Ensuring a durable transition
To fend off the worst impacts of climate change, “we have to decarbonize, and do it even faster,” said William H. Green, director of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) and Hoyt C. Hottel Professor, MIT Department of Chemical Engineering, at MITEI’s Annual Research...
Graph-based AI model maps the future of innovation
Imagine using artificial intelligence to compare two seemingly unrelated creations — biological tissue and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9.” At first glance, a living system and a musical masterpiece might appear to have no connection. However, a novel AI method developed...
3 Questions: Inverting the problem of design
The process of computational design in mechanical engineering often begins with a problem or a goal, followed by an assessment of literature, resources, and systems available to address the issue. The Design Computation and Digital Engineering (DeCoDE) Lab at MIT...
A causal theory for studying the cause-and-effect relationships of genes
By studying changes in gene expression, researchers learn how cells function at a molecular level, which could help them understand the development of certain diseases. But a human has about 20,000 genes that can affect each other in complex ways, so even knowing...
A portable light system that can digitize everyday objects
When Nikola Tesla predicted we’d have handheld phones that could display videos, photographs, and more, his musings seemed like a distant dream. Nearly 100 years later, smartphones are like an extra appendage for many of us. Digital fabrication engineers are now...
Despite its impressive output, generative AI doesn’t have a coherent understanding of the world
Large language models can do impressive things, like write poetry or generate viable computer programs, even though these models are trained to predict words that come next in a piece of text. Such surprising capabilities can make it seem like the models are...
Artist and designer Es Devlin awarded Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT
Artist and designer Es Devlin is the recipient of the 2025 Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT. The $100,000 prize, to be awarded at a gala in her honor, also includes an artist residency at MIT in spring 2025, during which Es Devlin will present her work in a...
Empowering systemic racism research at MIT and beyond
At the turn of the 20th century, W.E.B. Du Bois wrote about the conditions and culture of Black people in Philadelphia, documenting also the racist attitudes and beliefs that pervaded the white society around them. He described how unequal outcomes in domains like...
Nanoscale transistors could enable more efficient electronics
Silicon transistors, which are used to amplify and switch signals, are a critical component in most electronic devices, from smartphones to automobiles. But silicon semiconductor technology is held back by a fundamental physical limit that prevents transistors from...
MIT Schwarzman College of Computing launches postdoctoral program to advance AI across disciplines
The MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing has announced the launch of a new program to support postdocs conducting research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and particular disciplines. The Tayebati Postdoctoral Fellowship Program will focus on...