Author: Ms. R.

Quantum computing is the next frontier for faster and more powerful computing technologies. It has the potential to better optimize routes for shipping and delivery, speed up battery development for electric vehicles, and more accurately predict trends in financial markets. But to unlock the quantum future, scientists and engineers need to solve outstanding technical challenges while continuing to explore new applications. One place where they’re working towards this future is the MIT Interdisciplinary Quantum Hackathon, or iQuHACK for short……

Read More

The clean energy transition is already underway, but how do we make sure it happens in a manner that is affordable, sustainable, and fair for everyone? That was the overarching question at this year’s MIT Energy Conference, which took place March 11 and 12 in Boston and was titled “Short and Long: A Balanced Approach to the Energy Transition.” Each year, the student-run conference brings together leaders in the energy sector to discuss the progress and challenges they see……

Read More

Audio deepfakes have had a recent bout of bad press after an artificial intelligence-generated robocall purporting to be the voice of Joe Biden hit up New Hampshire residents, urging them not to cast ballots. Meanwhile, spear-phishers — phishing campaigns that target a specific person or group, especially using information known to be of interest to the target — go fishing for money, and actors aim to preserve their audio likeness. What receives less press, however, are some of the……

Read More

When it comes to global climate change, livestock grazing can be either a blessing or a curse, according to a new study, which offers clues on how to tell the difference. If managed properly, the study shows, grazing can actually increase the amount of carbon from the air that gets stored in the ground and sequestered for the long run. But if there is too much grazing, soil erosion can result, and the net effect is to cause more……

Read More

The mathematician and computer scientist Richard Hamming once gave a talk about doing great research. “He who works with the door open gets all kinds of interruptions, but he also occasionally gets clues as to what the world is and what might be important,” Hamming said, emphasizing the importance of open-mindedness and scientific development. William Li came across this quote as a high school student seeking to dedicate himself to research but unsure how to begin. “I think that……

Read More

Four outstanding undergraduate teachers and mentors have been named MacVicar Faculty Fellows: professor of electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) Karl Berggren, professor of political science Andrea Campbell, associate professor of music Emily Richmond Pollock, and professor of EECS Vinod Vaikuntanathan. For more than 30 years, the MacVicar Faculty Fellows Program has recognized exemplary and sustained contributions to undergraduate education at MIT. The program is named in honor of Margaret MacVicar, MIT’s first dean for undergraduate education and founder……

Read More

MIT class 2.679 (Electronics for Mechanical Systems II) offers a sort of alchemy that transforms students from consumers of knowledge to explorers and innovators, and equips them with a range of important new tools at their disposal, students say. “Topics which could otherwise feel intimidating are well-scoped each week so that students come out knowing not only what a concept is, but why it’s useful and how to actually implement it,” says graduating senior Audrey Chen. “I could consistently……

Read More

Earlier this year, Madelyn Hoying, a PhD student in the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, and Wing Lam (Nicole) Chan, an MIT senior in aeronautics and astronautics, were part of Crew 290 at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), the largest and longest-running Mars analog facility in the world. Their six-person crew completed a two-week simulation under the name Project MADMEN (Martian Analysis and Detection of Microbial Environments) — an analog of potential Martian search-for-life missions.  The mission……

Read More

For Chen Chu MArch ’21, the invitation to join the 2023-24 cohort of Morningside Academy for Design Design Fellows has been an unparalleled opportunity to investigate the potential of design as an alternative method of problem-solving. After earning a master’s degree in architecture at MIT and gaining professional experience as a researcher at an environmental nongovernmental organization, Chu decided to pursue a PhD in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. “I discovered that I needed to engage in a……

Read More