MIT News - SciTechDaily

Deciphering Physics: How MIT Uses AI to Answer the Unanswerable

Adam Zewe, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Wed, 22 May 2024 16:03:58 +0000

A new machine-learning framework from MIT and the University of Basel that can automatically classify phases of physical systems could help scientists investigate novel materials....

Controversial Findings: Astrophysicists Rethink Solar Magnetic Fields

Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Wed, 22 May 2024 15:00:47 +0000

Solar phenomena like sunspots and flares could be a product of a shallow magnetic field, according to surprising new findings that may help scientists predict...

Trustnet Unveils a New Era in Decentralizing Online Fact-Checking

Adam Zewe, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Mon, 20 May 2024 06:05:59 +0000

Trustnet, a new browser extension, empowers users to flag and assess the accuracy of any content on any website, promoting a decentralized and user-driven approach...

Discover How MIT’s SuperLimbs Help Astronauts Stand Tall on the Moon

Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Sun, 19 May 2024 06:46:28 +0000

MIT’s SuperLimbs project aims to improve astronaut mobility on the moon with robotic limbs that help them stand after falls, enhancing safety and efficiency for...

MIT Researchers Identify Genetic Markers That Could Revolutionize ALS Treatment

Anne Trafton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Sat, 18 May 2024 10:35:25 +0000

In a study of cells from nearly 400 ALS patients, MIT researchers identified genomic regions with chemical modifications linked to disease progression. An analysis revealed...

Astronomers Discover Nearby Earth-Sized Planet With No Atmosphere

Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Fri, 17 May 2024 19:58:52 +0000

Astronomers have discovered a new Earth-sized planet, SPECULOOS-3b, orbiting a cold, Jupiter-sized star 55 light years away. Unlike Earth, this planet likely lacks an atmosphere...

Harnessing Biosorption: Turning Brewery Waste Into a Water Purification Powerhouse

Anne Trafton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Fri, 17 May 2024 15:02:56 +0000

A filter made from brewery waste yeast encapsulated in hydrogels can quickly absorb lead from contaminated water. Beer breweries generate and discard thousands of tons...

MIT Unveils Game-Changing Sensor for Toxic Gas Detection

David L. Chandler, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Fri, 17 May 2024 07:06:21 +0000

A breakthrough in gas detection technology at MIT combines high sensitivity and continuous monitoring. The material could be made as a thin coating to analyze...

MIT Engineers Create Game-Changing Lead Detection Device

David L. Chandler, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Fri, 17 May 2024 00:01:50 +0000

A new chip-scale device could provide sensitive detection of lead levels in drinking water, whose toxicity affects 240 million people worldwide. Engineers at MIT and...

How Game Theory Is Making AI Smarter

Rachel Gordon, MIT CSAIL — Thu, 16 May 2024 15:57:23 +0000

MIT CSAIL researchers have developed a new “consensus game” that elevates AI’s text comprehension and generation skills. MIT’s “consensus game” improves AI text generation using...

Hidden in the Halo: MIT Researchers Discover the Universe’s Oldest Stars

Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Thu, 16 May 2024 12:27:02 +0000

Astronomers discovered three ancient stars circling the Milky Way’s halo, formed 12-13 billion years ago. MIT researchers have discovered three of the oldest stars in...

Super Fluffy “Cotton Candy” Exoplanet Discovery Shocks Scientists – “We Cannot Explain How This Planet Formed”

Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Thu, 16 May 2024 02:49:21 +0000

Astronomers have discovered an enormous, low-density planet named WASP-193b, which is 50% larger than Jupiter but has a cotton candy-like density. This finding challenges current...

Quantum Breakthrough As MIT Achieves Unprecedented Atomic Proximity

Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Sun, 12 May 2024 21:44:42 +0000

The technique opens possibilities for exploring exotic states of matter and building new quantum materials. Proximity is key for many quantum phenomena, as interactions between...

MIT’s New MRI Technique Reveals Hidden Light Deep in the Brain

Anne Trafton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Fri, 10 May 2024 14:05:04 +0000

A novel MRI technique developed at MIT allows for detailed imaging of bioluminescence deep within the brain, offering new insights into how brain cells develop...

Microneedle Magic: New Alopecia Treatment Can Reverse Hair Loss

Anne Trafton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Thu, 09 May 2024 06:13:23 +0000

A new microneedle patch effectively treats alopecia areata by rebalancing the immune response locally, promoting hair regrowth and reducing inflammation without systemic side effects. Researchers...

MIT Uncovers Photomolecular Effect: Light Can Vaporize Water Without Heat

David L. Chandler, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Sun, 05 May 2024 02:13:05 +0000

MIT researchers have uncovered that light can induce evaporation, not just heat, demonstrating this across various natural and synthetic water surfaces. This discovery could impact...

How MIT Is Redefining Quantum Computing With New Entanglement Control

Adam Zewe, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Sun, 05 May 2024 00:20:05 +0000

The advance offers a way to characterize a fundamental resource needed for quantum computing. Entanglement is a form of correlation between quantum objects, such as...

Cosmic Revelation: MIT Uncovers a New Space Molecule

Danielle Randall Doughty, MIT Department of Chemistry — Sat, 04 May 2024 16:33:25 +0000

MIT’s discovery of 2-methoxyethanol in space reveals new insights into the development of molecular complexity in space during star formation. New research from the group...

When Antibiotics Fail: MIT Scientists Use AI To Target “Sleeper” Bacteria

Alex Ouyang, Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health — Fri, 03 May 2024 15:55:57 +0000

Most antibiotics target metabolically active bacteria, but with artificial intelligence, researchers can efficiently screen compounds that are lethal to dormant microbes. Since the 1970s, modern...

Unlocking Medical Mysteries: Tyche AI’s Revolutionary Insight Into Ambiguity

Adam Zewe, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Thu, 02 May 2024 00:08:24 +0000

By providing plausible label maps for one medical image, the Tyche machine-learning model could help clinicians and researchers capture crucial information. In biomedicine, segmentation involves...

From Theory to Therapy: MIT’s Computational Breakthrough in Protein Optimization

Anne Trafton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 10:40:11 +0000

MIT researchers plan to search for proteins that could be used to measure electrical activity in the brain. To engineer proteins with useful functions, researchers...

How mRNA Is Rewriting the Rules of Cancer Treatment

Zach Winn, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 21:24:06 +0000

MIT spinout Strand Therapeutics has developed a new class of mRNA molecules that can sense where they are in the body, for more targeted and...

Mastering the Mind: Brain Wave Beta Bursts and Their Role in Cognitive Control

Picower Institute at MIT — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 14:30:58 +0000

Bursts of brain rhythms with “beta” frequencies control where and when neurons in the cortex process sensory information and plan responses. Studying these bursts would...

How a New 3D Printer Automatically Masters Diverse Sustainable Materials

Adam Zewe, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 10:06:45 +0000

The advance could help make 3D printing more sustainable, enabling printing with renewable or recyclable materials that are difficult to characterize. While 3D printing has...