Collaborate Disseminate
Pipes, instruments and surfaces that come into contact with salty water usually end up with a corrosive layer of salt and other dissolved minerals caked on, which needs to be scraped or washed off. Now, engineers at MIT have developed a new method for … Continue reading Strange salty “crystal critters” help thwart fouling of metal surfaces
A newfound understanding around the intricate architecture of lobster underbellies has provided MIT engineers with a model for a tough and stretchy new hydrogel. The material mimics the spiraling structure of the creature’s under-armor that affords it … Continue reading Lobster underbellies inspire spiraling material for artificial tendons
Concrete is pretty useful, which is why it’s the most widely used construction material in the world. But it could be argued that it doesn’t really do anything. Now, engineers have made concrete that can conduct electricity and produce heat, by mixing … Continue reading Dash of nanocarbon black makes conductive, heat-generating concrete
With elusive dark matter continuing to evade detection, scientists are having to search in stranger and stranger places. In a new study, physicists at MIT have studied the spins of black holes for signs of drag from dark matter slowing them down.Contin… Continue reading Physicists hunt for dark matter dragging on black holes
When studying underwater marine life, it helps if you can use a device that doesn’t scare the animals by appearing unnatural to them. MIT scientists have created a robo-starfish with that in mind, utilizing a new rapid development system.Continue Readi… Continue reading MIT system allows robo-starfish to be created in hours, not weeks
Robots are now regularly used in applications such as picking purchased items from shipping warehouses … but most of them still can’t see through walls. That said, a new bot is essentially able to do so, with a little outside help.Continue ReadingCateg… Continue reading Picking robot finds objects by “seeing through walls”
It may be a bit gross, but mucus plays a key role in our bodies. Now, an MIT team has managed to create an artificial version of the stuff, and shown that it’s an effective antimicrobial – even more so than real mucus.Continue ReadingCategory: ScienceT… Continue reading Scientists produce artificial mucus with antimicrobial properties
For the first time, a team of scientists has created a synthetic single-celled organism that can divide and grow like a regular living cell. This breakthrough could lead to designer cells that can produce useful chemicals on demand or treat disease fro… Continue reading Synthetic organism undergoes cell division in breakthrough study
When it comes to alternative battery architectures, designs that replace the conventional graphite material in one of the electrodes with high-density lithium metal are seen as hugely promising. An MIT team has developed a new electrolyte solution that… Continue reading “Drop in” electrolyte avoids cracking in high-capacity lithium battery
It’s a sad fact that many of the people who most need water filters are those who are least able to afford them. A newly demonstrated MIT technology could help, in that it uses locally sourced wood to inexpensively purify contaminated water.Continue Re… Continue reading MIT’s wooden water filter gets put to real-world use