Science & Tech
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What happened when a meteorite the size of four Mount Everests hit Earth?
Giant impact had silver lining for life, according to new study
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When we say ‘smart,’ what do we mean?
Computer scientist says we should shift focus to ‘educability’
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How to apply cool-headed reason to red-hot topics
Michael J. Sandel brings back wildly popular ‘Justice’ course amid time of strained discourse on college campuses
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Big discovery about microscopic ‘water bears’
Bit of happenstance, second look at ancient fossils leads to new insights into evolution of tardigrade, one of most indestructible life forms on planet
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The making of the gut
Studies connect genetics, physics in embryonic development
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How whales and dolphins adapted for life on the water
Backbones of ocean-dwelling mammals evolved differently than those of species living closer to shore, study finds
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Harvard creates Global Institute
A multidisciplinary project to investigate climate change, energy security, and sustainable development in China has received the first $3.75 million grant from the new Harvard Global Institute.
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What drones can do
HUBweek drone demonstration at Harvard Stadium showcases potential usefulness of flying robots.
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Big data, massive potential
Across Harvard, programs and researchers are mining big data, vast quantities of computerized information, often revolutionizing their fields in the process.
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To sample climate concerns, look at nature
A panel of climate change experts at Harvard said that nature is telling us where we need to make changes to lessen future climate change impact: the places flooded or otherwise damaged in past storms.
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Countering the cyberintruders
Harvard officials recommend steps to keep computer networks safe from cyberattacks.
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How the brain builds new thoughts
A new study suggests that two adjacent brain regions allow humans to use a sort of conceptual algebra to construct thoughts.
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Paying for health care with time
In 2010, people in the United States spent 1.1 billion hours seeking health care for themselves or for loved ones. That time was worth $52 billion. Disadvantaged socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic groups bore a disproportionate amount of the time burden.
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Students bring fresh perspective to environmental issues
Each year the Harvard University Center for the Environment awards funding to students who have an interest in environmental and energy research. The students’ backgrounds vary as widely as their topics.
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A watery Mars, a changed outlook
One of the lessons from this week’s announcement of liquid water on Mars is that the Red Planet is a much more diverse place than previously thought, one that holds a multitude of niche environments that might be more hospitable to life than average planetary conditions might indicate, said Professor Robin Wordsworth.
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Political climate, changed
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced plans to institute a cap-and-trade program in the Asian giant by 2017. Harvard China Project leader Michael McElroy discussed the announcement and its potential effects on both climate legislation in the United States and on future climate talks in Paris.
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Green storage for green energy grows cleaner
Harvard scientists and engineers have demonstrated an improved flow battery that can store electricity from intermittent energy sources. The battery contains nontoxic compounds, inexpensive materials, and can be cost-effective for both residential and commercial use.
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Greening the electric grid with gas turbines
A new Harvard study pokes holes in the belief that huge quantities of storage will be needed before clean, renewable sources can make a significant dent in greenhouse-gas emissions from electricity generation.
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Ups and downs of sea level
Professor Jerry Mitrovica shed light on the dynamics of sea level rise in a talk at the Geological Lecture Hall.
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Climate test for forests
New research on northeastern forests is examining how the earlier arrival of warm weather might clash with genetic programming tuned to lengthening days and the duration and depth of winter cold.
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Paris as a living thing
During a summer program, Harvard students and their French counterparts drew on biology to sketch solutions to everyday problems in Paris.
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Poison in Arctic and human cost of ‘clean’ energy
The amount of methylmercury, a potent neurotoxin, is especially high in Arctic marine life but until recently, scientists haven’t been able to explain why. Now, research from the Harvard suggests that high levels of methylmercury in Arctic life are a byproduct of global warming and the melting of sea-ice in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions.
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A fuller picture of cancer
A research team led by Martin Nowak has developed a model that captures both the shape and speed of tumor growth.
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Interstellar seeds could create oases of life
Within the next generation, it should become possible to detect signs of life on planets orbiting distant stars, say researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
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Information, writ widely
The Dataverse 4 catalog expands access to research, across many Web platforms, even globally.
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Wyss improves sepsis device
Scientists at the Wyss Institute have improved a device developed last year to treat sepsis that works by mimicking the human spleen. The new device is better positioned for near-term use in clinics.
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It was California or bust
A group of Harvard and MIT students has pedaled its way to the Pacific Ocean from Washington, D.C., with stops along the way to lead science “learning festivals” to promote STEM learning among children.
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Robotic insect mimics nature’s extreme moves
A team of researchers from Harvard and Seoul National University has unveiled a novel robotic insect that can jump off the surface of water. In doing so, they have revealed new insights into the natural mechanics that allow water striders to jump from rigid ground or fluid water with the same amount of power and height.
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A shift in motherhood
New findings draw from evolution to explain why human mothers seek help with raising their children.
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Go ahead, be sarcastic
Despite sarcasm’s nasty reputation, new research finds that it can boost creativity and problem-solving in the workplace.
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Pesticide found in 70 percent of Massachusetts’ honey samples
In a new study, Harvard researchers looked at pollen and honey samples collected from the same set of hives across Massachusetts. Findings show they contain at least one pesticide implicated in Colony Collapse Disorder.
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Quality and quantity of key crops changing
Changing environmental conditions around the globe caused by human activity could negatively impact the health of millions of people by altering the amount and quality of key crops, according to two new studies from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
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More eyes on climate change
Season Spotter is a citizen-science project that aims to recruit Internet users to assist researchers analyzing images of natural scenes.
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Tiny wires, great potential
Harvard scientists have developed a method for creating a class of nanowires that could one day see applications in everything from consumer electronics to solar panels.
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Pluto in detail
Scott Kenyon offers an astrophysicist’s view of the New Horizons mission to Pluto.
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And now, the hopping robot
Harvard-designed robot transitions from soft to hard, reducing the stress where the rigid electronic components join the body.