In large parts of the developing world, people have abundant heat from the sun during the day, but most cooking takes place later in the evening when the sun is down, using fuel — such as wood, brush or dung — that is collected with significant time and effort. Now, a new chemical composite developed […]
A New Approach To Ultrafast Light Pulses
Two-dimensional materials called molecular aggregates are very effective light emitters that work on a different principle than typical organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) or quantum dots. But their potential as components for new kinds of optoelectronic devices has been limited by their relatively slow response time. Now, researchers at MIT, the University of California at Berkeley, […]
Firebricks Offer Low-Cost Storage for Carbon-Free Energy
Firebricks, designed to withstand high heat, have been part of our technological arsenal for at least three millennia, since the era of the Hittites. Now, a proposal from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers shows this ancient invention could play a key role in enabling the world to switch away from fossil fuels and rely instead […]
Researchers Clarify Mystery About Proposed Battery Material
Battery researchers agree that one of the most promising possibilities for future battery technology is the lithium-air (or lithium-oxygen) battery, which could provide three times as much power for a given weight as today’s leading technology, lithium-ion batteries. But tests of various approaches to creating such batteries have produced conflicting and confusing results, as well […]
Study Suggests Route To Improving Rechargeable Lithium Batteries
Most of today’s lithium-ion batteries, which power everything from cars to phones, use a liquid as the electrolyte between two electrodes. Using a solid electrolyte instead could offer major advantages for both safety and energy storage capacity, but attempts to do this have faced unexpected challenges. Researchers now report that the problem may be an […]
New Center Will Push Frontiers Of Sensing Technology
In anticipation of the official opening of the new MIT.nano building — which will house some of the world’s leading facilities supporting research in nanoscience and nanotechnology — MIT last week officially launched a new “center of excellence” called SENSE.nano, which is dedicated to pushing the frontiers of research in sensing technologies. Like the new […]
The Force Was Strong In This Robot Competition
In one of MIT’s most eagerly awaited annual events, Thursday night dozens of robots designed and built by undergraduates in a mechanical engineering class endured hours of intense, boisterous, and often jubilant competition as they scrambled to rack up points in one-on-one clashes on special “Star Wars”-themed playing arenas. As has often happened in these […]
High-Temperature Devices Made From Films That Bend As They “Breathe”
Carrying out maintenance tasks inside a nuclear plant puts severe strains on equipment, due to extreme temperatures that are hard for components to endure without degrading. Now, researchers at MIT and elsewhere have come up with a radically new way to make actuators that could be used in such extremely hot environments. The system relies […]
MIT Opens Its Energy-Use Data To The MIT Community
MIT has launched a new website in beta form, making available a broad swath of detailed information about energy use and carbon emissions on campus. This rich resource is available to the Institute’s students, faculty, and staff, for education, research, and decision-making purposes. The rollout of this central data “dashboard,” called Energize_MIT, is the latest in […]
How Some Battery Materials Expand Without Cracking
When you charge a battery, or when you use it, it’s not just electricity but also matter that moves around inside. Ions, which are atoms or molecules that have an electric charge, travel from one of the battery’s electrodes to the other, making the electrodes shrink and swell. In fact, it’s been a longstanding mystery […]