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3 Questions: Charles Stewart sizes up the 2012 electionMIT political scientist and voting expert weighs in on the state of the presidential campaign, the shifting demographics of America, and the tossup U.S. Senate races.

‘Invisibility’ could be a key to better electronicsMIT team applies technology developed for visual ‘cloaking’ to enable more efficient transfer of electrons.

MIT alums recount their Martian experiencesSeveral AeroAstro alumni return to campus to describe landing the Curiosity rover on Mars.

Scientists find first evidence of dynamo generation on an asteroidA meteorite found in Antarctica holds evidence of a once-active dynamo on Vesta.

Explaining the origins of word order using information theoryResearchers believe that information theory — the discipline that gave us digital communication — can explain differences between human languages.

Profile: Ju Li explores new nanomaterialsWorking from the scale of atoms on up, he designs materials for future energy applications.

How cancer cells break free from tumorsNew MIT study identifies adhesion molecules key to cancer’s spread through the body.

Presidential campaigns offer energetic energy debate at MITRepresentatives of Obama, Romney camps lay out differences in crucial policy domains of energy and the environment.

Drawing a line, with carbon nanotubesNew low-cost, durable carbon nanotube sensors can be etched with mechanical pencils.

New technique reveals lithium in actionFundamental reactions behind advanced battery technology, revealed in detail by advanced imaging method, could lead to improved materials.

MIT team builds most complex synthetic biology circuit yetNew sensor can detect four different molecules, could be used to program cells to precisely monitor their environments.

What number is halfway between 1 and 9? Is it 5 — or 3?A new information-theoretical model of human sensory perception and memory sheds light on some peculiarities of the nervous system.

Smoother dashboard typefaces might enhance driver safetyAgeLab study suggests ‘humanist’ lettering style is easier for drivers to read quickly.

How better financing could help create new cancer drugsMIT finance researchers say a diversified ‘megafund’ of securities could help the industry deliver new products to consumers.

The mathematics of leaf decayA mathematical model reveals commonality within the diversity of leaf decay.

Department snapshot: Aeronautics and AstronauticsAeroAstro takes off in new directions — prompting a 50 percent spike in new undergraduate enrollments.

Too much information?MIT Sloan marketing professor Catherine Tucker analyzes the boundaries of privacy in a connected world.

Women’s impact in clean energy is growing worldwideMIT symposium highlights women’s increasing leadership in energy research, industry and government.

Probing the mysteries of cracks and stressesAnalysis of molecular-level fracture and stress mechanisms could have broad implications for understanding materials’ behavior.

Measuring the universe’s ‘exit door’For the first time, an international team has measured the radius of a black hole.