Science & Tech

All Science & Tech

  • A great civilization brought low by climate change (and, no, it’s not us)

    Human-environmental scientist says there are new clues about how and why the Maya culture collapsed.

    Professor Billie L. Turner standing in front of a slide showing rainfall.
  • From YouTube to your school

    In a new paper, Harvard researchers show for the first time that research-based online STEM demonstrations not only can teach students more, but can be just as effective as classroom teaching.

    Live demonstration.
  • What the nose knows

    Experts discuss the science of smell and how scent, emotion, and memory are intertwined — and exploited

    Illustration of a person smelling flowers.
  • From ancient flooding, modern insights

    Tamara Pico, a postdoctoral fellow, is using records of flooding in the Bering Strait to make inferences about how the ice sheets that covered North America responded to the warming climate, and how their melting might have contributed to climate changes.

    Tamara Pico in front of an image of the Earth.
  • The good, bad, and scary of the Internet of Things

    Radcliffe researcher explores how to create a framework for the Internet of Things that minimizes risk and maximizes safety.

    Illustration of people walking around.
  • Food that’s better for all of us and the planet

    According to a summit on food production, diet, and sustainability, humanity needs to refocus on a diet that encompasses sustainability and social justice.

    Walter Willett speaking.
  • Beyond Pavlov

    Artificial intelligence researchers and neurobiologists share data on how options are sorted in decision-making.

    Researchers standing on stairwell.
  • The ‘right’ diet

    Professor Emily Balskus and her team have identified an entirely new class of enzymes that degrade chemicals essential for neurological health, but also help digest foods like nuts, berries, and tea, releasing nutrients that may impact human health.

    Spoon with pomogranate seeds.
  • A crisper CRISPR

    Fewer off-target edits and greater targeting scope bring gene editing technology closer to treating human diseases.

    David Liu.
  • Going where the diversity is

    Two graduate students from Arnold Arboretum have created the Mamoní Valley Preserve Natural History Project, an ongoing series of student-led field expeditions designed to increase our understanding of how biodiversity can persevere in the face of climate change, deforestation, and human disturbance.

    Men walking with collection bags.
  • New details about mumps outbreaks of 2016‒17

    Studying the mumps virus genomes in 2016 and 2017 filled in gaps about how the disease was spreading in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the U.S.

    Graphic of spread of viruses.
  • Getting the brain’s attention

    New technology helps dissect how the brain ignores or acts on information

    Adam Cohen.
  • How I hacked the government (it was easier than you may think)

    Though no expert coder, Max Weiss ’20, a government concentrator uses bots to show an agency its website vulnerability.

    Max Weiss.
  • Collaboration generates most complete cancer genome map

    An international team of 1,300 scientists has generated the most complete cancer genome map to date, bringing researchers closer to identifying all major cancer-causing genetic mutations.

    Illustration of concept cancer treatment.
  • Evaluating the hidden risks of herbicides

    Research into the gut microbes of wasps shows that exposure to atrazine, a widely used herbicide, leads to changes in the gut microbiome that are passed to future generations. Findings indicate that the microbiomes of insects, including pollinators, and of humans should be considered when evaluating the biorisk of pesticides.

    A scanning electron micrograph of the parasitic wasp.
  • Filling in the blanks of evolution

    Harvard Researchers show what drives functional diversity in the spines of mammal.

    Katrina Jones and Stephanie Pierce examining animal bones.
  • Hidden hearing loss revealed

    Harvard researchers have found two biomarkers that may help explain why a person with normal hearing struggles to follow conversations in noisy environments.

    Illustration of an ear getting sound signals.
  • Jeté into an ionic bond

    Ph.D. student Frederick Moss brings together the incongruous worlds of science and art.

    People dancing.
  • Translating black holes to the public — in 25 languages

    Harvard’s educational mission is bringing the universe’s strangest creation to the world, as short videos about black holes have been seen by millions.

    Fabio Pacucci.
  • Life’s Frankenstein monster beginnings

    The evolution of the first building blocks on Earth may have been messier than previously thought, likening it to the mishmash creation of Frankenstein’s monster.

    Frankenstein photo.
  • Next generation of organ-on-chip has arrived

    Multiple human organ chips that quantitatively predict drug pharmacokinetics may offer better, accelerated drug testing

    Illustration of man.
  • Feel like kids, spouse, work giving you gray hair? They may be

    Harvard scientists have found evidence to support long-standing anecdotes that stress turns hair gray.

    Barack Obama.
  • Finding new land-management lessons in old ways

    A new study overturns long-held beliefs about the role humans played in shaping the landscape pre- and post- European colonization.

    Two people in a paddleboat on a pond.
  • The next decade in science

    The Wyss Institute asked its faculty members to predict the biggest scientific advancements in their fields in the next 10 years.

    Illustration of double helix and test tube.
  • Study looks to genome editing to treat deadly degenerative disorder

    Harvard stem-cell research receives support from Sarepta Therapeutics for work on Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

    Researcher in lab.
  • Backbone of success

    Harvard researchers have unveiled the first stem cell models of human spine development, setting the stage for better understanding of musculoskeletal and metabolic disorders, including congenital scoliosis, muscular dystrophy, and Type 2 diabetes.

    Engraving of a spine.
  • New hope for sensory calm

    Harvard professors David Ginty and Lauren Orefice describe how their innovations present a novel approach to treating tactile hypersensitivity in patients with autism-spectrum disorders.

    Little girl getting haircut.
  • The giant in our stars

    Astronomers at Harvard have discovered a monolithic, wave-shaped gaseous structure — the largest ever seen in our galaxy — and dubbed it the “Radcliffe Wave.”

    Illustration of stars in space.
  • Catching lightning in a bottle

    Harvard researchers have performed the coldest reaction in the known universe by capturing a chemical reaction in its most critical and elusive act.

    Scientist with special equipment.
  • Power play

    With “High Sees,” architect Megan Panzano reasserts how play can impact mental and social development.

    Shadow showing across playground.