MIT researchers have developed a groundbreaking system known as "FeatUp" that revolutionizes the capabilities of computer vision algorithms. According to Mark Hamilton, a co-lead author on the project, the traditional challenge faced by modern algorithms is losing fine-grained details while processing information. He explains, "The big challenge of modern algorithms is that they reduce large images to very small grids of 'smart' features, gaining intelligent insights but losing the finer details."FeatUp addresses this challenge by allowing algorithms to capture both high-...
Experimental computer memories and processors built from magnetic materials have shown promise in using significantly less energy compared to traditional silicon-based devices. Researchers at MIT have made a significant breakthrough in this area by demonstrating precise control of a van der Waals magnet at room temperature.Deblina Sarkar, the AT&T Career Development Assistant Professor in the MIT Media Lab and Center for Neurobiological Engineering, explained, "The heterostructure device we have developed requires an order of magnitude lower electrical current to switch...
Pollsters and physicists are now turning to a new optimization technique that speeds up Bayesian inference without requiring additional work from scientists. This new method, called deterministic ADVI (DADVI), offers faster and more accurate results compared to traditional approaches."When you actually dig into what people are doing in the social sciences, physics, chemistry, or biology, they are often using a lot of the same tools under the hood. There are so many Bayesian analyses out there. If we can build a really great tool that makes these researchers lives easier,...
Last year, a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center showed that only 37 percent of Americans considered addressing climate change a top priority for the president and Congress. Climate change ranked 17th out of 21 national issues in the survey. However, according to renowned climate scientist and communicator MIT Professor Katharine Hayhoe, it's not that Americans don't care about climate change, but rather that they don't realize they already do.During the Connecting with Americans on Climate Change webinar last fall, Hayhoe emphasized the importance of guiding...
MIT is set to inaugurate its new music building, a 35,000-square-foot facility adjacent to Kresge Auditorium, in spring 2025. The new building, also known as Building W18, aims to provide better support for MIT's thriving musical program. It will feature high-quality rehearsal and performance spaces, a professional recording studio, classrooms, and laboratories for the music technology program.According to Keeril Makan, the Michael (1949) and Sonja Koerner Music Composition Professor and associate dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, the new music...
MIT researchers have published a paper in Nature Energy outlining a path for scaling the clean hydrogen industry while limiting emissions. The researchers aim to assist regulators in supporting the growth of the clean hydrogen industry, which is crucial for decarbonizing various industries such as steel manufacturing and fertilizer production.One of the main challenges in scaling hydrogen production is the sourcing of clean electricity. Currently, the US electric grids are primarily powered by fossil fuels, so if hydrogen production increases, it could result in a...
