Science

Why happiness is not the best indicator of well-being

Achieving values and pursuing growth is the real secret to a fulfilled life.

Jason Crawford

How Arc Institute is bringing science into the century of biology

Stephen Johnson

A vibrant graphic illustration featuring a large leafy plant with integrated plant sensors, comic-style speech bubbles containing exclamation marks, and a round bubble depicting ants, set against a blue textured background.

Agriculture

Plant sensors could act as an early warning system for farmers

Using sensors made from carbon nanotubes, researchers discovered signals that help plants respond to stresses like heat, light, or attack.

Anne Trafton | MIT News Office

a pair of antlers on a colorful background

Biology

Mice grow mini deer antlers after stem cell transplant

The discovery of a new type of stem cell in deer antlers could lead to breakthroughs in human regeneration.

Kristin Houser

a cute mouse with a background pattern of the Mars symbol

Biology

First healthy mice with two dads — and no moms — born in Japan

For the first time, scientists have created healthy, fertile mouse pups using only the DNA of two adult males.

Kristin Houser

Clean Energy

The ocean “twilight zone” could store vast amounts of carbon captured from the atmosphere

There may be ways to enhance natural processes so the ocean pulls more carbon out of the atmosphere to help slow climate change.

Peter de Menocal

Virology

“Zombie virus” revived after 48,500 years in permafrost

A newly discovered “zombie virus” was still able to infect hosts more than 48,500 years after it was trapped in Siberian permafrost.

Kristin Houser

Agriculture

Watch: Scientists breed flame-resistant cotton, without added chemicals

USDA researchers have developed self-extinguishing cotton lines, potentially cutting down on the need for flame retardants in the future.

B. David Zarley

a woman looking at tomato plants in a greenhouse

Agriculture

Pest-resistant tomatoes finally available after 30-year wait

New lines of naturally pest-resistant tomatoes could help end farmers’ reliance on pesticides to protect their crops.

Kristin Houser

Sustainability

How to pull carbon dioxide out of seawater

Researchers have found an effective new method for removing carbon dioxide from salt water in the ocean.

David L. Chandler | MIT News

Physics

“Nothing” doesn’t exist. Instead, there is “quantum foam”

Even if you took an empty container devoid of all matter and cooled it to absolute zero, there is still "something" in the container.

Don Lincoln

Biology

In a first, scientists use AI to create brand new enzymes

In a scientific first, researchers have created brand new enzymes designed with the help of AI.

B. David Zarley

Ecosystems

Strange life forms create an “alien” ecosystem in an abandoned uranium mine

Scientists have found diverse life forms dwelling in an abandoned, flooded uranium mine in Germany, creating an "alien" ecosystem.

Ross Pomeroy

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