Science

Side by side of mouse embryos. The one on the left appears to be developing normally, but the one on the right has an extra pair of legs.
Genetics
How turning off one gene causes mice to grow 6 legs
A study of embryo development in mice led to the creation of a mutant mouse fetus with an extra pair of legs in place of genitals.
Kristin Houser
A man in a suit stands next to a robotic arm with computer-brain interfaces on a stage under blue lighting.
Big Tech
In a future with brain-computer interfaces like Elon Musk’s Neuralink, we may need to rethink freedom of thought
In a future with more “mind reading,” thanks to computer-brain interfaces, we may need to rethink freedom of thought.
Parker Crutchfield
Oceans
Artificial reef designed by MIT engineers could protect marine life, reduce storm damage
An MIT team is hoping to fortify coastlines with “architected” reefs engineered to mimic the wave-buffering effects of natural reefs.
Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office
An image of a tree paired with an image of smoke billowing out of a group of smoke stacks.
Climate Crisis
Plants are likely to absorb more CO₂ in a changing climate than we thought – here’s why
Jürgen Knauer
a colorful close up image of an anthrobot
Biology
Tiny biobots surprise their creators by healing wound
Kristin Houser
a colorful gif of lab-grown pancreatic cells
Biology
This startup is solving the biggest problem to creating drugs that work
Kristin Houser
A black and white image of organic carbon with microscopic folds.
Geology
A mineral produced by plate tectonics has a global cooling effect, study finds
Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office
3D rendering of a DNA strand being cut
CRISPR
Search algorithm reveals nearly 200 new kinds of CRISPR systems
Allessandra DiCorato | Broad Institute | MIT News
Two blue powders in a bowl on a black background undergoing mechanochemistry.
Inventions
Grinding scientists: Mechanochemistry could revolutionize the creation of new materials
Tom Hartsfield
Two black holes exhibiting wave-particle duality in the middle of space.
Physics
Do gravitational waves exhibit wave-particle duality?
Ethan Siegel
An awe-inspiring volcano in Iceland spewing fiery lava.
Geology
Volcanic Iceland is rumbling again as magma rises
Jaime Toro
A plant exhibiting robust growth in the soil with a chemical symbol faintly visible in the background.
Agriculture
Exposing plants to an unusual chemical early on may bolster their growth and help feed the world
Brad Binder
A cardiopulmonary bypass (CBP) device being used on a patient
Neuroscience
A new machine is able to keep the brain alive without a heart
Kristin Houser