Perplexity Patents is currently in beta and free for all users. Here's how to try it. [...]

Spacetime isn’t something that exists; it’s a model for describing how events happen. Treating events as objects creates philosophical confusion and fuels misconceptions, such as time-travel paradoxes. Recognizing that events merely occur within an existing world brings clarity to physics and philosophy alike. [...]

A team of astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to create the first 3D atmospheric map of an exoplanet. The fiery WASP-18b, a massive “ultra-hot Jupiter,” revealed striking temperature contrasts, including regions so hot they destroy water molecules. This pioneering eclipse mapping technique lets scientists visualize alien weather in [...]

It's a battle of device ecosystems - but is one truly better? Here's my verdict. [...]

Cement infused with carbon and hydrogel can store electrical energy while remaining strong enough for construction, suggesting a future where buildings contribute directly to energy storage. [...]

An elastic metamaterial can do math by directing motion through tiny pathways, showing how materials might one day handle simple computing tasks without electronics. [...]

More screen time among children and teens is linked to higher risks of heart and metabolic problems, particularly when combined with insufficient sleep. Danish researchers discovered a measurable rise in cardiometabolic risk scores and a metabolic “fingerprint” in frequent screen users. Experts say better sleep and balanced daily routines can [...]

I compared the Sonos Arc Ultra and Marshall Heston 120 - here's what makes each one shine, and which might be the better fit for you. [...]

Make responsible AI part of system design and deployment, not an afterthought. Industry experts offer guidelines for building and managing responsible applications. [...]

Astronomers have captured a haunting image of a “cosmic bat” spreading its wings across deep space. This nebula, 10,000 light-years away, glows crimson as newborn stars ignite clouds of gas and dust. [...]

A sunlight-powered reactor turns ordinary sewage into hydrogen fuel while cleaning the water, showing how simple materials could make wastewater treatment more efficient and energy producing. [...]

Researchers uncovered a crucial mechanism that reveals how electrons and atoms interact to create a new quasiparticle and change conductivity in rare earth material. [...]

The Taurid meteor shower, born from Comet Encke, delights skywatchers but may conceal hidden risks. Research led by Mark Boslough examines potential Taurid swarms that could increase impact danger in 2032 and 2036. Using planetary defense modeling and telescope data, scientists assess these threats while fighting misinformation and promoting preparedness. [...]

Are you feeling it? I hear it’s close: two years, five years—maybe next year! And I hear it’s going to change everything: it will cure disease, save the planet, and usher in an age of abundance. It will solve our biggest problems in ways we cannot yet imagine. It will redefine [...]

Four years is a lifetime when it comes to artificial intelligence. Since the first edition of this study was published in 2021, AI’s capabilities have been advancing at speed, and the advances have not slowed since generative AI’s breakthrough. For example, multimodality— the ability to process information not only as [...]

Separating AI reality from hyped-up fiction isn’t always easy. That’s why we’ve created the AI Hype Index—a simple, at-a-glance summary of everything you need to know about the state of the industry. Just about all businesses these days seem to be pivoting to AI, even when they don’t seem to know [...]

A new study reveals that when interacting with AI tools like ChatGPT, everyone—regardless of skill level—overestimates their performance. Researchers found that the usual Dunning-Kruger Effect disappears, and instead, AI-literate users show even greater overconfidence in their abilities. [...]

Researchers at Tsinghua University developed the Optical Feature Extraction Engine (OFE2), an optical engine that processes data at 12.5 GHz using light rather than electricity. Its integrated diffraction and data preparation modules enable unprecedented speed and efficiency for AI tasks. Demonstrations in imaging and trading showed improved accuracy, lower latency, [...]

How can you use science to build a better gingerbread house?That was something Miranda Schwacke spent a lot of time thinking about. The MIT graduate student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) is part of Kitchen Matters, a group of grad students who use food and kitchen tools [...]

On Oct. 20 during its annual meeting, the National Academy of Medicine announced the election of 100 new members, including MIT faculty members Dina Katabi and Facundo Batista, along with three additional MIT alumni.Election to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) is considered one of the highest honors in the [...]

A new computational tool developed by researchers has uncovered genetic evidence directly linking Alzheimer’s disease to the loss of memory-making neurons, helping to resolve a decades-long mystery in dementia research. The algorithm, called seismic, matches genetic data to individual cell types, outperforming previous methods and highlighting how specific brain cells—not [...]

A wireless eye implant developed at Stanford Medicine has restored reading ability to people with advanced macular degeneration. The PRIMA chip works with smart glasses to replace lost photoreceptors using infrared light. Most trial participants regained functional vision, reading books and recognizing signs. Researchers are now developing higher-resolution versions that [...]

Researchers at the University of Surrey developed an AI that predicts what a person’s knee X-ray will look like in a year, helping track osteoarthritis progression. The tool provides both a visual forecast and a risk score, offering doctors and patients a clearer understanding of the disease. Faster and more [...]

When it comes to artificial intelligence, MIT and IBM were there at the beginning: laying foundational work and creating some of the first programs — AI predecessors — and theorizing how machine “intelligence” might come to be.Today, collaborations like the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, which launched eight years ago, are [...]

A new study comparing human and AI-generated conversations reveals that large language models like ChatGPT and Claude still fail to convincingly mimic natural human dialogue. Researchers found that these systems over-imitate their conversation partners, misuse filler words such as “well” or “like,” and struggle with natural openings and closings. [...]

A new study reveals that most people fail to recognize racial bias embedded in AI systems, even when it is visible in the training data. The research shows that artificial intelligence trained on imbalanced datasets—such as happy white faces and sad Black faces—learns to associate race with emotion, perpetuating biased [...]

It’s hard to keep up with the ever-changing trends of the fashion world. What’s “in” one minute is often out of style the next season, potentially causing you to re-evaluate your wardrobe.Staying current with the latest fashion styles can be wasteful and expensive, though. Roughly 92 million tons of textile waste [...]