A baseball-sized sensor can detect chemical threats

Jesse Thaler named director of the Laboratory for Nuclear Science

Professor Jesse Thaler has been appointed director of the MIT Laboratory for Nuclear Science (LNS), effective August 1, succeeding Professor Bolek Wyslouch. Thaler is a theoretical particle physicist known for combining quantum field theory and machine learning to tackle fundamental physics questions. He previously served as inaugural director of the NSF AI Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions (IAIFI) since 2020, which was recently renewed for five years. At LNS, he plans to advance AI-driven scientific discovery, building on his work applying cutting-edge AI algorithms to collider experiment data and theoretical calculations in particle physics.

MIT-Kalaniyot program expands, with new cohort of scholars

MIT-Kalaniyot, a program connecting MIT with Israeli researchers, is welcoming its second cohort of 11 scholars — seven postdoctoral fellows and four sabbatical scholars — for the 2026-27 academic year. Founded by MIT professors Or Hen and Ernest Fraenkel as a response to campus tensions over Middle East conflict, the program spans all five MIT schools and covers disciplines from quantum computing to modern history. The model has since been adopted by Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Dartmouth, Penn, and USC. Founders aim to eventually establish Kalaniyot as a recognized MIT center with seed grant funding for cross-border research.

Boleslaw Wyslouch steps down as director of Laboratory for Nuclear Science

Boleslaw 'Bolek' Wyslouch is stepping down after more than 10 years as director of MIT's Laboratory for Nuclear Science (LNS), transitioning to lead the Bates Research and Engineering Center. During his tenure, LNS significantly expanded its research volume, brought low-energy nuclear physics into the lab as a new area, secured NSF funding for an AI Institute for Fundamental Interactions, and received a $20 million donation for the Center for Theoretical Physics. Wyslouch is a founder of the relativistic heavy ion program in the CMS experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider and has contributed to major discoveries in heavy ion collisions.

MIT in the media: Innovating and educating for the next 250 years of America

MIT President Sally Kornbluth and ASU President Michael Crow discussed the future of university education and research at a Washington Post Live panel. Kornbluth emphasized the importance of curiosity-driven, federally funded basic research as the foundation for medical and technological breakthroughs, warning that frozen federal funds threaten the innovation pipeline. On AI, she advocates a human-centric approach where students use AI as an augmentation tool while maintaining foundational STEM skills, strong writing, and ethical grounding. She also highlighted MIT's economic impact — over 30,000 spinout companies and an economic footprint equivalent to the 14th largest GDP — and its accessibility initiatives including free tuition for families earning under $200,000.

MIT in the media: Exploring how curiosity-driven science is an essential ingredient in America’s success

Bài viết trên tạp chí Scientific American giới thiệu vai trò quan trọng của nghiên cứu khoa học định hướng tò mò (curiosity-driven research) trong thành công của Mỹ, với sự đóng góp của các giảng viên, sinh viên và cựu sinh viên MIT. Các chuyên gia nhấn mạnh nhu cầu đầu tư công bền vững vào khoa học cơ bản, đồng thời lo ngại về sự bất ổn trong tài trợ liên bang, rào cản nhập cư và suy giảm niềm tin vào chuyên gia, dù vẫn lạc quan nhờ lịch sử đổi mới của Mỹ.

Lập trình viên nên đọc bài này để hiểu cách các nhà khoa học tự do khám phá (curiosity-driven) không chỉ thúc đẩy tiến bộ khoa học mà còn tạo ra những công nghệ đột phá—như AI, sinh học tổng hợp và năng lượng tái tạo—đã định hình nền tảng cho các ứng dụng tương lai của phần mềm và hệ thống thông minh.

Plants appear to detect the patter of falling rain

MIT engineers have discovered the first direct evidence that plant seeds can sense sounds in nature. Rice seeds submerged in shallow water germinated 30–40% faster when exposed to vibrations from water droplets hitting the surface. The mechanism involves sound waves dislodging gravity-sensing organelles called statoliths, which signal seeds to sprout. This may provide a biological advantage: seeds close enough to detect rain sounds are likely at an optimal depth for growth.

Summer 2026 recommended reading from MIT

MIT faculty and staff published a wide range of books between July 2025 and June 2026, spanning fiction, poetry, science, engineering, humanities, social sciences, technology, and entrepreneurship. Highlights include works on AI auditing, carbon removal, vaccine skepticism, drone warfare, Bayesian entrepreneurship, climate tech startups, and cultural evolution in the age of AI. The list covers authors from departments including MIT Sloan, Media Lab, Comparative Media Studies, and more.