Content by Jennifer Chu
Astronomers Pin Down the Origins of a Planetary Odd CoupleNew measurements of a hot Jupiter and its mini-Neptune companion suggest both planets formed far away from host star
Mon, 05/18/2026 - 12:02
(MIT News: Cambridge, MA ) -- Across the Milky Way galaxy, a planetary odd couple is circling a star some 190 light years from Earth. A normally “lonely” hot Jupiter is sharing space with a mini-Neptune in a rare and unlikely pairing that’s had…
Physicists Zero in on the Mass of the Fundamental W Boson ParticleThe team’s ultraprecise measurement confirms the Standard Model’s predictions
Wed, 04/22/2026 - 12:01
When fundamental particles are heavier or lighter than expected, physicists’ understanding of the universe can tip into the unknown. A particle that’s just beyond its predicted mass can unravel scientists’ assumptions about the forces that make up…
Wristband Enables Wearers to Control a Robotic Hand With Their Own MovementsUsers can direct a robot to play piano, shoot hoops, or manipulate objects
Thu, 04/09/2026 - 12:03
The next time you’re scrolling your phone, take a moment to appreciate the feat: This seemingly mundane act is possible thanks to the coordination of 34 muscles, 27 joints, and more than 100 tendons and ligaments in your hand. Indeed, our hands are…
Finding Bias, Moods, Personalities, and Concepts Hidden in Large Language ModelsNew method at MIT could root out vulnerabilities and improve safety and performance
Mon, 03/23/2026 - 12:03
By now, ChatGPT, Claude, and other large language models (LLMs) have accumulated so much human knowledge that they’re far from simple answer generators; they can also express abstract concepts, such as certain tones, personalities, biases, and moods…
‘Seating Chart’ for Atoms Helps Locate Their Positions in Materials The DIGIT imaging tool could enable the design of quantum devices
Wed, 11/12/2025 - 12:01
(MIT: Cambridge, MA) -- If you think of a single atom as a grain of sand, then a wavelength of visible light—which is a thousand times larger than the atom’s width—is comparable to an ocean wave. The light wave can dwarf an atom, missing it entirely…
Palladium Filters Could Help Generate Cheaper, More Efficient Hydrogen FuelNovel design enables palladium membranes to withstand high temperatures as hydrogen is separated from gas mixtures
Mon, 10/27/2025 - 12:02
Palladium is a key to jumpstarting a hydrogen-based energy economy. The silvery metal acts as a natural gatekeeper against every gas except hydrogen, which it readily allows through. For its exceptional selectivity, palladium is considered one of…
New 3D-Printing Method Enables Complex Designs, Creates Less WasteMIT engineers developed a technique for making intricate structures with supports that can be dissolved and reused
Tue, 06/24/2025 - 12:02
Hearing aids, mouth guards, dental implants, and other highly tailored structures are often products of 3D printing. These structures are typically made via vat photopolymerization—a form of 3D printing that uses patterns of light to shape and…
MIT Engineers Print Synthetic ‘Metamaterials’ That Are Strong, StretchyNew method could use ceramics, glass, and metals for tear-proof textiles or stretchy semiconductors
Tue, 06/03/2025 - 12:02
In metamaterials design, the name of the game has long been “stronger is better.” Metamaterials are synthetic materials with microscopic structures that give the overall material exceptional properties. A huge focus has been in designing…
Robotic System Zeroes in on Objects Most Relevant for Helping HumansA new approach could enable intuitive robotic helpers for household, workplace, and warehouse settings
Wed, 05/28/2025 - 12:03
For a robot, the real world is a lot to take in. Making sense of every data point in a scene can take a huge amount of computational effort and time. Using that information to then decide how to best help a human is an even thornier exercise. Now,…
Artificial Muscle Flexes in Multiple Directions, Offering a Path to Soft, Wiggly RobotsProducing artificial tissues that look and act like their natural counterparts
Wed, 04/02/2025 - 12:02
(MIT: Cambridge, MA) -- We move thanks to coordination among many skeletal muscle fibers, all twitching and pulling in sync. While some muscles align in one direction, others form intricate patterns, helping parts of the body move in multiple ways…