Jennifer Chu

New research shows that a neutrino laser, which physicists had earlier proposed might be a viable technology, is in fact impossible.

MIT engineers developed a tool that predicts plausible extreme events and worst-case scenarios, such as an extreme storm’s likely duration, intensity, and area of impact. Importantly, the model doesn’t need to know about previous extreme events in order to generate plausible future extreme events.

MIT researchers developed a more intuitive system for operating excavator machines, a skill that takes years to master. The new technology could speed up the learning curve for operators and offer new ways to control an excavator on-site or remotely.

MIT researchers discovered that as epithelial cells migrate in the body, they synchronize and pulse together. This cellular dance could yield clues to the development of cancer, asthma, and other diseases.

Astronomers have discovered a “black hole star,” an extremely bright red spot in the early universe that appears to be a new type of astrophysical object. It resembles an enormous star, but its energy production is closer to what a black hole might generate.

The Human-Environment Connection and Interaction Atlas (HECIA) is a tool for designing habitats in space and other extreme environments, where crews can not just survive but thrive. Users can explore the relationships between aspects of a habitat’s design and an inhabitant’s mental, emotional, and social wellbeing.

MIT physicists shed light on how different phases of electron behavior can emerge and coexist in the same quantum material. The findings could help engineers control electronic behavior and design high-performance quantum devices.

MIT engineers hope to cut down on the world’s growing mountain of textile waste with their new recyclable elastic yarn. Made from polyethylene, the yarn has the strength and flexibility of spandex but it can be easily melted and respun many times.

Researchers with the CHIME/FRB Collaboration found that diffuse “puffs” of ordinary matter fill the vast spaces between galaxies. The findings help explain why physicists’ estimates of the amount of visible matter in the universe are much larger than what we know exists within stars and galaxies.

MIT engineers found a way to engineer and control the growth of blood vessels by mechanically stretching them. The technology could advance efforts to replace a patient’s damaged or diseased tissue with a healthy, artificially grown version.