Researchers at MIT have developed a 36-core chip featuring a 'network-on-chip' design that enables efficient communication between cores, solving cache coherence issues and improving performance. The chip's hierarchical priority system ensures chronological ordering of requests, while maintaining a balance of equal weight for all cores.
A small clinical trial has found that a growth factor known as IGF1 can help treat some symptoms of Rett syndrome, including improved mood, anxiety, and easier breathing. Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital led the trial, which showed no adverse side effects and provided some effectiveness in treating the disease.
Engineers at MIT and LLNL have created a system to fabricate microstructured materials with great stiffness and strength at ultralow density. The new material has been tested using three engineering materials, metal, ceramic, and polymer, and shown comparable properties.
A team of researchers has developed an algorithm that can determine whether a video is running forward or backward with 80% accuracy. The algorithm analyzes subtle visual cues and identifies regions of frames to make its judgments, potentially leading to more realistic graphics in gaming and film.
Researchers propose a public-private partnership to fund diverse drug-discovery projects simultaneously, increasing the chances of therapeutic breakthroughs. The model estimates a double-digit return on public investment over the long run.
A new study from MIT reveals that the Tsimane' children's understanding of numbers develops through universal stages, with exposure to numbers playing a critical role in their learning process. The findings suggest that number learning follows a fundamental pathway, but the timing depends on the child's environment.
A new study by MIT researchers shows that commuting times are generally independent of distance traveled, as long as commuters have access to various transportation options. This is demonstrated through the use of mobile phone data across five locations on four continents.
Researchers at MIT's CSAIL are developing a protocol called HTTPA that automatically monitors private data transmission and allows owners to examine usage. The system uses distributed hash tables to store transaction logs on multiple servers, ensuring accessible data even if some servers go down.
Neurons in the prefrontal cortex and striatum synchronize their brain waves to form new communication circuits during category-learning, enabling rapid adaptation. This phenomenon likely precedes changes in synapses and underlies the human mind's flexibility.
Researchers studied brain activity in a part of the brain involved in thinking about oneself and found that group dynamics can lead individuals to harm others outside their group. This is due to reduced medial prefrontal cortex activation when seeing moral statements, which correlates with increased likelihood of harming opponents.
Researchers propose that human language evolved by integrating finite-state components from birdsong and primate communication systems. This 'integration hypothesis' suggests that the melodic part of human language comes from birdsong and the pragmatic parts from primates, with these elements combining around 100,000 years ago.
Researchers found that children can tell when adults are telling the truth but not the whole truth, and compensate by exploring more on their own. This skill is crucial for learning from others, as much knowledge comes from other people. Children's ability to evaluate information helps them adjust their trust in teachers.
Researchers discovered distinct patterns of brain activity in adults with and without childhood ADHD, finding that those who recovered from the disorder have restored normal synchrony in their brain's default mode network. However, both groups showed impaired executive function, a sign separate from ADHD.
Researchers at MIT have discovered a 'random solid solution' that affects how ions move through the material, explaining the unexpectedly high power and long cycle life of lithium-ion batteries. The study provides new insights into the dynamic processes within electrode materials.
Researchers argue that using homogeneous social groups as a baseline to study diversity may not fully capture the dynamics at play. A new study suggests that homogenous groups can produce anomalous effects on their members, including an overestimation of individual contributions.
Scientists found that expanded sea ice in the Southern Ocean led to a massive drop in atmospheric CO2 levels during the Last Glacial Maximum. The study suggests a dynamic link between sea-ice expansion and ocean water insulation, providing new insights into past climate changes.
Researchers at MIT have developed a system that enables printable robotic components to fold into prescribed three-dimensional configurations when heated, allowing for the creation of fully assembled robots. The technology also includes designs for resistors, inductors, and capacitors, as well as sensors and actuators.
A new algorithm harnesses data from an event-based sensor to enable autonomous robots to process information faster, allowing for more nimble maneuvers. This could improve the performance of self-driving cars and mini-helicopters.
Researchers developed an algorithm that can transfer distinctive visual styles from acclaimed photographers to cellphone photos, improving close-up portraits. The technique uses a local transfer approach and multiscale matching to enhance image characteristics while minimizing errors.
A global survey of 350 cities reveals that 75% tackle climate-change issues as part of their planning, with 73% attempting both mitigation and adaptation. However, only 21% report tangible connections between climate change response and achieving other local development goals.
Researchers at MIT have developed a method to produce graphene directly on materials like large sheets of glass, enabling scalable manufacturing. This breakthrough could lead to advances in display screens, solar cells, and other electronic devices.
Eumelanin, the primary pigment in human skin, hair, and eyes, has been found to absorb a broad spectrum of sunlight due to its unique physical arrangement. Researchers have identified that disorder in the material's structure plays a crucial role in its broadband blocking ability.
Researchers at MIT have discovered a way to harness temperature gradients in fluids to propel objects, which could have widespread significance in the natural world and potential technologies. The effect works by creating unbalanced forces on an object's surface due to changing fluid density.
Researchers at MIT and Stanford University have developed a new approach to harnessing low-temperature waste heat, leveraging the thermogalvanic effect to produce electricity. The system combines battery charging-discharging cycles with heating and cooling, allowing for efficient energy conversion even with small temperature differences.
Scientists have developed a new imaging system that reveals neural activity throughout the brains of living animals in 3-D. The technique allows for simultaneous imaging of every neuron in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans and the entire brain of a zebrafish larva, providing a more complete picture of nervous system activity.
