Physics

A novel way to concentrate sun’s heatMIT researchers find a way to generate power without the usual mirror arrays.

The new NSE strategyStrengthens core, opens boundaries; seeks better integration of technical and societal issues.

Seeing cancer in three dimensionsScientists find that the 3-D structure of a cancer cell’s chromosomes plays a big role in which genes get deleted or copied.

Lucas Papademos ’70, SM ’72, PhD ’78 named prime minister of Greece

Shining brightlyVast amounts of solar energy radiate to the Earth constantly, but tapping that energy cost-effectively remains a challenge.

Where the wind blowsHow far can wind power go toward reducing global carbon emissions from electricity production?

What can make a dent?Given the enormous scale of worldwide energy use, there are limited options for achieving significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Graphene shows unusual thermoelectric response to lightFinding could lead to new photodetectors or energy-harvesting devices.

Adam Riess ’92 wins Nobel Prize for physicsMIT alum cited for studying the universe’s expansion.

Kord Smith brings 30 years of simulation insight to NSE

3 Questions: Faster than light?MIT physicist Peter Fisher answers questions about reports that experiments in Switzerland and Italy show neutrinos can break light’s speed limit.

Findings could lead to better hydrogen storageMIT-led research demonstrates method that could allow inexpensive carbon materials to store the volatile gas at room temperature.

‘I speak MISTI’MIT program sends students abroad for experiences tailor-made for their academic and professional interests.

Felix Parra returns to fusion program

Stellar eclipse gives glimpse of exoplanetNew data reveals a ‘super-Earth’ next door, astronomically speaking

Hippie daysHow a handful of countercultural scientists changed the course of physics in the 1970s and helped open up the frontier of quantum information.

New Endeavour for an MIT experimentSpace shuttle propels MIT-led Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station.

Spinning new materials in a threadNew technique could enable creation of a variety of fiber-based electronic and photonic devices.

A labor of loveWalter Lewin, acclaimed professor emeritus and Internet star, delivers one final lecture at MIT.

Toward faster transistorsMIT physicists discover a new physical phenomenon that could eventually lead to the first increases in computers’ clock speed since 2002.

Evolution, reversedPhysicists’ study of evolution in bacteria shows that adaptations can be undone, but rarely.

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

3 Questions: Why Richard Feynman’s lectures still mesmerizeMIT Professor Robert Jaffe reflects on Feynman’s classic lectures five decades later, as the videos are released online.

The bouncing gasClouds of gases that bounce off each other could help physicists model the behavior of high-temperature superconductors and other unusual materials.

Mahajan SB ’11 named Gates Cambridge Scholar

A celebration of women in science and engineeringSymposium highlights the work and accomplishments of women at MIT and beyond.

A new spin on superconductivity?Scientists produce a crystal that could help unlock the mystery of high-temperature superconductors.