Mathematics

Explained: SigmaHow do you know when a new finding is significant? The sigma value can tell you — but watch out for dead fish.

Revealing how a battery material worksMIT team uncovers a reason why the hottest new material for rechargeable batteries works so well.

Speed limit for birdsMIT researchers find critical speed above which birds — and drones — are sure to crash.

Researchers link patterns seen in spider silk, melodiesAnalogy could help engineers develop materials that make use of repeating patterns.

Sal Khan to deliver 2012 Commencement addressOnline-education pioneer, MIT alumnus to speak to the Class of 2012 on June 8.

Double dutyA computational biologist and physician, Collin Stultz takes a unique approach to studying diseases that could lead to new treatments.

BLOSSOMS announces new contestStudents invited to create new videos for high school math classes.

Sugar high for beesBees, and similar nectar feeders, get sweeter juice with dipping tongues.

In the World: Murmurs of MayanMIT undergraduate travels to Mexico in hopes of documenting and preserving ancient linguistic phenomena — and the culture behind them.

World-class research … in the 10th gradeHigh school students spend a year investigating advanced research topics with MIT faculty.

MIT announces Professor Gilbert Strang as first MathWorks Professor of MathematicsEndowment underscores value commercial industry places on science, technology, engineering and mathematics education

MIT hosts Math Prize for GirlsMore than 250 high school girls converge on campus for competition and community.

Celebrating the life of Nicolas E. Del CastilloDeceased MIT sophomore was a hardworking, caring student who will be remembered for his strong intellect and character.

Sharing wisdom, teacher to teacherMIT math instructors have developed a tool to help educators get to ‘best practices’ and preserve them for posterity.

MIT senior wins prestigious Marshall ScholarshipNathaniel Thomas is Britain-bound on a two-year graduate scholarship.

New American Academy of Arts and Sciences fellows include 4 from MITGates, Page, Shor and Stewart among 212 new members.

Mahajan SB ’11 named Gates Cambridge Scholar

MISTI sends more than 50 students abroad over IAPTake on real-world challenges in places such as Mexico, Germany and France

Reflections on decade of open sharing: A new generation of web resourcesMathematics professor Gilbert Strang looks back at OCW 10 years later.

How wise are crowds?By melding economics and engineering, researchers show that as social networks get larger, they usually get better at sorting fact from fiction.

The surprising physics of cats’ drinkingA new study reveals that even the way cats lap up liquid displays the perfect balance for which they’re known.

7 win presidential early career honorsMIT has greatest number of recipients from a single institution.

A decade of OCW benefits: Drawing talent to MITOpenCourseWare gives student confidence that he can work at the MIT level.

Can fluid dynamics offer insights into quantum mechanics?Experiments in which fluid droplets mimic the odd behavior of subatomic particles recall an abandoned interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Galileo revisited: How ribbons rollIn a twist on a classic experiment, MIT researchers discover how flexible cylinders behave when rolling down a slope.