Energy

Gloved hands hold a small metallic component with tweezers under a blue light in a laboratory setting.

Future nuclear power reactors could rely on molten salts — but what about corrosion?

Proton irradiation decreases the rate of corrosion in certain metal alloys — potentially good news for promising nuclear power reactors .

Nancy W. Stauffer | MIT Energy Initiative

Various automotive products and battery types from brands like Halfords and Panasonic displayed on a light blue background.

Clean Energy

Why batteries come in so many sizes and shapes

Despite all working the same way, batteries are made in different sizes and shapes for reasons of cost and how easy they are to make.

Wesley Chang

A fusion energy locomotive emits a large plume of smoke as it travels through a rugged, mountainous landscape.

Clean Energy

Even as the fusion era dawns, we’re still in the Steam Age

Why do we use steam rather than other gases? Steam has lasted this long because we have an abundance of water, covering 71% of Earth’s surface.

Andreas Helwig

Oceans

A massive iceberg is about to crash into an island of penguins

A massive iceberg is expected to hit South Georgia Island. To assess the impact of the collision, researchers are deploying a pair of robot submarines.

Kristin Houser

Computer Science

These futuristic sensors will allow cars to see through fog

Quantum sensors will transform self-driving cars, medical imaging, and more.

Amanda Winkler

Climate Crisis

Making it rain with “cloud seeding”

China is using cloud seeding to create rain where and when it’s needed. Will it try to use geoengineering to combat climate change next?

Kristin Houser

Agriculture

Nematode worm could liquify slugs for US farmers

A parasitic nematode used in Europe to kill slugs was just discovered in Oregon, supporting calls to have its use for pest-control approved Stateside.

Kristin Houser

Urban Living

Google’s Tree Canopy Lab is helping LA cool down

Google’s new Tree Canopy Lab uses AI and aerial photography to combat the urban heat island effect by showing a city exactly where it could use more trees.

Kristin Houser

CRISPR

CRISPR could help save coral reefs from bleaching

Using CRISPR, scientists have identified a gene that could determine whether coral reefs are highly susceptible to bleaching or not.

Kristin Houser

Engineering

Scientists want to use a laser beam to control lightning

A new laser beam may allow scientists to control lightning, allowing them to divert a bolt to strike where it’s less likely to cause a wildfire.

Kristin Houser

Oceans

Scientists found a coral reef bigger than a skyscraper, hidden in plain sight

Researchers used an underwater robot to explore a new coral reef near Australia. The coral reef is the first reef discovery in 120 years.

Teresa Carey

Animals

We finally have footage of remoras, the ocean's hitchhikers, in action

Using never-before-seen footage, researchers are learning more about how the remora moves around its hosts.

B. David Zarley

Oceans

Mapping the ocean floor with an underwater "GPS"

MIT researchers have developed an underwater, sound-based navigation system that could make it possible to map the entire ocean floor.

Kristin Houser

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