massachusetts institute of technology
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The Marathon Race Toward Fusion Power Could Be Reaching a Sprint
In September, a very large, incredibly powerful magnet was unloaded in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance in Southern France to be incorporated into the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), a major international collaboration that is attempting to prove the economic and technical feasibility of nuclear fusion.
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MIT Confirms A Bridge Leonardo Da Vinci Designed 500 Years Ago Was An Ancient Engineering Marvel
Some 500 years after his death, researchers are still discovering just how talented and brilliant Leonardo da Vinci was. Architects and civil engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used a 3D printer to create a replica of a bridge da Vinci designed, but never built. To their surprise, not only did it work, but…
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Touchy, Feely Robots Have Learned To Play Jenga As Well As Humans Can
A steady hand is needed to play a game like Jenga without toppling the tower, but being a successful block-stacker also requires a fine-tuned sense of touch as you try to find the perfect piece to remove. Until recently it meant robots relying solely on visual data weren’t actually great at playing Jenga (yay, humanity!)…
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MIT Thinks Furry Wetsuits Could Keep Divers Even Warmer
Ocean-dwelling creatures like whales, seals and walruses don’t freeze in the icy waters thanks to their thick layers of insulating blubber. But how do scrawny sea otters stay warm? Their furry coats trap air which also works as an insulator, and researchers at MIT think that approach could help keep humans warmer under water, too.