Improving predictions of sea level rise for the next century
When we think of climate change, one of the most dramatic images that comes to mind is the loss of glacial ice. As the Earth warms, these enormous rivers of…
Using nature’s structures in wooden buildings
Concern about climate change has focused significant attention on the buildings sector, in particular on the extraction and processing of construction materials. The concrete and steel industries together are responsible…
Q&A: More-sustainable concrete with machine learning
As a building material, concrete withstands the test of time. Its use dates back to early civilizations, and today it is the most popular composite choice in the world. However,…
Study finds indoor air cleaners fall short on removing volatile organic compound
Consumer-grade air cleaners that promise to reduce indoor levels of volatile organic compound (VOC) pollutants using chemical oxidation can be a source of VOCs themselves, according to a new study…
Making roadway spending more sustainable
The share of federal spending on infrastructure has reached an all-time low, falling from 30 percent in 1960 to just 12 percent in 2018. While the nation’s ailing infrastructure will…
Interdisciplinary research collaboration puts climate-resilient crops in sight
Any houseplant owner knows that changes in the amount of water or sunlight a plant receives can put it under immense stress. A dying plant brings certain disappointment to anyone…
Concrete’s role in reducing building and pavement emissions
Encountering concrete is a common, even routine, occurrence. And that’s exactly what makes concrete exceptional. As the most consumed material after water, concrete is indispensable to the many essential systems…
Life in space: Preparing for an increasingly tangible reality
As a not-so-distant future that includes space tourism and people living off-planet approaches, the MIT Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative is designing and researching the activities humans will pursue in…
3 Questions: Asegun Henry on five “grand thermal challenges” to stem the tide of global warming
More than 90 percent of the world’s energy use today involves heat, whether for producing electricity, heating and cooling buildings and vehicles, manufacturing steel and cement, or other industrial activities.…
3 Questions: Asegun Henry on five “grand thermal challenges” to stem the tide of global warming
More than 90 percent of the world’s energy use today involves heat, whether for producing electricity, heating and cooling buildings and vehicles, manufacturing steel and cement, or other industrial activities.…