Category: Nanoscience and nanotechnology
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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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John Joannopoulos receives 2024-2025 Killian Award
John Joannopoulos, an innovator and mentor in the fields of theoretical condensed matter physics and nanophotonics, has been named the recipient of the 2024-2025 James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award. Joannopoulos is the Francis Wright Davis Professor of Physics and director of MIT’s Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies. He has been a member of the…
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Exploring frontiers of mechanical engineering
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in Artificial Intelligence, Design, Graduate, postdoctoral, Health sciences and technology, Human-computer interaction, Independent Activities Period, Mechanical engineering, Nanoscience and nanotechnology, Oceanography and ocean engineering, Profile, School of Engineering, Spaceflight, Sports analytics, Students, WaterFrom cutting-edge robotics, design, and bioengineering to sustainable energy solutions, ocean engineering, nanotechnology, and innovative materials science, MechE students and their advisors are doing incredibly innovative work. The graduate students highlighted here represent a snapshot of the great work in progress this spring across the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and demonstrate the ways the future…
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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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“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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Tackling cancer at the nanoscale
When Paula Hammond first arrived on MIT’s campus as a first-year student in the early 1980s, she wasn’t sure if she belonged. In fact, as she told an MIT audience yesterday, she felt like “an imposter.” However, that feeling didn’t last long, as Hammond began to find support among her fellow students and MIT’s faculty.…