A new MIT study reveals that non-compete agreements lead many engineers to abandon their chosen industry after switching jobs, often at significant financial cost. The study found that about one-third of tech workers who sign non-compete agreements leave their industry altogether.
Researchers at MIT have designed a tiny energy harvester that can generate 100 times the power of similar devices, making it a potential solution to the power constraint in wireless sensors. The device uses a single layer of PZT and responds to a wide range of low-frequency vibrations.
Researchers at MIT and Carnegie Mellon used molecular modeling and simulation to study the behavior of lamin A protein tails, finding that mutant protein tails are actually more stable than healthy counterparts. The discovery validates the application of civil engineering methodology to studying diseased cells.
Researchers create detection tool that spots flight glitches without prior knowledge of parameters to check. The technique uses cluster analysis to identify abnormal flights, allowing analysts to further inspect reports and prevent potential accidents.
Researchers used innovative fMRI technique to pinpoint areas of the brain dedicated solely to language. Eight out of nine analyzed regions uniquely supported language tasks, while remaining regions showed no activation for non-language tasks.
MIT researchers have developed a new security scheme that can automatically create connections between wireless devices and defend against man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. The scheme uses novel techniques to detect and prevent MITM attacks, making it stronger than previous solutions.
MIT researchers found evidence that tiny aerobic organisms may have evolved to survive on extremely low levels of oxygen in oceanic 'oxygen oases.' Laboratory experiments with yeast suggest early ancestors could have thrived with minimal O2, reconciling a debate over early Earth's atmosphere.
Researchers at MIT have created a way to make microparticles of nearly any shape using temperature-sensitive materials, allowing for precise placement of drugs and cells. This technique enables the creation of artificial tissues that mimic natural tissue structures.
Researchers at MIT's Impact and Crashworthiness Laboratory developed a computer model that accurately predicted the location and propagation of cracks in the Deepwater Horizon's drill riser. The model could help oil and gas companies identify stronger or more flexible pipe materials to minimize future accidents.
Researchers at MIT have developed tiny robots to inspect underground pipes in nuclear reactors, detecting corrosion and radioactive leaks. The robots can withstand extreme environments and transmit images in real-time, enabling safer operation of aged reactors.
Cancer biologists have pinpointed a gene that drives progression of small cell lung cancer, an aggressive form of lung cancer. Researchers found the gene to be overexpressed in both mouse and human lung tumors.
The MIT model takes basic meteorological data and computes how tall a tree is likely to grow under those conditions. The team's results have been published in PLoS One and match up well with actual measurements from the US Forest Service, except for two geographic regions: the arid Southwest and parts of New England.
A new study by MIT researchers reveals that low-information voters are most influenced by candidate appearances, with the effect being stronger among those who watch a lot of television. The study found a nearly 5% increase in votes for candidates with a 10-point advantage in appearance ratings among uninformed voters.
A recent study from MIT shows that estrogen dramatically lowers the rates of stomach cancer in male mice treated with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. The researchers found that estrogen interferes with the recruitment and activity of immune cells, promoting inflammation and ultimately leading to gastritis and cancer.
MIT researchers have developed a novel method for storing solar energy by modifying carbon nanotubes with azobenzene, resulting in an efficient and cost-effective solution. The new material has a high volumetric energy density comparable to lithium-ion batteries, making it promising for applications such as heating and energy storage.
A new algorithm using GPS data from a tracking system can predict and prevent collisions between small aircraft. Researchers at MIT have developed the algorithm to address the challenge of false alarms while allowing for some error margin.
A study by MIT researchers found that explicit instruction makes children less likely to engage in spontaneous exploration, but acknowledging the unknown is crucial. Children taught one function played with the toy for less time and discovered fewer things than those in other conditions.
Researchers at MIT have developed a way to improve the resolution of high-speed e-beam lithography, making it more practical for mass production. By using a thinner resist layer and developing the resist with table salt, they were able to achieve resolutions down to nine nanometers.
A team of MIT math instructors has developed a web-based tool, the Educational Collaboration Space (ECS), to facilitate peer-to-peer collaboration among educators. The platform aims to preserve 'best practices' in teaching and learning, allowing teachers to share strategies and resources.
Using Archimedes' principle, MIT scientists have devised a method to measure the density of individual cells, which could provide biophysical insight into fundamental cellular processes. The new device rapidly exchanges fluids, allowing for rapid measurement and potentially screening potential cancer drugs.
A study by MIT neuroscientists found that humans have two independent capacities for working memory, rather than one general capacity of four objects. This discovery resolves a long-standing debate in the field and has significant implications for designing more effective cognitive therapy, brain games, and visual displays.
Researchers discovered ancient fossils of amoeba-like organisms that built shells to survive a frozen climate. The findings suggest life recovered relatively quickly after the first major Snowball Earth event, and provide insights into the evolution of shell-building mechanisms in single-celled microbes.
Researchers at MIT and UMass have developed a system to protect medical implants from attack by jamming unauthorized wireless signals. The system uses a small transmitter that can be worn like a necklace or watch, and allows authorized users to communicate with the implant while blocking malicious signals.
Researchers at MIT's Computer Graphics Group have developed new methods to efficiently simulate blur in digital computer graphics, reducing rendering time by minutes. By simplifying the computation of blur, these techniques can create more convincing video games and frames of digital video, improving overall visual quality.
The new composites have a co-continuous structure, allowing for the combination of materials with different properties. This results in materials that are stiff, strong and tough, as well as damage-tolerant even when subjected to multiple cracks.
