering job creation, innovation, and the formation of new industries. The research suggests that regions can improve their economic performance by investing in and extending their comparative advantage rather than chasing global hotsp...
Researchers found that newer generation of deep neural networks can identify visual objects as accurately as the primate brain. The success suggests neuroscientists have a fairly accurate grasp of how object recognition works, which could lead to better artificial intelligence and new ways to repair visual dysfunction.
The study analyzed data from multilingual Twitter users and Wikipedia editors, as well as book translations in 150 countries. It found that a language's centrality in the network predicts its global fame, with some networks correlating better with certain measures of fame than others.
Researchers at MIT have identified a link between Musashi proteins and the regulation of cancer cell proliferation. The study found that these RNA-binding proteins can force cells into an epithelial state associated with increased growth, making them a promising target for diagnostic markers and potential treatments.
Researchers have developed a new theory that aims to bring flexibility to computer communication by allowing devices to tolerate some degree of imprecision. By gauging the minimum amount of information needed to convey a point, designed communication schemes can achieve reliable transmission, even in uncertain environments.
Researchers at MIT have successfully turned on any desired gene in living cells using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. This breakthrough enables scientists to study gene function and identify genes involved in diseases, such as melanoma. The new method has also been used to screen for genes that confer resistance to cancer drugs.
Researchers have developed a new sensor that can detect gaseous ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and cyclohexanone wirelessly using a smartphone. The sensors, made from modified NFC tags, require almost no energy and can function at ambient temperatures.
A new system developed at MIT enables pattern-recognition systems to distill what they learn into simple examples, which humans can use to make better decisions. In experiments, human subjects using the system outperformed those using a similar algorithm by over 20 percent.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new computer model that allows them to design the most complex three-dimensional DNA shapes ever produced. The model enables nanometer-scale precision and can be used to create DNA scaffolds for anchoring proteins, chromophores, and nanoparticles.
Researchers found that tens of thousands of small impacts could efficiently jettison Earth's entire primordial atmosphere, while giant impacts would be less effective. The team's calculations suggest that the early Earth was likely devoid of its original atmosphere, with Venus and Mars also experiencing significant atmospheric loss.
Researchers found that Earth's 'plasmaspheric hiss' protects against a harmful radiation belt, deflecting high-energy electrons with an impenetrable barrier of about 11,000 kilometers. This natural shield could extend lifetimes for satellites and space stations orbiting near the Earth's surface.
Researchers at MIT have developed a load driver device that can reduce unpredictability in biological circuits, allowing for robust and predictable behavior. This breakthrough could lead to applications such as biosensing and glucose monitoring for diabetic patients.
New nanoparticles can perform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorescent imaging simultaneously, allowing for the tracking of specific molecules produced in the body. The particles were demonstrated to detect vitamin C in mice, showing strong fluorescent signals where vitamin C is present but little MRI contrast.
The MIT researchers' model assumes that large groups of ratings can be clustered together and described probabilistically. They found that just five clusters were enough to account for most of the variation in a population, suggesting that collaborative filtering yields nearly optimal predictions.
A team of researchers has provided evidence that the early solar system's protoplanetary disk was shaped by an intense magnetic field, driving gas toward the sun at a rapid rate. The study analyzed a meteorite sample, extracting individual grains and measuring their magnetic orientations to determine the original magnetic field.
Researchers at MIT have engineered E. coli bacteria to store long-term analog memory through a 'genomic tape recorder' system. This stable, erasable memory can be used in various applications such as environmental monitoring and biological computing.
Researchers at MIT and Draper Laboratory have developed a new atomic timekeeping approach that could enable more stable and accurate portable atomic clocks. The system suppresses the AC Stark shift effect, allowing for smaller, less expensive devices with improved accuracy compared to current fountain clocks.
Researchers at MIT developed an algorithm that can accurately determine whether a patient is suffering from emphysema or heart failure based on carbon dioxide readings in their breath. The algorithm achieved an area under the curve of 0.98, outperforming traditional diagnostic methods.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new way to coat batteries with a special material that prevents them from conducting electricity after being swallowed. The QTC-coated batteries were found to not damage the gastrointestinal tract in animal tests, showing promise as a safer alternative.
Researchers at MIT and Maynooth University developed a mathematical framework to calculate the minimum-security guarantees for any given encryption scheme. This allows information managers to make more informed decisions about how to protect data. The framework also applies to data privacy, enabling the modification or structuring of a...
Researchers at MIT have developed a new system, Chisel, that enables programmers to prioritize energy savings over computational accuracy in certain applications. The system uses a tool to help programmers evaluate the acceptable level of error and automatically assigns instructions to unreliable hardware components.
Researchers at MIT have created a new visualization system that projects a robot's intentions in real-time, enabling engineers to better understand and optimize their decisions. This technology has the potential to significantly improve the development of self-driving cars, package-delivering drones, and other autonomous vehicles.
MIT researchers have developed a new way to model the effects of genetic mutations in mice using CRISPR, enabling rapid analysis of genes linked with cancer growth. This approach fills a gap in understanding the role of cancer-gene candidates and offers new ways for personalized treatments.
Researchers at MIT and Saudi Arabia have developed a method to remove salt from produced water using electrodialysis, which can be economically viable for treating extremely high-salinity water. The technology could reduce the need for fresh water from other sources and minimize contaminated water disposal.
A new study finds that autocratic leaders who sign human-rights treaties do so for domestic political maneuvering rather than economic gains. The researchers analyzed four core treaties and found no evidence of tangible material rewards for ratification.
The nanocryotron device uses a single layer of niobium nitride deposited on an insulator to create a simple superconducting circuit. By controlling the flow of current through the circuit, it can act as a switch, making it a potential component for digital computers.