MIT Develops Nontoxic Alternative to Water-Repellent Coatings
Fabrics that resist water are essential for everything from rainwear to military tents, but conventional water-repellent coatings have been shown to persist in the environment…
MIT
Neuroscientists Discover Fundamental Rule of Brain Plasticity
Our brains are famously flexible, or “plastic,” because neurons can do new things by forging new or stronger connections with other neurons. But if some…
Scientists Report Discovery of Nearly 80 New Planetary Candidates
Scientists at MIT and elsewhere have analyzed data from K2, the follow-up mission to NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope, and have discovered a trove of possible…
New Low-Power Chip Will Help Miniature Drones Navigate
Researchers at MIT, who last year designed a tiny computer chip tailored to help honeybee-sized drones navigate, have now shrunk their chip design even further,…
MIT Engineers Develop a Smart Power Outlet
Have you ever plugged in a vacuum cleaner, only to have it turn off without warning before the job is done? Or perhaps your desk…
Machine-Learning Algorithm Compares 3D Scans Up To 1,000 Times Faster
Medical image registration is a common technique that involves overlaying two images, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, to compare and analyze anatomical differences…
Engineers Configure RFID Tags to Work as Sensors
These days, many retailers and manufacturers are tracking their products using RFID, or radio-frequency identification tags. Often, these tags come in the form of paper-based…
Graphene Bolometer is Faster, Simpler and Covers More Wavelengths
Bolometers, devices that monitor electromagnetic radiation through heating of an absorbing material, are used by astronomers and homeowners alike. But most such devices have limited…
Engineers Develop a Probiotic Mix of Bacteria to Treat Cholera
MIT engineers have developed a probiotic mix of natural and engineered bacteria to diagnose and treat cholera, an intestinal infection that causes severe dehydration. Cholera…
“Therepi” Device Enables Direct Delivery of Medicine to the Heart
“Therepi” device attaches directly to damaged heart, enabling delivery of medicine from a port under a patient’s skin to augment cardiac function. After a patient…
Engineers Develop New System to Provide Low-Cost Drinking Water
Technology captures water evaporating from cooling towers; prototype to be installed on MIT’s Central Utility Plant. A new system devised by MIT engineers could provide…
Engineers Enhance the Interactions Between Light and Matter
A new way of enhancing the interactions between light and matter, developed by researchers at MIT and Israel’s Technion, could someday lead to more efficient…
Researchers Develop a Wireless Way to Power Human Implants
MIT researchers, working with scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, have developed a new way to power and communicate with devices implanted deep within the…
Neuroscientists Link APOE4 Gene to Alzheimer’s
People with a gene variant called APOE4 have a higher risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease: APOE4 is three times more common among Alzheimer’s patients…
New Nanoparticles Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier and Shrink Glioblastoma Tumors
Nanoparticles carrying two drugs can cross the blood-brain barrier and shrink glioblastoma tumors. Glioblastoma multiforme, a type of brain tumor, is one of the most…
MIT Engineers Reveal the Intricacies of a Splashing Droplet
As a single raindrop falls to the ground, it can splash back up in a crown-like sheet, spraying smaller droplets from its rim before sinking…
MIT Engineers Develop Autonomous Glider That Can Fly and Sail
MIT engineers have designed a robotic glider that can skim along the water’s surface, riding the wind like an albatross while also surfing the waves…
New Approach Helps Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Explore
Observing the world’s oceans is increasingly a mission assigned to autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) — marine robots that are designed to drift, drive, or glide…