MIT sleep study delivers unexpected and eye-opening findings
MIT study suggests that more sleep, by itself, isn’t necessarily sufficient to bring about an improved sense of well-being and productivity.
The Brighter Side of News features good news, compassionate news and inspirational news from around the world
Sign up for the Brighter Side of News newsletter
Joseph Shavit
- Sep 24
MIT, Harvard and Stanford scientists find “weaker ties” are more beneficial for job seekers
Paper presents first large-scale experimental evidence on causal effects of strong and weak ties on job mobility.
Joseph Shavit
- Sep 11
Groundbreaking device converts seawater to drinking water with the push of a button
MIT researchers have developed a portable desalination unit, weighing less than 10 kg, that can remove particles and salts from seawater.
Joseph Shavit
- Sep 2
Groundbreaking engine has no moving parts and is more efficient than a steam turbine
The heat engine converts heat to electricity with over 40 percent efficiency — a performance better than that of traditional steam turbines.
Joseph Shavit
- Aug 25
MIT sleep research reveals eye-opening results
Many people find getting more sleep gives them increased energy, emotional control, and an improved sense of well-being.
Joseph Shavit
- Aug 24
MIT engineers manufacture a chip-free, wireless, electronic 'skin'
The device senses and wirelessly transmits signals related to pulse, sweat, and ultraviolet exposure, without bulky chips or batteries.
Joseph Shavit
- Aug 22
Groundbreaking semiconductor material is the best ever and maybe the best possible, MIT finds
Silicon is one of the most abundant elements on Earth, and in its pure form the material has become the foundation of much of modern tech.
Joshua Shavit
- Aug 17
Silk offers an alternative to some microplastics
Microplastics, tiny particles of plastic that are now found worldwide in the air, water, and soil, are increasingly recognized.
Joshua Shavit
- Aug 4
New computer hardware runs 1 million times faster than the synapses in the human brain
A practical inorganic material in the fabrication process enables their devices to run 1 million times faster than previous versions.
Joseph Shavit
- Aug 2
MIT developed heat engine has no moving parts --- is more efficient than a steam turbine
Engineers at MIT and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have designed a heat engine with no moving parts.
Joseph Shavit
- Aug 1
CRISPR-carrying nanoparticles can reduce your cholesterol, MIT researchers find
In a new study, MIT researchers have developed nanoparticles that can deliver the CRISPR genome-editing system and specifically modify genes
Joseph Shavit
- Jul 23
New material significantly outperforms silicon microprocessors
Silicon is one of Earth's most abundant elements, and in its pure form the material has become the foundation of much of modern technology.
Joseph Shavit
- Jul 14
Portable technology converts seawater to drinking water with the push of a button
MIT researchers have developed a portable desalination unit, weighing less than 10 kilograms, that can generate drinking water from seawater
Joseph Shavit
- Jul 1
Unlocking the million-year energy source below our feet
There’s an abandoned coal power plant in upstate New York that most people regard as a useless relic.Paul Woskov sees things differently.
Joseph Shavit
- Jun 27
Astronomers discover a multiplanet system very close to Earth
MIT astronomers have discovered two terrestrial, Earth-sized, planets that lie just 10 parsecs, or about 33 light-years, from Earth.
Joshua Shavit
- Jun 25
Quantum sensor breakthrough detects signals in all electromagnetic frequencies
Researchers have developed a method to enable quantum sensors to detect any arbitrary frequency, with no loss of their ability to measure
Joseph Shavit
- Jun 8
MIT researchers invent $4 solar-powered desalination device
An estimated two-thirds of humanity is affected by shortages of water and in the developing world face a lack of dependable electricity.
Joseph Shavit
- May 14
Ultrathin fuel cell uses the body's own sugar to generate electricity
Hydrogen fuel cells convert hydrogen to electricity with water vapour as the only by-product, making them an attractive green alternative.
Joseph Shavit
- Apr 29
Wallpaper your room with new paper-thin speaker techology
MIT researchers have developed an ultrathin loudspeaker that can turn any rigid surface into a high-quality, active audio source.
Joseph Shavit
- Apr 19
Why does an Oreo’s cream filling stick to just one wafer when twisted apart?
Mechanical engineers put an Oreo’s cream filling through a battery of tests to understand what happens when two wafers are twisted apart.