Jennifer Chu

Geologists uncovered ancient rocks in Greenland that bear the oldest remnants of Earth’s early magnetic field. The results potentially extend the age of the Earth’s magnetic field by hundreds of millions of years, and may shed light on the planet’s early conditions that helped life take hold.

In an approach they call “nanostitching,” MIT engineers used carbon nanotubes to prevent cracking in multilayered composites. The advance could lead to next-generation airplanes and spacecraft.

One of the biggest revelations from the MIT physicist Netta Engelhardt’s work is that information that falls into a black hole isn’t necessarily lost forever. She is now tackling other questions about gravity, hoping to fill the last, largest gaps in physicists’ understanding of the universe at the most fundamental scales.

MIT engineers designed modular, spring-like devices to maximize the work of live muscle fibers so they can be harnessed to power biohybrid robots. The work was led by Assistant Professor Ritu Raman.

MIT Haystack Observatory scientists aim to study the April 8 solar eclipse with four different instruments. Their observations will help scientists understand how the atmosphere reacts to sudden changes in solar radiation, such as solar storms and flares.

A previously quiet black hole at the center of a distant galaxy has suddenly erupted, giving off plumes of gas every 8.5 days. These “hiccups” suggest black hole accretion disks may be more varied than previously thought, possibly containing other black holes, and even entire stars.

MIT engineers designed an “architected” reef that can mimic the wave-buffering effects of natural reefs while providing pockets for marine life. The sustainable and cost-saving structure could dissipate more than 95 percent of incoming wave energy using a small fraction of the material normally needed.

MIT researchers developed a method to improve predictions from large-scale climate models. When paired with smaller-scale models to predict specific weather events such as tropical cyclones or floods, the approach produced more accurate predictions for how often specific locations will experience those events over the next few decades.

MIT engineers aim to give robots a bit of common sense when faced with situations that push them off their trained path, so they can self-correct after missteps and carry on with their chores. The team’s method connects robot motion data with the common sense knowledge of large language models, or LLMs.

A new study finds that 19 amino acids essential to life on Earth are stable for up to four weeks when placed in vials of sulfuric acid at concentrations similar to those in Venus’ clouds.

MIT Associate Professor Jeehwan Kim aims to push electronics past silicon, whose performance faces limits as more computing power is packed into ever-smaller devices. His group is exploring materials, devices, and systems that could take over where silicon leaves off.

MIT geologists determined the original orientation of many of the Mars bedrock samples collected by the Perseverance rover. The findings can give scientists clues to the conditions in which the rocks originally formed.

MIT physicists have observed fractional quantum Hall effect in simple pentalayer graphene. The finding could make it easier to develop more robust quantum computers.

A new method can remotely map crop types in low- or middle-income countries where agricultural data are sparse. The maps will help scientists and policymakers track global food supplies and estimate how they might shift with climate change and growing populations.

A small ultrasound sticker, worn on the skin, can monitor the stiffness of organs deep inside the body. The MIT-developed sensor could detect signs of disease such as liver and kidney failure, and the progression of solid tumors.

For the first time, MIT physicists have captured direct images of “second sound,” the movement of heat sloshing back and forth within a superfluid. The results will expand scientists’ understanding of heat flow in superconductors and neutron stars.

MIT scientists have identified 18 new tidal disruption events (TDEs) — extreme instances when a nearby star is tidally drawn into a black hole and ripped to shreds. The detections more than double the number of known TDEs in the nearby universe.

MIT engineers developed a way to quickly test metamaterial architectures and their resilience to supersonic impacts. They plan to use it to identify new metamaterial designs that could form the basis for stronger and lighter protective gear, garments, coatings, and paneling.

MIT physicists discovered stars near the edge of the Milky Way travel more slowly than those closer to its center — a surprise suggesting our galaxy’s gravitational core may have less dark matter than previously thought.

An MIT model predicts how shoe properties will affect a runner’s performance. The model could be a tool for designers looking to push the boundaries of sneaker design.