MIT researchers have designed a printable aluminum alloy that's five times stronger than cast aluminum and holds up at extreme temperatures. Machine learning helped them zero in on the ideal recipe in a fraction of the time traditional methods would take. When 3D printed, the alloy forms a tightly packed internal structure that gives it exceptional strength.

There are ancient building projects we call "Megalithic Marvels" all over the world. One thing many have in common are the use of stones of monstrous size cut out of quarries quite a distance from the construction site and somehow transported, lifted, and placed so perfectly that even today they fit together almost seamlessly.

Chemical engineers at MIT have developed a new material that's stronger than steel and as light as plastic - and it might one day protect your smartphone, support new buildings, hold up bridges, and more. Polymerization 101: Under the right conditions, small molecules called "monomers" will connect to form chains called "polymers."