research news

Aliens at sea

When anthropologist Stefan Helmreich decided to study scientists who chase some of the world's smallest creatures in some of the world's most forbidding places, his research took an unexpected twist. February 5

Signs point to sponges as earliest animal life

Our earliest animal ancestors, it appears, were sponges. New evidence found by researchers at MIT, UC Riverside and other institutions shows these earliest sponges may predate the Ediacarian period by as much as 80 million years. February 4

Mass. General, MIT and Harvard launch innovative effort to search for AIDS vaccine

The presidents of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University announced today the creation of the Phillip T. and Susan M. Ragon Institute, formed to find new ways of preventing and curing human disease through harnessing the power of the immune system. February 4

Study links causes of Parkinson's

Scientists at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research have demonstrated one of the first links between genetic and environmental causes of Parkinson's disease. February 1

Field of neurotech spawns brainy businesses

The rapidly growing field of neurotechnology is becoming a boon for existing businesses while generating startup ventures. With the aim of grooming the sector's future leaders, MIT has created a new research program and is offering numerous classes. January 29

Physicists discover variation in superconductors

MIT physicists have discovered that several high-temperature superconductors display patchwork quilt-like variations at the atomic scale, a surprising finding that could help scientists understand a new class of unconventional materials. January 27

The role of race

Through careful analysis of 2008 exit-poll data, researchers found that Barack Obama won the election precisely because of his race, most significantly because of his appeal among black voters who turned out in record numbers. January 20

Nitric oxide shown to cause colon cancer

Scientists from MIT's Division of Comparative Medicine and Department of Biological Engineering have found that nitric oxide produced by inflammatory cells during bacterial infection can cause colon cells to become cancerous. January 19

Schizophrenia may cause exaggerated focus on self

Schizophrenia may blur the boundary between internal and external realities by over-activating a brain system that is involved in self-reflection, and thus causing an exaggerated focus on self, a new MIT and Harvard brain imaging study has found. January 19

A better way to pinpoint underground oil reserves

Picture this: an accurate map of a large underground oil reservoir that can guide engineers' efforts to coax the oil from the vast rocky subsurface into wells where it can be pumped out for storage or transport. January 16

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