Science & Tech

All Science & Tech

  • 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.
  • Helping to uncover the mechanism controlling brain states

    A team of researchers led by two Harvard alumni uncover a switch that controls brain states.

    Two researchers in a lab with a large microscope.
  • The power of positive phrasing

    Analysis of more than 6 million clinical and life-science papers shows articles with male lead authors are up to 21 percent more likely than those with female lead authors to use language that frames their research positively, which could contribute to persistent gender gaps in pay and career advancement in life sciences and medicine.

    Words alphabets in scattered wood letters on the table.
  • Living hydrogel can help heal intestinal wounds

    A genetically programmed living hydrogel material that facilitates intestinal wound healing is being considered for development as a probiotic therapy for patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

    Graphic showing how bioactive material works in the intestines.
  • Who’s that girl?

    New research suggests a country’s degree of gender equality can shape men’s ability to recognize famous female faces.

    Detail of eye with formulas ghosted over it.
  • A platform for stable quantum computing, a playground for exotic physics

    Harvard researchers have demonstrated the first material that can have both strongly correlated electron interactions and topological properties. The discovery both paves the way for more stable quantum computing and creates an entirely new platform to explore exotic physics.

    A close up view of a quantum computer.
  • Speeding cell, gene therapy development

    Innovative public-private partnership led by Harvard and MIT aims to bolster state’s role as a leading region globally for life sciences.

    Preparing a gene therapy implant in a petri dish
  • Chinese botanists hit trail with Arboretum

    Chinese botanists collect seeds during their inaugural expedition in the Appalachian Mountains with members of the Arnold Arboretum.

    Holcomb Creek Falls in Chattahoochee National Forest in Rabun County, Georgia.
  • Where we get our sense of direction

    Using virtual reality experiments, Harvard neuroscientists have decoded how fruit fly brains integrate visual cues for navigation. Study also sheds light on a form of short-term memory known as unsupervised learning.

    Fruit fly up close.
  • The archaeology of plaque (yes, plaque)

    Christina Warinner says ancient dental plaque offers insights into diets, disease, dairying, and women’s roles of the period.

    Christina Warinner is a new faculty member photographed in front of a display at the Peabody Museum.
  • Learning from the land

    Harvard University doctoral candidate Jordan Kennedy studies the engineering marvels that beavers create in her home state of Montana.

    A collage of pictures of Montana, a beaver, and Jordan sitting on a hill with her dog
  • Predicting sudden cardiac death

    Researchers have determined that genetic testing could identify those at risk for cardiac death prior to any symptoms.

    Illustration of heart with puzzle pieces.
  • Building connections

    Harvard University doctoral candidate Andy Cohen survived getting stuck in a blizzard, and is a better engineer because of it.

    Andy tinkering with electronics