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

3D Printing

“Bioprinted” skin could help end animal testing for cosmetics

Bioprinted skin can now look and act so much like real skin that it could one day replace some animal testing.

Sam Jarman

Physics

How Einstein challenged quantum mechanics and lost

Is quantum mechanics weird? Yes. Is it wrong? No. At least not in any way Albert Einstein could prove.

Adam Frank

A digitally-colorized image of an E. coli bacterium

Biology

New “cyborg” cells could be the future of medicine

Semi-living “cyborg” cells might one day do everything from deliver cancer treatments to help clean up the environment.

Kristin Houser

Archaeology

Ancient mystery solved: Why was Roman concrete so durable?

How have Roman walls held up so long? Their ancient manufacturing strategy may hold the key to designing concrete that lasts for millennia.

David L. Chandler | MIT News

Brain

Brain experiment suggests that consciousness relies on quantum entanglement

Researchers possibly witnessed entanglement in the brain, indicating that some brain activity, like consciousness, operates on a quantum level.

Elizabeth Fernandez

CRISPR

Scientists use CRISPR to add an alligator gene into catfish

By using CRISPR to insert an alligator gene into catfish, Alabama scientists radically increased their disease resistance.

Kristin Houser

Physics

How to prove Einstein’s relativity for under $100

Muons only live for 2.2 microseconds before decaying. Thanks to Einstein's relativity, they make it to the surface of the earth. Here's how to prove it.

Ethan Siegel

Genetics

Study finds 155 tiny new genes evolving in humans

Microproteins encoded in short strands of DNA reveal our recent evolutionary history, and hint at how human genetics may be changing.

Sam Jarman

CRISPR

Resurrecting a 2.6 billion-year-old ancient CRISPR system

Researchers have resurrected an ancient CRISPR system 2.6 billion years old, capable of editing genes in the modern day.

B. David Zarley

CRISPR

New killer CRISPR system is unlike any scientists have seen

CRISPR-Cas12a2 — a system that causes cells to self-destruct — could lead to new cancer treatments, better diagnostic tests, and more.

Kristin Houser

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