news

New model of disease contagion ranks U.S. airports in terms of their spreading influenceAirports in New York, Los Angeles and Honolulu are judged likeliest to play a significant role in the growth of a pandemic.

River networks on Titan point to a puzzling geologic historyFindings suggest the surface of Saturn’s largest moon may have undergone a recent transformation.

Research update: Chips with self-assembling rectanglesNew technique allows production of complex microchip structures in one self-assembling step.

Dripping faucets inspire new way of creating structured particlesResearchers find new method for making spherical particles, from nanoscale to pinhead-sized — including complex beach-ball-like shapes.

Autonomous robot scans ship hulls for minesAlgorithms enable robot to navigate and view propellers and other complex structures.

Lessons learned from MITx’s prototype courseAs the team behind MIT’s ambitious online learning program gears up to introduce new courses in the fall, it takes stock of its initial experiences.

Mechanical engineers develop an ‘intelligent co-pilot’ for carsSemiautonomous system takes the wheel to keep drivers safe.

Glasses-free 3-D TV looks nearerA new method for producing multiple-perspective 3-D images could prove more practical in the short term than holography.

New drug candidate shows promise against cancerPlatinum compound may offer an alternative to cisplatin, a widely used chemotherapy agent.

Searching genomic data fasterBiologists’ capacity for generating genomic data is increasing more rapidly than computing power. A new algorithm will help them keep up.

Nutrient mixture improves memory in patients with early Alzheimer’sIn clinical trial, mixture developed at MIT appears to help overcome loss of connections between brain cells.

New chip captures power from multiple sourcesSystem developed at MIT could combine power harvested from light, heat and vibrations to run monitoring systems.

Researchers explain how dye-based nanotubes can help harvest light’s energyTiny cylinders help reveal how natural-light-harvesting antennae collect light with exceptional efficiency.

Sharing data links in networks of carsA new algorithm lets networks of Wi-Fi-connected cars, whose layout is constantly changing, share a few expensive links to the Internet.

3 Questions: Physicist Christoph Paus discusses newly discovered particleDozens of MIT physicists were part of the team that found what might be the Higgs boson. What does their discovery mean, and what’s next for particle physics?

CERN announces observation of new particle consistent with long-sought Higgs bosonDozens of MIT researchers contribute to breakthrough in particle physics.

Genetic 911: Cells’ emergency systems revealedStudy examines how cells exploit gene sequences to cope with toxic stress.

Book details a new model for sharing waterSure, water is in great demand — but that doesn’t mean supply is a zero-sum game among neighboring countries, an MIT professor says in a new book.

A new approach to water desalinationGraphene sheets with precisely controlled pores have potential to purify water more efficiently than existing methods.

Explained: Near-miss asteroidsWhat to do in the event of an asteroid streaking toward Earth? Activate the asteroid ‘fire drill.’