MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Marks its Tenth Anniversary
Key players in the mini-UROP’s behind-the-scenes work reflect on what the program has come to mean to the Institute.
Chlormequat chloride in oats: what it means for us
In 2018, the EPA first allowed the importation of chlormequat, and thus it was introduced into American diets. The EWG realized that while some research indicated potential impacts on mammalian fertility and development, the USDA and FDA were not testing for chlormequat in foods and were not conducting any research on it. Here, they saw an opportunity to study the chemical right as it was being introduced into the country.
Prof. Edmund Bertschinger shares his perspective on the importance of science activism and diversity in STEM
The Tech sat down with Bertschinger to discuss his unique position at MIT and his work towards a more diverse MIT.
New AI Model Discovers Optimally Stiff and Tough Composites
Hitchless car suspension, indestructible planes, and bone-like prosthetics. All three require materials that are both stiff and tough — a new AI program developed by researchers at MIT might be able to deliver just that.
New genetics of the inactive X chromosome reveals its surprisingly active role in the cell
The sex chromosome has been misunderstood for nearly sixty years. Researchers at the Whitehead Institute are working to restore its reputation.
E. coli doesn’t just cause Doom and mayhem in your guts
From microwaves to pregnancy tests, Ramlan is just continuing the tradition of “Doom running on everything.”
Lessons Learned from Moungi Bawendi’s Nobel Lecture
Even after winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Bawendi says that he still needs to “learn more.”
Celina Zhao ’24 shares her journey in science journalism
Explaining scientific concepts can be hard. But Celina Zhao '24 makes it look easy.
Uncovering secrets at the bottom of Earth’s oceans
From sharks that can live for up to 400 years to microbes that could be the evolutionary ancestors of all complex life on Earth: if we’ve learned anything about Earth’s oceans in the past decade, it’s how little we really know. When each year brings a new and unexpected find, one begins to wonder: how much are we missing?
Can scientists mimic the benefits of CBD without using cannabis?
A team of researchers has uncovered a mechanism by which CBD prevents severe epileptic seizures.
Being pre-med at MIT: Chloe McCreery ’23 and Joanna Lin ’23
Chloe McCreery ’23 and Joanna Lin ’22, both alumni of The Tech, sat down to reflect on their journeys in medicine. McCreery graduated with a degree in Biological Engineering, and is a research associate in the Engreitz Lab at Stanford Medicine. Lin graduated with degrees in Biology and French in 2021, and then studied abroad in France. She is a 2nd-year medical student at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Silicon Souls: Priming beliefs about AI in chatbot conversations
I“The robotic shell or the human soul: Which one actually makes the AI? Is it the observable behavior that we see when we think of AI, or what we imagine the AI is on the inside that made it affect you?”
MIT Free Speech Alliance assembles a panel to debate whether STEM is systemically racist
"Polls show that many people do not dare to discuss this topic or other topics about racial justice, for fear of being accused of causing harm.”
Siddhu Pachipala ’27 on why politics is a necessary complement to scientific research
Siddhu Pachipala ’27 intends to study Course 17 (political science) at MIT. He believes there is a need to become fluent in both the languages of science and politics in order to change the world for the better. He sat down with The Tech to discuss his journey from a psychology researcher to an aspiring politician.
Drone deliveries will leave privacy concerns up in the air
Drone delivery services may become ubiquitous soon enough as drone operating prices decrease and demand for rapid delivery options increase. But what will they imply for consumer privacy?
LIGO researchers surpass the quantum limit
On Oct. 23, LIGO researchers at MIT, Caltech, and other institutions reported that they had surpassed the quantum limit. This marked a significant advance in quantum squeezing, a method for reducing quantum noise to obtain more precise measurements. Researchers will now be able to measure a larger volume of the universe by analyzing gravitational frequencies.
Your immune system could be the cause of memory loss
The immune response damages our ability to learn and remember things, even before symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease become apparent.
Data-driven policy for a better world
Developing strategies to lower the kidney discard rate and improve the kidney placement rate is one of the many problems MIT’s Blueprint Labs focuses on — it's an interdisciplinary group that uses economics- and data-oriented approaches to tackle problems in healthcare, education, and workforce policy.
Nuclear thermal propulsion: a key technology for space exploration
Research and development of nuclear thermal propulsion was stagnant between the end of the Space Race and the 2010s.
Discovering nature’s properties through nonlinear solid mechanics
The study of nonlinear solid mechanics subjects materials to extreme stress or strain to observe their properties and behavior. Examining these extremes enables a more complete understanding of these materials.