earth’s-center-is-moving,-and-nasa-just-measured-it

Earth’s center of mass is constantly on the move, shifting by a few millimeters as enormous amounts of water, ice, and even air migrate around the planet with the seasons. NASA scientists have developed a more precise way to track these tiny swings using laser-ranging satellites, GPS data, and measurementsContinue Reading

using-ai-to-mitigate-the-growing-environmental-threat-of-data-centers

The global building boom of power-hungry data centers is straining electrical grids, causing greater reliance on energy from polluting fossil fuels. Christina Delimitrou, a newly tenured associate professor at MIT, is fighting this environmental threat by rethinking how the computer servers and networking equipment inside those data centers operate.  SheContinue Reading

mit-researchers-tackle-the-economic-realities-of-fusion-power

In the last decade, scientists have shown that fusion energy can work, as a physical process. Next question: Can it work economically?  A study co-authored by MIT professors Dennis Whyte and Andrew W. Lo proposes a framework for understanding what’s needed to make fusion energy commercially viable in the marketplace.Continue Reading

melting-ice-reveals-artifacts-in-the-swiss-alps

Switzerland has lost almost 20 percent of its ice within just five years. One surprising consequence of this melting is that ancient artifacts once frozen in the glaciers are now revealing themselves. Our climate reporter Raymond Zhong takes us on a search for ancient objects.Continue Reading

compounding-climate-impacts-drive-tropical-forest-decline

Extreme heat, drought and ozone from fire emissions are devastating the Amazon and other rainforests, new research shows. By Bob Berwyn Ozone pollution from fires, along with extreme heat and drought, is further weakening the Amazon rainforest’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide, new research shows. Continue Reading

turning-the-tide-on-massachusetts-shellfishing-data

Until recently, when a Massachusetts shellfish warden needed to know how much rain had fallen overnight before deciding whether to close a shellfishing area, the process might look something like this: call a local resident who happened to own a rain gauge, ask for the measurement, write it down, andContinue Reading

scientists-changed-how-zoo-lions-eat.-their-wild-side-came-out

Giving zoo lions whole carcasses on a feast-and-fast schedule appears to bring out more natural behavior. The lions spent nearly three times longer feeding, engaged in more tearing and manipulating of food, and rested more heavily after meals. Their activity then increased gradually during the fasting period, closely resembling theContinue Reading