Research

New algorithm unlocks high-resolution insights for computer vision
New algorithm unlocks high-resolution insights for computer vision Imagine yourself glancing at a busy street for a few moments, then trying to sketch the scene you saw from memory. Most people could draw the rough positions of the major objects like cars, people, an ...
Five MIT faculty members take on Cancer Grand Challenges
Five MIT faculty members take on Cancer Grand Challenges Cancer Grand Challenges recently announced five winning teams for 2024, which included five researchers from MIT: Michael Birnbaum, Regina Barzilay, Brandon DeKosky, Seychelle Vos, and Ömer Yilmaz. Ea ...
Study finds lands used for grazing can worsen or help climate change
Study finds lands used for grazing can worsen or help climate change When it comes to global climate change, livestock grazing can be either a blessing or a curse, according to a new study, which offers clues on how to tell the difference.
If managed properly, the s ...
Researchers help robots navigate efficiently in uncertain environments
Researchers help robots navigate efficiently in uncertain environments If a robot traveling to a destination has just two possible paths, it needs only to compare the routes’ travel time and probability of success. But if the robot is traversing a complex environment wit ...
Study finds workers misjudge wage markets
Study finds workers misjudge wage markets Many employees believe their counterparts at other firms make less in salary than is actually the case — an assumption that costs them money, according to a study co-authored by MIT scholars.
“Work ...
A sprayable gel could make minimally invasive surgeries simpler and safer
A sprayable gel could make minimally invasive surgeries simpler and safer More than 20 million Americans undergo colonoscopy screenings every year, and in many of those cases, doctors end up removing polyps that are 2 cm or larger and require additional care. This procedure ...
Scientists develop a rapid gene-editing screen to find effects of cancer mutations
Scientists develop a rapid gene-editing screen to find effects of cancer mutations Tumors can carry mutations in hundreds of different genes, and each of those genes may be mutated in different ways — some mutations simply replace one DNA nucleotide with another, while others insert ...
Reducing pesticide use while increasing effectiveness
Reducing pesticide use while increasing effectiveness Farming can be a low-margin, high-risk business, subject to weather and climate patterns, insect population cycles, and other unpredictable factors. Farmers need to be savvy managers of the many resou ...
Exploring the cellular neighborhood
Exploring the cellular neighborhood Cells rely on complex molecular machines composed of protein assemblies to perform essential functions such as energy production, gene expression, and protein synthesis. To better understand how these ...
Cutting carbon emissions on the US power grid
Cutting carbon emissions on the US power grid To help curb climate change, the United States is working to reduce carbon emissions from all sectors of the energy economy. Much of the current effort involves electrification — switching to electric ...
A new sensor detects harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water
A new sensor detects harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water MIT chemists have designed a sensor that detects tiny quantities of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — chemicals found in food packaging, nonstick cookware, and many other consumer ...
For people who speak many languages, there’s something special about their native tongue
For people who speak many languages, there’s something special about their native tongue A new study of people who speak many languages has found that there is something special about how the brain processes their native language.
In the brains of these polyglots — people who speak five ...
Researchers enhance peripheral vision in AI models
Researchers enhance peripheral vision in AI models Peripheral vision enables humans to see shapes that aren’t directly in our line of sight, albeit with less detail. This ability expands our field of vision and can be helpful in many situations, such ...
How sensory gamma rhythm stimulation clears amyloid in Alzheimer’s mice
How sensory gamma rhythm stimulation clears amyloid in Alzheimer’s mice Studies at MIT and elsewhere are producing mounting evidence that light flickering and sound clicking at the gamma brain rhythm frequency of 40 hertz (Hz) can reduce Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progressi ...
How the brain coordinates speaking and breathing
How the brain coordinates speaking and breathing MIT researchers have discovered a brain circuit that drives vocalization and ensures that you talk only when you breathe out, and stop talking when you breathe in.
The newly discovered circuit contro ...
Method rapidly verifies that a robot will avoid collisions
Method rapidly verifies that a robot will avoid collisions Before a robot can grab dishes off a shelf to set the table, it must ensure its gripper and arm won’t crash into anything and potentially shatter the fine china. As part of its motion planning process ...
Deciphering the cellular mechanisms behind ALS
Deciphering the cellular mechanisms behind ALS At a time in which scientific research is increasingly cross-disciplinary, Ernest Fraenkel, the Grover M. Hermann Professor in Health Sciences and Technology in MIT’s Department of Biological Engineer ...
MIT scientists use a new type of nanoparticle to make vaccines more powerful
MIT scientists use a new type of nanoparticle to make vaccines more powerful Many vaccines, including vaccines for hepatitis B and whooping cough, consist of fragments of viral or bacterial proteins. These vaccines often include other molecules called adjuvants, which help to ...
A noninvasive treatment for “chemo brain”
A noninvasive treatment for “chemo brain” Patients undergoing chemotherapy often experience cognitive effects such as memory impairment and difficulty concentrating — a condition commonly known as “chemo brain.”
MIT researchers have now show ...
Using generative AI to improve software testing
Using generative AI to improve software testing Generative AI is getting plenty of attention for its ability to create text and images. But those media represent only a fraction of the data that proliferate in our society today. Data are generated ...

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