MIT researchers have developed a machine-learning technique that uses an image of the material's internal structure to estimate the stresses and strains acting on the material. The advance could accelerate engineers' design process by eliminating the need to solve complex equations. Isaac Newton may have met his match. For centuries, engineers have relied on physical laws -- developed by Newton and others -- to understand the stresses and strains on the materials they work with. But solving those equations can be a computational slog, especially for complex materials.

Isaac Newton may have met his match. For centuries, engineers have relied on physical laws -- developed by Newton and others -- to understand the stresses and strains on the materials they work with. But solving those equations can be a computational slog, especially for complex materials. MIT researchers have developed a technique to quickly determine certain properties of a material, like stress and strain, based on an image of the material showing its internal structure. The approach could one day eliminate the need for arduous physics-based calculations, instead relying on computer vision and machine learning to generate estimates in real time.

Isaac Newton may have met his match. For centuries, engineers have relied on physical laws--developed by Newton and others--to understand the stresses and strains on the materials they work with. But solving those equations can be a computational slog, especially for complex materials. MIT researchers have developed a technique to quickly determine certain properties of a material, like stress and strain, based on an image of the material showing its internal structure. The approach could one day eliminate the need for arduous physics-based calculations, instead relying on computer vision and machine learning to generate estimates in real time.

Studies have shown we like happy faces because positive emotions in others immediately boosts our own mental state. But what are the emotional consequences of trying to seem happy in order to please others? Researchers have found that we can adjust facial expressions and body gestures without actually changing our emotional state – for example putting on a smile without being happy. People performing surface acting'put on a mask', which creates an unhealthy inner conflict between expressed and felt emotions, researchers found. In an article for The Conversation, Milda Perminiene, a senior lecturer in occupational psychology at the University of East London, shows that this can cause emotional exhaustion, strain and reduced job satisfaction.