Uncovering the mechanism of our oldest anesthetic
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as “laughing gas,” has been used in anesthesiology practice since the 1800s, but the way it works to create altered states … Read more
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
‘Permanently wet’ surface coating slides into consumer space
The days of wasting condiments — and other products — that stick stubbornly to the sides of their bottles may be gone, thanks to MIT spinout … Read more
Better batteries, half price
An advanced manufacturing approach for lithium-ion batteries, developed by researchers at MIT and at a spinoff company called 24M, promises to significantly slash the cost … Read more
Recalling happier memories can reverse depression
MIT neuroscientists have shown that they can cure the symptoms of depression in mice by artificially reactivating happy memories that were formed before the onset … Read more
Pneumonia found to harm DNA in lung cells
A bacterium that is the most common cause of pneumonia — a leading cause of death worldwide — can damage DNA in lung cells, a … Read more
Origami robot climbs inclines, swims, and carries loads twice its weight
At the recent International Conference on Robotics and Automation, MIT researchers presented a printable origami robot that folds itself up from a flat sheet of … Read more
3 Questions: Economies as computers, products as information
New book argues that economic development is a special case of the growth of information. Cesar Hidalgo, the Asahi Broadcasting Corporation Associate Professor of Media … Read more
Juvenile incarceration yields less schooling, more crime
Teenagers who are incarcerated tend to have substantially worse outcomes later in life than those who avoid serving time for similar offenses, according to a … Read more
Breaking down social networks in a city
New research finds urban social networks are not determined geographically, but socially. Until now, studies of human interactions through mobile communication and social media have … Read more
DNA breakage underlies both learning, age-related damage
The process that allows our brains to learn and generate new memories also leads to degeneration as we age, according to a new study by … Read more
Thin coating on condensers could make power plants more efficient
Most of the world’s electricity-producing power plants — whether powered by coal, natural gas, or nuclear fission — make electricity by generating steam that turns … Read more
