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More trees where they matter, please

One of the best forms of heat relief is pretty simple: trees. In cities, as studies have documented, more tree cover lowers surface temperatures and heat-related health risks. However, as a new study led by MIT researchers shows, the amount of tree cover varies widely within cities, and is generally connected to wealth levels. After […]

A neural blueprint for human-like intelligence in soft robots

A new artificial intelligence control system enables soft robotic arms to learn a wide repertoire of motions and tasks once, then adjust to new scenarios on the fly, without needing retraining or sacrificing functionality. This breakthrough brings soft robotics closer to human-like adaptability for real-world applications, such as in assistive robotics, rehabilitation robots, and wearable […]

How MIT OpenCourseWare is fueling one learner’s passion for education

Training for a clerical military role in France, Gustavo Barboza felt a spark he couldn’t ignore. He remembered his love of learning, which once guided him through two college semesters of mechanical engineering courses in his native Colombia, coupled with supplemental resources from MIT Open Learning’s OpenCourseWare. Now, thousands of miles away, he realized it […]

Exploring the promise of regenerative aquaculture at an Arkansas fish farm

In many academic circles, innovation is imagined as a lab-to-market pipeline that travels through patent filings, venture rounds, and coastal research hubs. But a growing movement inside U.S. universities is pushing students toward a different frontier: solving real engineering problems alongside rural communities whose challenges directly shape national food security. A compelling example of this […]

Maria Yang named vice provost for faculty

Maria Yang ’91, the William E. Leonhard (1940) Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been appointed vice provost for faculty at MIT, a role in which she will oversee programs and strategies to recruit and retain faculty members and support them throughout their careers. Provost Anantha Chandrakasan announced Yang’s appointment, which is effective […]

Bringing the stage to the classroom

In class 21T.100 (Theater Arts Production), students are invited to join MIT Theater Arts faculty and staff in the development of a fully-staged production for an audience. Participants collaborate as performers, designers, writers, choreographers, and technicians. “21T.100 sits at the pinnacle of our curriculum,” says Jay Scheib, section head for MIT Music and Theater Arts and the […]

Katie Spivakovsky wins 2026 Churchill Scholarship

MIT senior Katie Spivakovsky has been selected as a 2026-27 Churchill Scholar and will undertake an MPhil in biological sciences at the Wellcome Sanger Institute at Cambridge University in the U.K. this fall. Spivakovsky, who is double-majoring in biological engineering and artificial intelligence, with minors in mathematics and biology, aims to integrate computation and bioengineering […]

How MIT’s 10th president shaped the Cold War

Today, MIT plays a key role in maintaining U.S. competitiveness, technological leadership, and national defense — and much of the Institute’s work to support the nation’s standing in these areas can be traced back to 1953. Two months after he took office that year, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower received a startling report from the military: […]

“Essential” torch heralds the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics

Before the thrill of victory; before the agony of defeat; before the gold medalist’s national anthem plays, there is the Olympic torch. A symbol of unity, friendship, and the spirit of competition, the torch links today’s Olympic Games to its heritage in ancient Greece. The torch for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games and Paralympic […]

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