A new glasses-free 3D projector design uses multiperspective technology to provide a cheaper alternative to holographic video, improving resolution and contrast. The system can also enhance conventional 2D video with increased brightness and sharpness, making it an attractive transitional technology for content producers.
A new study reveals that powerful tropical cyclones are now reaching their peak intensity farther from the equator and closer to the poles. The trend is statistically significant and consistent with a warming climate, posing potentially profound consequences for life and property in regions further north and south of the equator.
A new activity-recognition algorithm has been developed, enabling computers to efficiently search video for actions. The algorithm's execution time scales linearly with the size of the video file, and it can make good guesses about partially completed actions.
Researchers develop nanoparticles that release two chemotherapy drugs, erlotinib and doxorubicin, at staggered times to weaken tumor cells' defenses before delivering DNA-damage. This approach dramatically shrinks lung and breast tumors in mice, including aggressive triple-negative breast cancer cells.
The Abdul Latif Jameel World Water and Food Security Lab will spearhead research to address global water and food scarcity, targeting half a billion people by 2025. MIT faculty from various departments will collaborate across disciplines to develop regionally appropriate solutions.
Researchers at MIT describe a new technique that could reduce the number of sensors needed for terahertz or millimeter-wave imaging by a factor of 10, enabling more practical high-resolution imaging systems. The technique exploits the sparsity of scenes in certain ranges, allowing for efficient reconstruction without aliasing.
Researchers at MIT have developed a technique that allows them to track neural communication in the brain over time, offering a new window on brain function. The technique uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) along with a specialized molecular sensor to monitor dopamine levels in specific regions of the brain.
Researchers have finally found a theoretical explanation for the differences in thermal conductivity between similar materials, which could lead to the discovery of new thermoelectric materials. The findings are reported in the journal Nature Communications and were partly supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Researchers found hundreds of distinct genetic subpopulations within a single species of ocean microbe, Prochlorococcus, and discovered that these subpopulations are finely tuned for specific ecological niches. The study suggests that the remarkable diversity of Prochlorococcus is not random but rather a result of natural selection.
Researchers at MIT and City College of New York directly image exciton movement using a new technique, enabling insights into device efficiency and natural energy-transfer processes. The study provides new information on how crystal structure affects exciton diffusion.
A new design for nuclear plants built on floating platforms could provide enhanced safety, as they would be automatically cooled by surrounding seawater in a worst-case scenario. The concept takes advantage of mature technologies and minimizes technological risks.
Researchers have created nanoparticles that can deliver three or more different chemotherapy drugs to cancer cells, offering new hope for more effective treatments. The particles are designed to release the drugs in response to specific triggering mechanisms, reducing side effects and increasing efficacy.
A new MIT study finds that international efforts to limit ozone-depleting chemicals have been successful in preventing extreme Arctic ozone losses, unlike Antarctica.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new type of tiny particle that can be used to authenticate currency, electronic parts, and luxury goods. The particles contain colored stripes of nanocrystals that glow brightly when lit up with near-infrared light.
A new study reveals that the brain achieves focused attention on faces or other objects by synchronizing activity in the inferior frontal junction (IFJ) with specific brain regions. The IFJ coordinates with the fusiform face area (FFA) and parahippocampal place area (PPA), suggesting a parallel process involving different areas.
Scientists at MIT and Harvard have developed a method to couple individual atoms with photons, enabling the creation of quantum switches that can transmit information. This technique allows for the scaling up of quantum computing processing available within small spaces.
A new study by MIT researchers reveals that coughs and sneezes create a multiphase turbulent buoyant cloud that extends the range of infectious droplets. Smaller droplets can travel up to 200 times farther than previously estimated, while larger droplets fall out, allowing smaller drops to be resuspended by gas clouds.
A new algorithm developed by MIT researchers can aid robots in navigating unfamiliar buildings and understanding scenes. The algorithm identifies dominant orientations in 3D scenes, making it easier to re-identify landmarks and segment planes.
A team at MIT has figured out a way to measure the fundamental charge transfer rate in porous battery electrodes, revealing significant surprises. The study found that the Butler-Volmer equation is inaccurate, especially at higher voltage levels, and that electron transfer between two solids determines the rate.
Researchers are exploring strain engineering to alter materials' properties, which could improve energy storage and conversion rates in devices like batteries and fuel cells. By applying and managing stresses within known materials, scientists can achieve exponential improvements in key reaction rates.
A recent study by MIT economists finds strong convergence of prices within the Eurozone, with prices differing by 30-50% lower than in neighboring countries. The research suggests that the common currency drives identical pricing, contradicting previous findings.
A team of MIT researchers suggests that methane-producing archaea, specifically Methanosarcina, were responsible for the largest mass extinction in Earth's history. The microbe's explosive growth was fueled by a sudden increase in nickel, emitted by massive volcanic eruptions.
Researchers successfully used CRISPR gene-editing to correct a defective gene in adult mice, allowing them to survive without treatment. The study offers promising hope for treating genetic disorders, including hemophilia and Huntington's disease.
Researchers at MIT analyzed the shells of a sea creature to determine why they are exceptionally tough and optically clear. The shells' unique properties emerge from a specialized nanostructure that allows optical clarity, as well as efficient energy dissipation and localized deformation.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new system that selectively filters light waves based on their direction of propagation. The technique, which uses a stack of ultrathin layers with precise thickness control, could improve efficiency in solar photovoltaics, detector systems for telescopes and microscopes, and display screens.