And it can generate sentences trained on their own writing.
Just 37% of kids have gotten flu shots this year, according to new CDC data. That’s down seven percentage points, from 44% of kids getting shots by this same time last year.
The data concerns health officials, especially since a record number of children died of flu-related causes last year.
Ultimately, 55% of kids got vaccinated against the flu during the 2023–24 flu season, which was the lowest rate in 12 years, a CDC official told NBC News. Vaccination rates have fallen for a variety of childhood vaccines in recent years. The trend has been blamed on vaccine fatigue after the pandemic as well as misinformation about the safety of childhood shots.
By searching sparsely populated regions of the galaxy, astronomers have for the first time found the source of a kind of signal that has puzzled them for years.
A new photonic chip designed by MIT scientists performs all deep neural network computations optically, achieving tasks in under a nanosecond with over 92% accuracy.
This could revolutionize high-demand computing applications, opening the door to high-speed processors that can learn in real-time.
Photonic Machine Learning
MIT engineers have discovered that the mobula ray, a type of filter-feeding aquatic ray, utilizes a unique mechanism to feed and breathe simultaneously, which could revolutionize industrial water filters.
By studying the geometry of the ray’s mouth and gill structures, they developed a blueprint for more efficient filtration systems, balancing permeability with selectivity to enhance performance without increasing energy consumption.
Filter Feeding and Engineering Insights.
MIT researchers have developed an environmentally friendly alternative to the harmful microbeads used in some health and beauty products.
These new polymers break down into harmless sugars and amino acids and could also encapsulate nutrients for food fortification, showing promise in both cosmetic and nutritional applications.
Biodegradable Solutions by MIT.
Researchers at MIT have developed a method to detect small asteroids in the main asteroid belt, significantly improving our ability to spot objects as little as 10 meters across.
This new technique, which identified 138 space rocks ranging from bus-to stadium-sized, allows for earlier detection and better tracking of potential near-Earth objects, enhancing planetary defense. The approach, using data from telescopes initially aimed at exoplanets, has uncovered over a hundred new asteroids, with implications for understanding asteroid origins and collision processes.
Advancements in Asteroid Detection.
A cutting-edge X-ray method reveals the 3D orientation of nanoscale material structures, offering fresh insights into their functionality.
Researchers at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) have developed a groundbreaking technique called X-ray linear dichroic orientation tomography (XL-DOT). This method reveals the three-dimensional arrangement of a material’s structural building blocks at the nanoscale. Its first application focused on a polycrystalline catalyst, enabling scientists to visualize crystal grains, grain boundaries, and defects—critical features that influence catalyst performance. Beyond catalysis, XL-DOT offers unprecedented insights into the structure of various functional materials used in information technology, energy storage, and biomedical applications.
Theory of quantum anomalous Hall phases in pentalayer rhombohedral graphene moiré structures https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.
MIT physicists surprised to discover electrons in pentalayer graphene can exhibit fractional charge.
New theoretical research from MIT physicists explains how it could work, suggesting that electron interactions in confined two-dimensional spaces lead to novel quantum states, independent of magnetic fields.
Groundbreaking Discovery in Graphene
MIT physicists have made significant progress in understanding how electrons can split into fractional charges. Their findings reveal the conditions that create exotic electronic states in graphene and other two-dimensional materials.
NASAs SPHEREx observatory will lend insight into what happened after the Big Bang, measure the glow of galaxies near and far, and search the Milky Way for building blocks of life.
NASA and SpaceX are planning to launch the SPHEREx astrophysics observatory in late February 2025. SPHEREx, which stands for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer, will lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Roughly the size of a subcompact car, SPHEREx will enter a polar orbit around Earth. From there, it will map the entire sky in 3D by capturing images in every direction, similar to scanning the inside of a globe. The resulting map will feature hundreds of millions of stars and galaxies, displayed in 102 distinct colors, each representing a unique wavelength of light.