A new study shows fruit-eating animals help tropical forests absorb carbon, by dispersing seeds and enabling new trees to grow. “When we lose our animals, we’re losing the ecological infrastructure that keeps our tropical forests healthy and resilient,” Evan Fricke says.
Many organizations view AI as a way to achieve productivity gains. But new research reveals a more nuanced reality: At manufacturing firms, introducing AI often leads to a temporary decline in performance, followed by stronger growth output, revenue, and employment.
A new model can predict some long-term effects of nuclear waste underground, NSE researchers report. The simulations matched real-world results from an underground experiment, suggesting the model could help validate the safety of nuclear disposal sites.
Researchers have identified compounds that can fight off viral infection by activating a defense pathway inside host cells. These compounds, they hope, could be used as antiviral drugs that work against not just one virus, but any kind of virus.
Engineers have created a coin‑sized implant that Daniel Anderson says “is always ready to protect patients from low blood sugar.” It senses low glucose, heats a shape‑memory alloy, and releases glucagon — stabilizing blood sugar within 10 minutes.
In a world without MIT, radar wouldn’t have been available to help win World War II. We might not have email, CT scans, time-release drugs, photolithography, or GPS. And we’d lose over 30,000 companies, employing millions of people. Can you imagine?
Since its founding, MIT has been key to helping American science and innovation lead the world. Discoveries that begin here generate jobs and power the economy — and what we create today builds a better tomorrow for all of us.