Olympic figure skating looks effortless. Athletes sail across the ice, then soar into the air, spinning like a top, before landing on a single blade just 4-5 millimeters wide. To help figure skaters land quadruple axels, Salchows, Lutzes, and maybe even the elusive...
AI algorithm enables tracking of vital white matter pathways
The signals that drive many of the brain and body’s most essential functions — consciousness, sleep, breathing, heart rate, and motion — course through bundles of “white matter” fibers in the brainstem, but imaging systems so far have been unable to finely resolve...
Using synthetic biology and AI to address global antimicrobial resistance threat
James J. Collins, the Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering and Science at MIT and faculty co-lead of the Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health, is embarking on a multidisciplinary research project that applies synthetic biology and generative...
Accelerating science with AI and simulations
For more than a decade, MIT Associate Professor Rafael Gómez-Bombarelli has used artificial intelligence to create new materials. As the technology has expanded, so have his ambitions. Now, the newly tenured professor in materials science and engineering believes AI...
New J-PAL research and policy initiative to test and scale AI innovations to fight poverty
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT has awarded funding to eight new research studies to understand how artificial intelligence innovations can be used in the fight against poverty through its new Project AI Evidence. The age of AI has brought...
Scientists hunt for origins of the mysterious ‘sun goddess’ particle
Scientists are investigating the origin of one of the most energetic particles ever seen hitting Earth from space. The Amaterasu particle, named for the Japanese sun goddess, was first detected in 2021, carrying 40 million times more energy than particles accelerated...
‘Fully unlocking the orbital economy’: This California company will fly astronauts to the space station in 2027
A California startup will operate its first astronaut mission next year, if all goes according to plan. NASA announced on Thursday (Feb. 12) that it has picked Long Beach-based Vast to conduct the sixth private astronaut flight to the International Space Station...
Wormholes may not exist – we’ve found they reveal something deeper about time and the universe
This piece, originally featured on The Conversation, is now being shared with Space.com's audience as part of their Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights section. Forget the sci-fi movie trope: the popular image of wormholes as cosmic expressways through space and time is...
What time is the annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17?
Skywatchers are in for a celestial treat on February 17, as an annular solar eclipse is set to spectacularly transform the sun into a dazzling "ring of fire." This rare astronomical phenomenon occurs when the Moon aligns precisely between Earth and the sun, yet is too...
Deepest views from James Webb and Chandra reveal monster object that defies theory — Space photo of the week
Astronomers have captured a groundbreaking image revealing what is believed to be the most distant galaxy protocluster ever detected, offering a vital piece of the puzzle in understanding the universe's past. Here are a few paraphrased options, each with a slightly...
Lucky few to see ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse over Antarctica on Feb. 17
This coming Tuesday, February 17th, the new moon will largely go unnoticed across the globe. However, a select portion of Antarctica will be treated to a more spectacular celestial event: a rare "ring of fire" solar eclipse, also referred to as an annular solar...
‘The brain consistently moved upward and backward’: Astronauts’ brains physically shift in their heads during spaceflight
The rigors of space travel exact a significant toll on the human body, and a groundbreaking new study from our research team now offers precise insights into its neurological impact. The research reveals that following spaceflight, the brain undergoes distinct...












