Archive
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Building foundations that last
How do you build something that lasts? For MIT Assistant Professor Iwnetim “Tim” Abate, the answer is the same whether he’s reimagining how the materials beneath our feet…
Paving the way for greener ammonia production
Ammonia is one of the most important chemicals produced in the world, ranking second only to sulfuric acid in the total volume produced each year. It is used…
Q&A: Rethinking how innovation happens
“The Invisible Engine: Why Innovation Evades Control” examines how innovation unfolds in the real world — and how society should invest in it. Innovation is a concept that…
MIT researchers advance toward greater bandwidth, more energy-efficient communications
An MIT-led research program aimed at creating future microsystems capable of sustainably transmitting data with greater bandwidth and higher efficiency than is possible today has made several significant…
New ideas for preventing complications during pregnancy
At some point during pregnancy, an expectant mother might sense that her fetus is moving less than it had been—a warning sign that something could be amiss.Concerned, she…
Steel developed at MIT is key to Formula One, Baja 1000, and MIT Motorsports
A high-performance steel with MIT origins has come full circle. After proving its worth in Formula One and Baja 1000 race cars, the computationally designed material has now been…
Researchers “reprogram” materials by quickly rearranging their atoms
It’s been 37 years since scientists first demonstrated the ability to move single atoms, suggesting the possibility of designing materials atom by atom to customize their properties. Today there…
Solving hard problems in soft electronics
A crepe cake.That’s how Camille Cunin describes the polymer-metal “sandwiches” that became a highlight of her doctoral thesis at MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE). Over…
The hidden structure behind a widely used class of materials
Materials called relaxor ferroelectrics have been used for decades in technologies like ultrasounds, microphones, and sonar systems. Their unique properties come from their atomic structure, but that structure…
An engineer’s guide to birds
Feathers give birds their dazzling colors. They repel water and trap heat, keeping them warm and dry. They can even stifle sound, allowing species such as owls to…