Scientists Develop Bizarre Helmet for Brain Scan

A brain-scanning MRI machine at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, November 26, 2014.Credit: Keith Srakocic / AP
A brain-scanning MRI machine at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, November 26, 2014.Credit: Keith Srakocic / AP
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Scientists Develop Bizarre Helmet for Brain Scan

A brain-scanning MRI machine at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, November 26, 2014.Credit: Keith Srakocic / AP
A brain-scanning MRI machine at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, November 26, 2014.Credit: Keith Srakocic / AP

A research team at the University of Boston’s Photonics Center developed an imaging tool that could replace the traditional form of MRI scan and ensure more accurate results and less anxiety.

Usually, patients undergoing such a medical procedure could experience stress and discomfort, however, the new helmet-like tool, which marks a revolution in the field of medical imaging, is characterized with a funny look that alleviates stress. During the study published Feb. 12 in the scientific journal Advanced Material, the researchers reported the metamaterial used in the design, packing in a ton of physics, engineering, and mathematical know-how. The design was overseen by Xin Zhang, professor of mechanical engineering at BU's Photonics Center.

“The metamaterials used in the helmet is a type of engineered structure created from small unit cells that might be unspectacular alone, but when grouped together in a precise way, get new superpowers not found in nature. Metamaterials, for instance, can bend, absorb, or manipulate waves -- such as electromagnetic waves, sound waves, or radio waves. Each unit cell is typically arranged in a repeating pattern in rows and columns; they can be designed in different sizes and shapes, and placed at different orientations, depending on which waves they're designed to influence,” explained Zhang.

The materials used in the helmet include a component that blocks sound without stopping airflow (imagine quieter jet engines and air conditioners) and a magnetic metamaterial that can improve the quality of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines used for medical diagnosis. These materials were deployed in a helmet-like device, which fits over a person's head and can be worn during a brain scan, boosts MRI performance, creating crisper images that can be captured at twice the normal speed. According to Zhang, the helmet makes MRIs less costly and more time efficient for doctors, radiologists, and patients -- all while improving image quality, which will help make the technology more widely available, particularly in the developing countries.



King Charles Invites Trump for Unprecedented Second UK State Visit

US President Donald Trump holds a letter from Britain's King Charles as he meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, February 27, 2025. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump holds a letter from Britain's King Charles as he meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, February 27, 2025. (Reuters)
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King Charles Invites Trump for Unprecedented Second UK State Visit

US President Donald Trump holds a letter from Britain's King Charles as he meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, February 27, 2025. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump holds a letter from Britain's King Charles as he meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, February 27, 2025. (Reuters)

Donald Trump accepted an invitation from King Charles on Thursday to visit Britain, making the US President the first elected political leader in modern times to be hosted for two state visits by a British monarch.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer handed Trump a letter from Charles during a press conference with reporters at the White House. Trump immediately accepted the invitation.

The late Queen Elizabeth welcomed Trump for a three-day state visit in June 2019 during his first term in office, during which he had attended an opulent state banquet and a private lunch with the sovereign, as well as having tea with Charles, who was then heir.

That visit already put Trump in a select group of US presidents, as only Barack Obama and George W. Bush were afforded official state visits to Britain during Elizabeth's record 70 years on the throne.

It would also turn out to be the last of the more than 110 she hosted during her reign before her death in September 2022.

The visit was not the only occasion when Trump met Elizabeth. He was also invited to tea at Windsor Castle during a trip to Britain in 2018, when he was widely seen to have broken royal protocol by failing to bow to the queen and then walking in front of her as they inspected a military guard.

Both his visits to Britain also attracted large protests, with his 2018 trip costing police more than 14 million pounds as 10,000 officers were deployed from all over Britain.