Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)

Faster websites, more reliable dataWeb servers that store data locally save time on database searches but sometimes serve up obsolete results. A new system solves that problem.

Why telecom regulation needs to changeResearch suggests that the approach that worked with a few large companies with aligned interests needs revisiting in the Internet age.

First improvement of fundamental algorithm in 10 yearsThe max-flow problem, which is ubiquitous in network analysis, scheduling, and logistics, can now be solved more efficiently than ever.

In the World: Health care in the palm of a handMIT-led student team develops mobile-device software to help improve health-care accessibility in remote regions.

3 Questions: Nicholas Roy on deploying drones in U.S. skiesMIT robotics expert discusses the logistical hurdles of regulating unmanned aircraft for civilian use.

Rick Cory named Boeing Engineering Student of the Year

A plane that lands like a birdAn innovative control system allows a foam glider to touch down on a perch or a wire like a pet parakeet.

Broadband picture may not be so bleakA new study disputes the claim that Internet data rates in the U.S. are only half as high as advertised; study’s authors call for better data.

Computer automatically deciphers ancient languageA new system that took a couple hours to decipher much of the ancient language Ugaritic could help improve online translation software.

Toward the Semantic WebA new standard from the World Wide Web Consortium brings the Web a step closer to realizing the vision of its inventor, Tim Berners-Lee.

How the brain recognizes objectsA new computational model sheds light on the workings of the human visual system and could help advance artificial-intelligence research, too.

Gesture-based computing on the cheapWith a single piece of inexpensive hardware — a multicolored glove — MIT researchers are making Minority Report-style interfaces more accessible.

Rivest wins faculty’s Killian AwardMIT encryption pioneer recognized for ‘extraordinary’ contributions in computer science

Machines that learn betterNew math will make it much easier to build machine-learning systems that tackle a wider range of problems.

When good enough is betterBy exploiting a simple but counterintuitive trick, a new system finds sections of computer programs where accuracy can be traded for speed.

Drug discovery, Netflix style?MIT researchers apply ranking algorithms to pharmaceutical R&D.

In Profile: Missy CummingsFormer U.S. Naval fighter pilot aims to improve how humans and computers interact.

Web sites that can take a punchBy preventing web applications from deviating from their normal behavior, a new MIT system can keep them online even during a cyberattack.

Context is ev … well, something, anywayMIT research uses information about how frequently objects are seen together to refine the conclusions of object recognition systems.

Explained: Linear and nonlinear systemsMuch scientific research across a range of disciplines tries to find linear approximations of nonlinear behaviors. But what does that mean?

Sketch-interpreting softwareA new system that lets people enter data into a tablet computer simply by drawing diagrams on the screen could lead to interactive whiteboards.

At Davos, MIT faculty discuss the nature of intelligenceVideos available of professors' presentations at World Economic Forum

Picture-driven computingNew research could enable computer programming based on screen shots, not just code

Putting the squeeze on dataIn work that could make it easier to handle huge data sets, MIT researchers improve data compression's fidelity without sacrificing speed

Rethinking artificial intelligenceBroad-based MIT project aims to reinvent AI for a new era. By going back and fixing mistakes, researchers hope to produce ‘co-processors’ for the human mind.

Flight of fancyUsing an autonomous mini-helicopter, an MIT team stunned the Association for Unmanned Vehicles International by solving one of its notoriously tough challenges on the first try.

Cryptographic voting debutsA new system for ensuring accurate election tallies, which MIT researchers helped to develop, passed its first real-world test last Tuesday.