What will happen to sediment plumes associated with deep-sea mining?
Interest is growing in mining the ocean for valuable metals. A new study helps gauge the extent of the impact.
Asegun Henry has a big idea for tackling climate change: Store up the sun
“This is the key, the linchpin that will set a lot of things in the right direction,” says the mechanical engineering professor.
A method to assess Covid-19 transmission risks in indoor settings
MIT researchers have developed a publicly available model based on physics and data from past spreading events.
Professor Emeritus Ernest Cravalho, an expert in thermodynamics and pioneer in thermal fluids education, dies at 82
A leader in thermodynamics, heat transfer, cryopreservation of biomaterials, and energy conversion, Cravalho shaped thermodynamic and biomedical education at MIT.
MIT oceanographers have an explanation for the Arctic’s puzzling ocean turbulence
New study suggests waters will become more turbulent as Arctic loses summertime ice.
Slowing the spread of Covid-19
As cases increased worldwide this spring, mechanical engineers developed solutions to help slow and stop the spread of the coronavirus.
An escape route for seafloor methane
Leakage from frozen layers was a puzzle, but a new study shows how the potent greenhouse gas breaks through icy barriers.
Sheila Widnall: A lifetime exploring the unknown
During 64 years at MIT, the Institute Professor Emerita has been a trailblazer in aerospace and the U.S. military, and a changemaker for women in STEM.
MIT research on seawater surface tension becomes international guideline
Work by Professor John Lienhard and Kishor Nayar SM ’14, PhD ’19 was recently recognized by the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam.
Tiny sand grains trigger massive glacial surges
New model answers longstanding question of how these sudden flows happen; may expand understanding of Antarctic ice sheets.
Search-and-rescue algorithm identifies hidden “traps” in ocean waters
Method may help quickly identify regions where objects — and missing people — may have converged.
Understanding how fluids heat or cool surfaces
Textbook formulas for describing heat flow characteristics, crucial in many industries, are oversimplified, study shows.
Staring into the vortex
MIT researchers describe factors governing how oceans and atmospheres move heat around on Earth and other planetary bodies.
Intelligent Towing Tank propels human-robot-computer research
A novel experimental facility integrates automation and active learning, illuminating a path to accelerated scientific discovery.
Antarctic ice cliffs may not contribute to sea-level rise as much as predicted
Study finds even the tallest ice cliffs should support their own weight rather than collapsing catastrophically.