Water

Pictured, a rendering of a river system in Oregon.

Study finds climate determines shapes of river basins

Results may help identify ancient climates on Earth or other planets.

July 17, 2018

A rendering of Los Angeles depicts green space and wetlands as envisioned by the MIT team.

A solution for urban storm flooding

Engineered green spaces can capture and purify stormwater while delivering ecosystem and recreational benefits, MIT researchers report.

July 12, 2018

Based on measurements taken at more than 100,000 wells around the country, the MIT researchers identified these locations, indicated by green dots, that have a combination of a severe shortage of freshwater, and a large reserve of brackish groundwater that could potentially be desalinated and used.

Study finds potential in brackish groundwater desalination

Water-starved areas could find new sources by desalinating water that’s much less salty than seawater.

July 4, 2018

“People usually think MIT is exclusively focused on STEM research," says PhD student Elena Sobrino. "I saw this program, HASTS, as a way to be in conversation with physical or biological scientists, as a social scientist myself.”

Discovering hidden stories in the Flint water crisis

Graduate student Elena Sobrino looks beyond the headlines to study interactions between the city’s people and institutions.

June 24, 2018

Roughly 60 percent of the global population lives in Asia, often with limited access to water.

Study: Climate action can limit Asia’s growing water shortages

Following the Paris accord could reduce risk of severe water-access problems, researchers find.

June 19, 2018

On the roof of the Central Utility Plant building, standing in front of one of the cooling towers, are (left to right): Seth Kinderman, Central Utility Plant engineering manager; Kripa Varanasi, associate professor of mechanical engineering; recent doctoral graduates Karim Khalil and Maher Damak; and Patrick Karalekas, plant engineer, Central Utilities Plant.

New system recovers fresh water from power plants

Technology captures water evaporating from cooling towers; prototype to be installed on MIT’s Central Utility Plant.

June 8, 2018

Translational Research Program to help MIT researchers achieve real-world impact

Tata Center for Technology and Design program "aims to close the gap between ideas and implementation," says program director Jason Prapas.

June 6, 2018

When PhD student Tiziana Smith isn’t at her computer refining or running her models, she can be found organizing activities and initiatives to help her fellow graduate students find mentors and become leaders themselves.

How many people can China feed?

Graduate student Tiziana Smith studies links between water availability and crop yields in the world’s most populous country.

May 30, 2018

Seven new projects focusing on solutions to water and food systems challenges, led by 11 faculty principal investigators across five MIT departments, will be funded by the Abdul Latif Jameel World Water and Food Security Lab (J-WAFS) with two-year grants of up to $200,000.

J-WAFS awards over $1.3 million in fourth round of seed grant funding

Eleven principal investigators from six MIT departments will receive grants totaling over $1.3 million, overhead free, for research on food and water challenges.

May 25, 2018

The grand prize winner at this year’s MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition was Infinite Cooling, which is developing a system that captures and recycles vaporized water from thermoelectric power plants. Pictured here are the four Infinite Cooling team members, holding the big check (from left): Maher Damak, Karim Khalil, Kripa Varanasi, and Derek Warnick.

Device that recycles vaporized water from power plants wins MIT $100K

Eight teams pitched business ideas, and three took home cash prizes, at the annual entrepreneurship competition.

May 16, 2018

While all global climate models show an overall increase in surface temperatures over the coming decades, when it comes down to regional effects on temperature and rainfall there are areas of significant uncertainty.

Workshop explores intertwined future of food production, water, and climate

Choices by consumers and farmers can help limit global warming, but climate change may also curtail those choices in the future.

May 11, 2018

Participants from Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan convened at MIT for a two-day event on the future of the Nile water, hosted by Professor Elfatih Eltahir.

A forum on the future of the Nile River

International workshop proposes future directions for long-standing conflict.

May 4, 2018

Dan Wexler (left) and Priya Patel of EatWell, which won the $15,000 grand prize at this year's Rabobank-MIT Food and Agribusiness Innovation Prize competition.

Prize-winning projects promote healthier eating, smarter crop investments

Meal kits for “food deserts” and crowdsourced crop-pricing platform win Rabobank-MIT Food and Agribusiness Innovation Prize.

May 4, 2018

At Michigan State University’s W. K. Kellogg Biological Station, Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center researchers are evaluating the performance of a variety of novel bioenergy crop production systems for crop yield and quality, impacts on microbial-plant interactions, biogeochemical and biodiversity responses and water use.

Gauging the effects of water scarcity on an irrigated planet

Study projects likely impacts on food prices, bioenergy production, and deforestation.

April 19, 2018

Lithio Storage, a team from Tufts University and Northwestern University, won the top $100,000 MIT Clean Energy Prize (CEP) for developing an electrolyte that helps batteries withstand much broader temperature ranges, making them safer, more energy efficient, and cheaper to operate. Pictured is team member and inventor Anthony D’Angelo (right) with (from left) CEP co-managing directors Lisa Khan...

MIT Clean Energy Prize rewards student innovation

Robust batteries, solar refrigeration, UV membrane cleaner, and smart factory technologies take home $140,000 in prize money.

April 17, 2018

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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