Author Archives: jason
Why solid-state batteries keep short-circuiting
Batteries that use solid metal as their charge-carrying electrolyte could potentially be a safer and far more energy-dense alternative to lithium-ion batteries. However, these solid-state batteries have been…
QS World University Rankings rates MIT No. 1 in 12 subjects for 2026
QS World University Rankings has placed MIT in the No. 1 spot in 12 subject areas for 2026, the organization announced today.The Institute received a No. 1 ranking…
Frances Ross is elected to the National Academy of Engineering
Frances Ross, the TDK Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering’s Class of 2026. Ross is renowned as a pioneer…
MIT Technology Review: AI-driven labs aim to accelerate materials discovery
Lila Sciences, a startup co-founded by Rafael Gómez-Bombarelli, is at the forefront of efforts to use AI-directed, automated laboratories to plan, run, and analyze experiments—aiming to dramatically accelerate…
DMSE senior turns fish scales into biodegradable plastic
Sometimes the answers to seemingly intractable environmental problems are found in nature itself. Take the growing challenge of plastic waste. Jacqueline Prawira, a senior in the Department of Materials…
New approach could be key to faster, more energy-efficient computing and communications
The future of digital computing and communications will involve both electronics—manipulating data with electricity—and photonics, or doing the same with light. Together the two could allow exponentially more…
New system dramatically speeds the search for polymer materials
Scientists often seek new materials derived from polymers. Rather than starting a polymer search from scratch, they save time and money by blending existing polymers to achieve desired…
WISDOM project to give machines humanlike vision
The Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) has launched WISDOM, a new research group developing advanced 3D-sensing technologies for use in industries from automotive to health care.
Solid-state batteries still face hurdles but the prize is huge for EVs
Professor Emeritus Donald Sadoway speaks with Forbes reporter Neil Winton about the development of solid-state batteries and the future of electric vehicles. “Yes, in 2035 the U.S. the automobile market…
The 2025 Tech Power Players in the energy sector
The Boston Globe has named Professor Yet-Ming Chiang a 2025 Tech Power Player in the energy sector—his third time on the list. A pioneer in advanced materials for…