In 2021, MIT researchers made advances toward fusion energy, confirmed Stephen Hawking's black hole theorem, developed a Covid-detecting face mask, and created a programmable fiber. All were among the year's top research stories on MIT News. The year's popular research stories include a promising new approach to cancer immunotherapy, the confirmation of a 50-year-old theorem, and a major fusion breakthrough. Despite the pandemic's disruptions, MIT's research community still found a way to generate a number of impressive research breakthroughs in 2021. In the spirit of reflection that comes with every new orbit around the sun, below we count down 10 of the most-viewed research stories on MIT News from the past year.

Despite the pandemic's disruptions, MIT's research community still found a way to generate a number of impressive research breakthroughs in 2021. In the spirit of reflection that comes with every new orbit around the sun, below we count down 10 of the most-viewed research stories on MIT News from the past year. We've also rounded up the year's top MIT community-related stories. In October, researchers discovered a way to jump-start the immune system to attack tumors. The method combines chemotherapy and immunotherapy to spur immune cells into action.

The safety of troops in the very near future will rely on Artificial Intelligence-assisted tablets and small screens, networked to drones in the air that feed data back down to ground personnel equipped with information-rich HUD visors. "Robots are going to help humans in dangerous situations contain and control a region," said Dave Bossert, DARPA Program Manager and Senior Engineering Fellow at Raytheon. "Maintaining advantage, communicating, and understanding an area is as good as or better than being aggressive." In a recent interview Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work expanded on the idea of how AI will power robots in hazardous situations. The networked soldier, Bossert said, will rely heavily on custom-built Android tablets and several wearable devices.