ENGINEERING IN ACTION
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An Unexpected Ambition Borne from MIT Experience
Senior Annamarie Bair was determined to become a medical doctor when she arrived at MIT from the Midwest nearly four years ago. She was fascinated by neuroscience but had yet to channel that passion toward what became her true focus: artificial intelligence and health care. -
Engineering Joy
MIT senior Isabel “Izzy” Lloyd will graduate this spring with not only a degree in mechanical engineering, but with the pleasure of knowing she accomplished a goal she set for herself as a freshman: to impact those around her in a truly positive way. -
Computation Counts
When James Quigley applied to MIT, he didn’t need an algorithm to tell him getting in wasn’t a high-probability outcome. An Army veteran attending community college in California, he possessed a talent for math, a desire to do big things, and a sobering group of friends who insisted: “Mortals don’t get into MIT.” Quigley knew a dare when he heard one. As for probability measures, those he chose to ignore. -
Artificial Intelligence in Action
A person watching videos that show things opening — a door, a book, curtains, a blooming flower, a yawning dog — easily understands the same type of action is depicted in each clip. -
3Q: Daron Acemoglu on Technology and the Future of Work
"The way we live continuously changes in significant ways — how we learn, how we acquire food, what we emphasize, our social organizations."
IN THE NEWS
MIT engineers build smart power outlet
Design can “learn” to identify plugged-in appliances, distinguish dangerous electrical spikes from benign ones. go
Faster analysis of medical images
Algorithm makes the process of comparing 3-D scans up to 1,000 times faster. go- Oral Buyukozturk receives George W. Housner Medal for Struct...
- MIT and SUSTech announce Centers for Mechanical Engineering ...
- Charting a path to better cell models of the intestine
- “Artificial blubber” protects divers in frigid water
- Robert Langer named 2018 US Science Envoy
- Broadening the range of material rewards
- Faster analysis of medical images
ASK AN ENGINEER
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Are we harming the structure of the earth by taking so much oil out of it?
No. You see, the earth is like a can of soup….
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Can a honeybee cause a sonic boom if it travels fast enough?
Sure it can — but sadly, the bee isn’t likely to survive the experience…
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Can nuclear waste be put to some positive use instead of just polluting the environment?
Technically yes, but we need to develop the technology to make it feasible…
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Can humans fly like birds?
It all depends on what you mean by “fly like birds”…
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Is it possible to collect energy from a moving roller coaster?
Yes, but you can’t generate enough to power the roller coaster with itself…
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Are Santa’s reindeer used for propulsion or navigation?
Both. They work as a team — and Santa is an incredible pilot…
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Why does our hair turn gray — as opposed to green or some other color — as we age?
Gray hair, sagging skin, wrinkles — all signs of aging can be traced to the same cause: dying cells…
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Are nanoparticles harmful to the environment?
Even though nanoparticles are everywhere — including your back yard — their safety is something that researchers are still trying to understand…