Category: Research
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Scientists develop an affordable sensor for lead contamination
Engineers at MIT, Nanyang Technological University, and several companies have developed a compact and inexpensive technology for detecting and measuring lead concentrations in water, potentially enabling a significant advance in tackling this persistent global health issue. The World Health Organization estimates that 240 million people worldwide are exposed to drinking water that contains unsafe amounts…
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Scientists use generative AI to answer complex questions in physics
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in Artificial Intelligence, Computer modeling, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), Computer science and technology, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (eecs), Machine Learning, Mathematics, MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, Physics, Research, School of Engineering, School of ScienceWhen water freezes, it transitions from a liquid phase to a solid phase, resulting in a drastic change in properties like density and volume. Phase transitions in water are so common most of us probably don’t even think about them, but phase transitions in novel materials or complex physical systems are an important area of…
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Using ideas from game theory to improve the reliability of language models
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in Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), Computer science and technology, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (eecs), Game theory, Human-computer interaction, Machine Learning, MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, Natural language processing, Research, Robotics, School of EngineeringImagine you and a friend are playing a game where your goal is to communicate secret messages to each other using only cryptic sentences. Your friend’s job is to guess the secret message behind your sentences. Sometimes, you give clues directly, and other times, your friend has to guess the message by asking yes-or-no questions…
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HPI-MIT design research collaboration creates powerful teams
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in Artificial Intelligence, Business and management, Cleaner industry, Climate change, Collaboration, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), Cybersecurity, Design, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (eecs), Environmental Solutions Initiative, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E), Machine Learning, Manufacturing, MIT Morningside Academy for Design, MIT Sloan School of Management, Renewable energy, Research, School of Architecture and Planning, School of Engineering, Startups, Supply chainsThe recent ransomware attack on ChangeHealthcare, which severed the network connecting health care providers, pharmacies, and hospitals with health insurance companies, demonstrates just how disruptive supply chain attacks can be. In this case, it hindered the ability of those providing medical services to submit insurance claims and receive payments. This sort of attack and other…
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Physicists arrange atoms in extremely close proximity
Proximity is key for many quantum phenomena, as interactions between atoms are stronger when the particles are close. In many quantum simulators, scientists arrange atoms as close together as possible to explore exotic states of matter and build new quantum materials. They typically do this by cooling the atoms to a stand-still, then using laser…
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Fostering research, careers, and community in materials science
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in Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab (J-WEL), Algorithms, Alumni/ae, Classes and programs, Collaboration, Computer modeling, Computer science and technology, Data, Digital technology, DMSE, Education, teaching, academics, Learning, Mentoring, MIT.nano, nano, Office of Open Learning, Online learning, Programming, Research, School of Engineering, Special events and guest speakers, STEM education, Students, UndergraduateGabrielle Wood, a junior at Howard University majoring in chemical engineering, is on a mission to improve the sustainability and life cycles of natural resources and materials. Her work in the Materials Initiative for Comprehensive Research Opportunity (MICRO) program has given her hands-on experience with many different aspects of research, including MATLAB programming, experimental design,…
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Natural language boosts LLM performance in coding, planning, and robotics
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in Artificial Intelligence, Brain and cognitive sciences, Center for Brains Minds and Machines, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), Computer science and technology, Computer vision, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Department of Defense (DoD), Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (eecs), Human-computer interaction, MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, National Science Foundation (NSF), Natural language processing, Programming, programming languages, Quest for Intelligence, Research, Robotics, School of Engineering, School of ScienceLarge language models (LLMs) are becoming increasingly useful for programming and robotics tasks, but for more complicated reasoning problems, the gap between these systems and humans looms large. Without the ability to learn new concepts like humans do, these systems fail to form good abstractions — essentially, high-level representations of complex concepts that skip less-important…
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An AI dataset carves new paths to tornado detection
The return of spring in the Northern Hemisphere touches off tornado season. A tornado’s twisting funnel of dust and debris seems an unmistakable sight. But that sight can be obscured to radar, the tool of meteorologists. It’s hard to know exactly when a tornado has formed, or even why. A new dataset could hold answers.…
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“Nanostitches” enable lighter and tougher composite materials
To save on fuel and reduce aircraft emissions, engineers are looking to build lighter, stronger airplanes out of advanced composites. These engineered materials are made from high-performance fibers that are embedded in polymer sheets. The sheets can be stacked and pressed into one multilayered material and made into extremely lightweight and durable structures. But composite…
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How light can vaporize water without the need for heat
It’s the most fundamental of processes — the evaporation of water from the surfaces of oceans and lakes, the burning off of fog in the morning sun, and the drying of briny ponds that leaves solid salt behind. Evaporation is all around us, and humans have been observing it and making use of it for…
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This tiny chip can safeguard user data while enabling efficient computing on a smartphone
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Health-monitoring apps can help people manage chronic diseases or stay on track with fitness goals, using nothing more than a smartphone. However, these apps can be slow and energy-inefficient because the vast machine-learning models that power them must be shuttled between a smartphone and a central memory server. Engineers often speed things up using hardware…
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Mapping the brain pathways of visual memorability
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in Artificial Intelligence, Brain and cognitive sciences, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), Computer science and technology, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (eecs), Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Image Processing, Imaging, Machine Learning, MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, Neuroscience, Research, School of Engineering, VisionFor nearly a decade, a team of MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) researchers have been seeking to uncover why certain images persist in a people’s minds, while many others fade. To do this, they set out to map the spatio-temporal brain dynamics involved in recognizing a visual image. And now for the…
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To build a better AI helper, start by modeling the irrational behavior of humans
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in Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, Computer modeling, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), Computer science and technology, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (eecs), Human-computer interaction, Machine Learning, MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, National Science Foundation (NSF), Research, School of EngineeringTo build AI systems that can collaborate effectively with humans, it helps to have a good model of human behavior to start with. But humans tend to behave suboptimally when making decisions. This irrationality, which is especially difficult to model, often boils down to computational constraints. A human can’t spend decades thinking about the ideal…