The mission of MIT is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.
The Institute is committed to generating, disseminating, and preserving knowledge, and to working with others to bring this knowledge to bear on the world’s great challenges. MIT is dedicated to providing its students with an education that combines rigorous academic study and the excitement of discovery with the support and intellectual stimulation of a diverse campus community. We seek to develop in each member of the MIT community the ability and passion to work wisely, creatively, and effectively for the betterment of humankind.
The Institute admitted its first students in 1865, four years after the approval of its founding charter. The opening marked the culmination of an extended effort by William Barton Rogers, a distinguished natural scientist, to establish a new kind of independent educational institution relevant to an increasingly industrialized America. Rogers stressed the pragmatic and practicable. He believed that professional competence is best fostered by coupling teaching and research and by focusing attention on real-world problems. Toward this end, he pioneered the development of the teaching laboratory.
Today MIT is a world-class educational institution. Teaching and research—with relevance to the practical world as a guiding principle—continue to be its primary purpose. MIT is independent, coeducational, and privately endowed. Its five schools and one college encompass numerous academic departments, divisions, and degree-granting programs, as well as interdisciplinary centers, laboratories, and programs whose work cuts across traditional departmental boundaries.
No wonder you’re always late. Drivers use a route that minimizes travel time on only a third of their trips. Here’s how real-world data can help planners fight traffic congestion.
Noelle Eckley Selin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Amanda Giang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Politicians rail against the EPA, but economic analysis shows the health benefits of mercury controls – including both higher IQ and heart health – are worth billions of dollars a year.
Lawrence Susskind, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Ella Kim, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
How can diverse societies agree on strategies for tackling complex problems? Lawrence Susskind and Ella Kim of MIT explain how role-playing games can help people learn to collaborate.
The US has stricter ozone rules but the limits lag guidelines set by some other countries and more coordination in regulation is needed to address air pollution globally.
Volkswagen’s emissions cheat didn’t just anger owners and regulators; the cost to human health from violating air quality rules exceeds US$100 million.
Kerry Emanuel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
The latest science on hurricanes and climate change explained – vital information for coastal regions to prepare for the effects of more intense storms.
Some worry that efforts to reduce energy consumption by increasing fuel efficiency cause a so-called rebound effect that eats into the expected savings. We tested the theory.
Ethan Zuckerman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
So long as we treat each mass shooting, each black death as an isolated tragedy, there’s nothing we can do. Things can change if we look for the patterns.
Neil Todreas, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
The basics of fission physics have stayed the same over the decades. But power-generating reactor designs have evolved, turning to new coolants, recycled fuel and other innovations.
Loren Graham, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Some Russians are looking back admiringly to a tyrannical scientist from Stalinist times – and using the new field of epigenetics to bolster their case.
Carbon capture and storage – pumping CO2 from power plants underground – is required for dramatic cuts on CO2 emissions. Why is adoption of this technology losing steam?
The energy imbalance gap is how many calories you consume versus how many you burn. Understanding how it differs among different populations could lead to better policies to target obesity.