MIT Department of Physics

10/13/2026

Canadian telescope directly maps earliest glow of hydrogen, opening a new window on the universe - https://physics.mit.edu/?p=25707

The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) has shown, for the first time, that it can detect the faint glow of hydrogen gas from deep in the universe’s past using only its own data. The breakthrough paves the way for a faster, less expensive method for scientists to study dark ener...

10/06/2026

“When we think of stars interacting with planets or brown dwarfs, the picture is always that the star eventually swallows the other thing,” says Kevin Burdge '15, assistant professor of physics at MIT. “This is what will happen to the Earth when the sun becomes a red giant. But here, we’ve found an alternative: Instead of swallowing the thing up, the star can gradually eat it, for billions of years.”

The MIT Physics Department is committed to excellence in research and education. We are also committed to continuously improving the working environment for our students, faculty, and staff through our Physics Community Values and Physics Values Committee.

09/29/2026

Spencer Axani’s (PhD ’20) invention, used today in Junior Lab, expands our knowledge of the universe, particle physics

You can’t see, feel, hear, taste or smell them, but tiny particles from space are constantly raining down on us.  They come from cosmic rays — high-energy particles that can originate from exploding stars and other extreme astrophysical events far beyond our solar system. When the rays collide ...

09/28/2026

From Montgomery Blair High to space: Chris Williams, PhD '12, reflects on his path - https://physics.mit.edu/?p=25602

NASA astronaut says experiences at the Silver Spring school inspired his career

09/25/2026

Astrophysicist Dr Nergis Mavalvala explains how scientists ‘listen’ to the universe - https://physics.mit.edu/?p=25595

Students, faculty members gather at University of Karachi to listen to the Pakistani-American dean of MIT School of Science.

09/25/2026

As she became integral to an international particle physics experiment, PhD student Faith Reyes found confidence in herself as a scientist.

The MIT Physics Department is committed to excellence in research and education. We are also committed to continuously improving the working environment for our students, faculty, and staff through our Physics Community Values and Physics Values Committee.

09/25/2026

Congratulations to our grad student Enrique Toloza!

09/17/2026

‘Vacuumtronics’ could help make better superconductors - https://physics.mit.edu/?p=25537

Vacuum fluctuations could be a non-invasive way to tune superconductivity

09/17/2026

“There are many things this could enable,” says Marin Soljacic, the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics at MIT. “A robot isn’t going to get bored. It can work 365 days, 24 hours a day, on very boring things. That will free up so much creativity and time for scientists to then push theories and see what we can do. Science could progress much faster.” RLE at MIT - Research Laboratory of Electronics at MIT

The MIT Physics Department is committed to excellence in research and education. We are also committed to continuously improving the working environment for our students, faculty, and staff through our Physics Community Values and Physics Values Committee.

09/17/2026

Inaugural artist Amy Karle will join astrophysicists at MIT’s Kavli Institute to explore questions about the universe and translate them into an immersive multimedia experience.

“We are excited to work with Amy in this collaborative environment” says MKI Director Robert Simcoe, the Bruno B. Rossi Professor of Experimental Physics at MIT. “Her approach is unlike anything we have previously experienced at MKI and presents many opportunities to challenge the way we, as scientists and engineers, think about our study of the universe. At the same time, the resulting artwork will be shaped by the deep research we do, and the wide-ranging scientific and technical perspectives of the MKI community.” MASS MoCA

The MIT Physics Department is committed to excellence in research and education. We are also committed to continuously improving the working environment for our students, faculty, and staff through our Physics Community Values and Physics Values Committee.