Researchers at MIT have developed a new AI model capable of assessing a patient’s risk of pancreatic cancer, reports Erez Meltzer for Forbes. “The model could potentially expand the group of patients who can benefit from early pancreatic cancer screening from 10% to 35%,” explains Meltzer. “These kinds of predictive capabilities open new avenues for preventive care.”
Researchers at MIT and elsewhere have discovered a “black-hole triple, the first known instance of a three-body system that includes a black hole, which is not supposed to be part of the mix,” reports Dennis Overbye for The New York Times. The researchers propose that the black hole “could have resulted from a sort of immaculate conception whereby the progenitor star disappeared from the universe without any fireworks.”
Astronomers from MIT and elsewhere have “identified a black hole that appears to have come into being through the collapse of the core of a large star in its death throes, but without the usual blast,” explains Will Dunham for Reuters. “Black holes have previously been spotted orbiting with one other star or one other black hole in what are called binary systems,” explains Dunham. “But this is the first known instance of a triple system with a black hole and two stars.”
Researchers from MIT and elsewhere have discovered a black hole triple – a black hole with two orbiting stars around it at varying distances – for the first time, reports Jess Thomson for Newsweek. The researchers believe this “first-of-its-kind discovery could help unravel the mysteries of how black holes form and how they enter into binaries or triples,” writes Thomson.
Popular Science reporter Laura Baisas writes that MIT physicists have discovered, for the first time, a black hole triple. “Since the new triple system includes a very far-off star, the system’s black hole was potentially born through [a] gentler direct collapse,” writes Baisas. “While astronomers have been observing violent supernovae for centuries, this new triple system may be the first evidence of a black hole that formed from this more gentle process.”
Physicists from MIT and Caltech have discovered a black hole triple system, “consisting of three bodies spinning around each other about 7,800 light-years from Earth,” writes Isaac Schultz for Gizmodo. Schultz notes that the finding “pushes the envelope,” revealing “a system with one black hole and two stars—a configuration never seen before.”
Boston Globe reporter Nick Stoico spotlights how researchers from MIT and Caltech have observed a “black hole triple” for the first time. “This one is satisfying because it’s kind of a simple discovery,” explains postdoctoral associate Kevin Burdge. “It’s just looking at a picture, and I think it reminds a lot of astronomers that there’s more to the job than just analyzing complicated data. You shouldn’t forget to do the simple things, like just look with your own eyes at some pictures and see what you find.”
Profs. Canan Dagdeviren and Hugh Herr speak with CNN discuss their work aimed at empowering patients and doctors. Inspired by her aunt’s experience with breast cancer, Dagdeviren and her students are developing new wearable devices that could help detect cancer at an earlier stage. Says Herr of his work developing prosthetics that can be controlled by the human nervous system: “There will be a point where technology is so sophisticated that we can actually rebuild limbs after amputation that will be as good and, ultimately, they will be better than intact biological limbs.” Herr adds that in the future he hopes “the conversation will not be about human limitation anymore. It will be about human ability and human expression.”
Researchers at MIT have found large language models “often struggle to handle more complex problems that require true understanding,” reports Kirimgeray Kirimli for Forbes. “This underscores the need for future versions of LLMs to go beyond just these basic, shared capabilities,” writes Kirimli.
CNN visits the lab of Prof. Canan Dagdeviren to learn more about her work developing wearable ultrasound devices that could help screen for early-stage breast cancer, monitor kidney health, and detect other cancers deep within the body. “Wearable technology will grow rapidly in the near future,” says Dagdeviren. “But in the far future, they will be one of the most powerful tools that we will be seeing in our daily life.”
MIT researchers have developed a new filtration material, created from natural substances, that could be used to remove “forever chemicals” like PFAS and heavy metals from drinking water, reports Matt Fortin for NBC Boston. "That's a huge advantage of our system, which is that we are using fully renewable, biodegradable and compatible material to resolve this long-lasting problem," explains postdoc Yilin Zhang.
MIT scientists have “observed and captured images of a rare ‘edge state’ in ultracold atoms,” reports Rupendra Brahambhatt for Interesting Engineering. “Using these findings, they can learn to achieve and harness the edge states of electrons in different materials,” notes Brahambhatt. “This breakthrough in the field of quantum physics could lead to the discovery of practically infinite energy sources.”
MIT researchers have developed a new filtration material capable of removing PFAS and heavy metals from water while possessing “antimicrobial properties that prevent the filters from becoming fouled over time,” reports Sujita Sinha for Interesting Engineering. “By combining silk and cellulose and using a method that aligns the silk molecules into nanofibrils, [the researchers] created a hybrid material with unique properties perfect for water filtration,” explains Sinha.
Prof. Michael Strano joins “Somewhere on Earth” podcast host Gareth Mitchell to discuss how he and his colleagues developed tiny batteries that could be used to power cell-sized robots. Roughly the thickness of a human hair, the new battery can create a current by capturing oxygen. “I would say we're making the LEGOs, the building blocks that go into robots,” Strano says. “We’re building the parts and it's an exciting time for the field.”
Researchers at MIT have developed tiny batteries capable of powering cell-sized robots that can “execute tasks as varied as targeting drug delivery inside the human body to checking pipelines for gas leaks,” reports Brian Heater for TechCrunch. “Despite the barely visible size, the researchers say the batteries can generate up to 1 volt, which can be used to power a sensor, circuit or even a moving actuator.”