Why do smoke alarms keep going off even when there's no smoke?
An electrical engineer explains how smoke detectors work, and how to reduce the chances of a false positive.
Jan. 8, 2021 • ~5 min
curiosity electrical-engineering curiosity-question multimedia fire-safety
Scientists discover slimy microbes that may help keep coral reefs healthy
The bacteria scrub out nitrogen, potentially defending against certain nutrient overloads.
Jan. 8, 2021 • ~7 min
chemistry environment bacteria biology microbes research school-of-science oceanography-and-ocean-engineering eaps ocean-science
RNA molecules are masters of their own destiny
Research suggests the products of transcription — RNA molecules — regulate their own production through a feedback loop.
Jan. 5, 2021 • ~8 min
physics chemistry genetics biology rna research drug-development school-of-engineering school-of-science whitehead-institute chemical-engineering
Turning microbiome research into a force for health
A diverse group of researchers is working to turn new discoveries about the trillions of microbes in the body into treatments for a range of diseases.
Jan. 5, 2021 • ~10 min
health medicine bacteria startups broad-institute microbes disease research drug-development school-of-engineering innovation-and-entrepreneurship-ie alumniae biological-engineering
Killer cotton and planes dropping moths wiped out these pests
The invasive pink bollworm has inflicted tens of millions of dollars in damage annually. Biotech cotton and sterile moths helped eradicate it in the US.
Dec. 22, 2020 • ~7 min
insects pesticides genetic-engineering crops earth-and-environment cotton
Top MIT research stories of 2020
The year’s popular research stories include astronomical firsts, scientific breakthroughs, and engineering milestones addressing Covid-19 and other global problems.
Dec. 22, 2020 • ~5 min
covid-19 pandemic research school-of-architecture-and-planning school-of-engineering school-of-science mit-sloan-school-of-management school-of-arts-humanities-and-social-sciences
Why do different countries have different electric outlet plugs?
There are 15 different kinds of electrical outlets around the world. One standard would be more convenient, but no one wants to change theirs.
Dec. 21, 2020 • ~6 min
electricity electric-grid safety curious-kids curious-kids-us electrical-grid electrical-engineering voltage thomas-edison nikola-tesla building-standards
Making smart thermostats more efficient
A smart thermostat quickly learns to optimize building microclimates for both energy consumption and user preference.
Dec. 18, 2020 • ~6 min
machine-learning internet-of-things climate-change data research school-of-engineering electrical-engineering-computer-science-eecs algorithms idss laboratory-for-information-and-decision-systems-lids analytics mit-schwarzman-college-of-computing skoltech
With campus as a test bed, climate action starts and continues at MIT
MIT serves as a laboratory for a multifaceted approach to address the Institute’s own contributions to climate change.
Dec. 18, 2020 • ~10 min
sustainability climate-change energy energy-efficiency emissions research renewable-energy community mechanical-engineering urban-studies-and-planning campus-buildings-and-architecture facilities campus-services
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