Materials
Green batteries: extract of madder plant works as lithium-ion cathode
13 Dec 2012
Scientists have discovered that the madder plant, aka Rubia tinctorum, is a good source of an organic dye that can be turned into a highly effective, natural cathode for lithium-ion batteries
Composites for large-scale manufacturing
07 Dec 2012
Engineers demonstrate micro fuel cell made of glass
By By Eric Gershon | 05 Dec 2012
Quick-cooking nanomaterials in a low-cost microwave oven to make tomorrow’s solid-state ACs, refrigerators
05 Dec 2012
The music of the silks: this new material responds to music
By By David L. Chandler, MIT News Office | 03 Dec 2012
Size diversity in cement nanoparticles optimizes packing density to give concrete its strength
By By Denise Brehm, civil and environmental engineeri | 29 Nov 2012
Funneling the sun’s energy
29 Nov 2012
MIT engineers propose a new way of harnessing photons for electricity, with the potential for capturing a wider spectrum of solar energy. By David L. Chandler, MIT News Office
New structures self-assemble in synchronised dance
26 Nov 2012
With self-assembly guiding the steps and synchronisation providing the rhythm, a new class of materials forms dynamic, moving structures in an intricate dance.
A step toward stronger polymers
24 Nov 2012
Fabrication on patterned silicon carbide produces bandgap for graphene-based electronics
21 Nov 2012
Making ‘nanospinning’ practical
By By Larry Hardesty, MIT News Office | 21 Nov 2012
Nanofibres have a dizzying range of possible applications, but they’ve been prohibitively expensive to make. MIT researchers hope to change that
A new way of making glass
10 Nov 2012
Quality products from rubber residues
09 Nov 2012
Latest articles
Featured articles
The Thirsty Cloud: Why 2026 Is the Year AI Bottlenecks Shift From Chips to Water
By Axel Miller | 28 Jan 2026
As AI server density surges in 2026, data centers face a new bottleneck deeper than chips — the massive water demand required for cooling next-generation infrastructure.
The New Airspace Economy: How Geopolitics Is Rewriting Aviation Costs in 2026
By Axel Miller | 22 Jan 2026
Airspace bans, sanctions and corridor risk are forcing airlines into costly detours in 2026, raising fuel burn, reducing aircraft utilisation and pushing airfares higher worldwide.
India’s Data Center Arms Race: The Battle for Power, Cooling, and AI Real Estate
By Cygnus | 22 Jan 2026
India’s data centre boom is turning into an AI arms race where power contracts, liquid cooling and fast commissioning decide the winners across Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.
India’s Oil Balancing Act: Refiners Rebuild Middle East Supply Lines as Russia Flows Disrupt
By Axel Miller | 21 Jan 2026
India’s refiners are rebalancing crude sourcing as Russian imports fell to a two-year low in December 2025, lifting OPEC’s share and raising geopolitical risk concerns.
Arctic Fever: How ‘Greenland Tariff’ Politics Sparked a Global Flight to Safety
By Axel Miller | 20 Jan 2026
Greenland-linked tariff threats have injected fresh uncertainty into transatlantic trade, triggering a risk-off shift in markets and reshaping global supply chain planning.
The New Oil (Part 5): Friend-Shoring, Supply Chain Fragmentation and the Cost of Resilience
By Cygnus | 19 Jan 2026
Friend-shoring is reshaping lithium, rare earth and graphite supply chains, creating a resilience premium and new winners and losers in clean tech.
The New Oil (Part 4): Can Technology Break the Dependency?
By Cygnus | 16 Jan 2026
Can magnet recycling and rare-earth-free motors reduce global dependence on strategic minerals? Part 4 explores breakthroughs, limits and timelines.
India’s Gig Economy Reset: The End of ‘10-Minute Delivery’ Hype?
By Cygnus | 14 Jan 2026
India’s quick-commerce sector is shifting away from “10-minute delivery” hype amid worker safety concerns and rising regulation. Here’s what changes—and what doesn’t.
AI Is Becoming the New Electricity Crisis: Why the Real Bottleneck Is Megawatts
By Axel Miller | 14 Jan 2026
AI is turning into an electricity crisis as data centres scale from chips to megawatts. Grid bottlenecks, copper demand and cooling limits are now the real AI constraints.
