A faster way to teach a robot
A new technique helps a nontechnical user understand why a robot failed, and then fine-tune it with minimal effort to perform a task effectively.
How an “AI-tocracy” emerges
In China, the use of AI-driven facial recognition helps the regime repress dissent while enhancing the technology, researchers report.
MIT physicists generate the first snapshots of fermion pairs
The images shed light on how electrons form superconducting pairs that glide through materials without friction.
Researchers grow precise arrays of nanoLEDs
A new technique produces perovskite nanocrystals right where they’re needed, so the exceedingly delicate materials can be integrated into nanoscale devices.
Researchers teach an AI to write better chart captions
A new dataset can help scientists develop automatic systems that generate richer, more descriptive captions for online charts.
MIT researchers devise a way to evaluate cybersecurity methods
The system analyzes the likelihood that an attacker could thwart a certain security scheme to steal secret information.
Physicists discover a new switch for superconductivity
The results could help turn up unconventional superconducting materials.
Surprise! Weaker bonds can make polymers stronger
By adding weak linkers to a polymer network, chemists dramatically enhanced the material’s resistance to tearing.
Researchers develop a new source of quantum light
The device emits a stream of single photons and could provide a basis for optical quantum computers.
New model offers a way to speed up drug discovery
By applying a language model to protein-drug interactions, researchers can quickly screen large libraries of potential drug compounds.
How MIT’s fab labs scaled around the world
Now a global community of builders of all skill levels and backgrounds, the fab lab network grew from a single maker facility at MIT.
Gravitational-wave detectors start next observing run to explore the secrets of the universe
The next run will be the most sensitive search yet for gravitational waves.
Helping robots handle fluids
Researchers create a new simulation tool for robots to manipulate complex fluids in a step toward helping them more effortlessly assist with daily tasks.
A better way to match 3D volumes
By mapping the volumes of objects, rather than their surfaces, a new technique could yield solutions to computer graphics problems in animation and CAD.
Tiny diamond rotor could improve protein studies
A new way of machining microscale rotors from diamond crystal can enable ultrasensitive NMR devices for probing proteins and other materials.