Researchers discovered that babies as young as 12 months old can use their knowledge of basic rules to form expectations about new events. A computational model accurately predicts infants' surprise at unexpected events, suggesting they reason by mentally simulating possible scenarios.
A new study from MIT neuroscientists shows that the most memorable photos are those containing people, followed by static indoor scenes and human-scale objects. The researchers developed a computer algorithm to rank images based on memorability, which could be useful for graphic designers and photo editors.
Researchers have developed a method to boost algal hydrogen production by 400% using bioengineered proteins, demonstrating the competition between sugar and hydrogen production in algae. This discovery paves the way for large-scale hydrogen fuel manufacturing using water and sunlight.
A new study models technology complexity to predict rapid improvement. The researchers found that more complex systems change and improve slowly over time.
A study by MIT researchers found that remanufacturing products can be more energy-efficient in some cases, but new technology often cancels out savings. The team looked at life-cycle analysis and found that many remanufactured products are less energy-efficient due to newer versions being more efficient.
MIT physicists have discovered a new physical phenomenon that can greatly enhance capacitance in transistors, which may lead to increased clock speed and reduced heat. The discovery, reported in the journal Science, challenges existing understanding of physics and has potential implications for computer chip design.
A new computational model analyzes any type of complex network, revealing critical points for controlling the entire system. Researchers found sparse networks require more nodes to control, while dense networks need fewer. The algorithm offers potential applications in reprogramming adult cells and identifying new drug targets.
A new MIT study highlights the variability in greenhouse gas emissions from alternative fuels, suggesting that conventional fossil fuels may sometimes be a more environmentally friendly choice. The research found that different types of land used for biofuel production can result in varying levels of carbon dioxide emissions, with some...
A study by MIT researchers calculated the likelihood of a particular evolutionary adaptation reversing itself. They found that only a small percentage of evolutionary adaptations in drug-resistance genes can be reversed, but only if they involve fewer than four discrete genetic mutations.
A team of MIT chemical engineers has created a new detector that can pick up a single molecule of an explosive such as TNT, surpassing the sensitivity of existing explosives detectors. The sensor uses protein fragments to recognize nitro-aromatic compounds and can identify unique 'fingerprints' for different explosives.
Researchers at MIT have found a way to manipulate the electrical and thermal properties of materials by changing external conditions such as temperature. The technique can change electrical conductivity by over 100 times and heat conductivity by threefold, making it suitable for various applications including electronic circuitry and t...
Researchers at MIT have developed a new system for harnessing the sun's heat to generate electricity, producing power with an efficiency roughly eight times higher than previous devices. The system uses flat, stationary panels and eliminates the need for tracking systems, making it potentially less expensive to produce.
MIT scientists have designed a new type of nanoparticle that can target nearly any type of tumor by utilizing the acidic environment shared by most cancers. The particles are designed to break down in the slightly more acidic environment near a tumor, revealing another layer that can penetrate individual cells.
A team at MIT led by Mark Bathe has developed software to predict the three-dimensional shape of complex DNA structures, making it easier to create nanoassembly technology. This advancement enables biologists, chemists, and materials scientists to design and build intricate shapes using DNA without extensive expertise in DNA origami.
Researchers at MIT have developed a novel method to enhance solar-cell efficiency by utilizing viruses to assemble carbon nanotubes on a surface. This technique has shown significant improvements in power-conversion efficiency, with enhancements up to 10.6 percent.
MIT researchers develop new communications protocols using motion detection to improve handoffs, throughput and bit rate selection on wireless networks. Experiments show gains of up to 50% in network performance.
Researchers at MIT have created ultracold gas clouds that repel each other, unlike normal gases. This discovery could help explain the behavior of high-temperature superconductors and neutron stars.
Researchers at MIT have identified a genetic change that helps lung tumors metastasize, with reduced NKX2-1 activity associated with higher death rates for lung-cancer patients. Understanding this gene's role may help scientists develop drugs to counteract its loss.
A new microfluidic device, developed by MIT researchers, can detect single cancer cells in a blood sample and also identify viruses like HIV. This device has the potential to revolutionize cancer diagnosis and make it more accessible in developing countries.
Researchers at MIT have devised a new method to detect internal damage in airplane composite materials, allowing for faster inspection. The approach uses a handheld device and heat-sensitive camera to reveal underlying problems.
Researchers created a computational model that describes how intestinal cells in mice respond to TNF, revealing the importance of location and protein interactions in cell fate. The study demonstrates the power of systems biology in modeling complex biological systems and predicting disease outcomes.
Researchers at MIT have identified a single mutation in the H1N1 genetic makeup that would allow it to be much more easily transmitted between people. The finding should give the World Health Organization something to watch out for, as new strains of the virus may emerge with greater ability to infect humans.
Researchers at MIT propose an experiment using a large number of photons and beam splitters to calculate complex distributions. The challenge lies in simulating the sampling process, which is currently computationally intractable.
In people born blind, parts of the visual cortex are recruited for language processing, overturning the idea that language processing occurs in highly specialized brain regions. The study suggests that brain function is more dynamic and adaptable than previously thought.
MIT researchers discovered that ocean currents cause elongated microbes to filter light, affecting photosynthesis and phytoplankton growth rates. This phenomenon was previously overlooked in models of light propagation, but fluid flow can change things, influencing carbon fixation and remote sensing estimates.