Science & Tech

The Environmental Protection Agency’s release of draft regulations that would reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 will have a significant impact on human health, Harvard analysts say.

Astronomers announced Monday that they have discovered a new type of planet — a rocky world weighing 17 times as much as Earth. This planet is all solids and much bigger than previously discovered “super-Earths,” making it a “mega-Earth.”

The Graduate School of Design’s Natalia Gaerlan, a world-class athlete who has earned a master’s in urban planning, studies how green infrastructure can protect coastal cities.

Researchers face steep challenges in trying to pinpoint the long-term effects of pesticides in the food supply, said panelists at HSPH.

Beginning this fall, Harvard undergraduates will be able to select a secondary field of study in energy and environment, which will allow students in an array of concentrations to gain exposure to issues such as climate change.

The Arnold Arboretum celebrates a successful collaboration with the U.S. government to prevent tree destruction by the invasive Asian longhorned beetle.

A Dutch water expert with a federal role in rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy brought his wisdom to Harvard this semester.

Astronomers have created the first realistic virtual universe using a computer simulation called Illustris. Illustris can re-create 13 billion years of cosmic evolution in a cube 350 million light-years on a side with unprecedented resolution.

Two widely used neonicotinoids — a class of insecticide — appear to significantly harm honeybee colonies over the winter, particularly during colder winters, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health.

Music blared, LEDs blinked, and jaws dropped Tuesday at the SEAS Design and Project Fair, a celebration of creative problem-solving by students at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences…

Climate specialists came together at the Geological Lecture Hall to consider a dangerous milestone in carbon dioxide levels.

At the elevated levels of atmospheric CO2 anticipated by around 2050, crops that provide a large share of the global population with most of its dietary zinc and iron will have significantly reduced concentrations of those nutrients, according to a new study led by Harvard School of Public Health.

Harvard’s Wyss Institute researchers find that a fully degradable bioplastic isolated from shrimp shells could provide a solution to planet-clogging plastics.

Aging, health care, and the challenges facing the globe’s women were the focus of a symposium marking the 50th anniversary of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies.

Why do we care for our dead? The answer is not religion, but a primordial set of ethical obligations played out over thousands of years across countless cultures, an author says.

Time magazine has named John Kovac to the 2014 Time 100, its list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Since it was founded in 2006 by Professor Jody Freeman, Harvard Law School’s Environmental Law and Policy Program has become the leader in its field, with renowned faculty, innovative courses, a lauded clinical program that gives students hands-on training in real cases. The program’s new Policy Initiative provides nonpartisan legal analysis and policy advice to federal and state agencies.

Harvard researchers have succeeded in creating quantum switches that can be turned on and off using a single photon, an achievement that could pave the way for the creation of highly secure quantum networks.

A new course on how oceans are “urbanizing” underscores a decade-long Harvard theme: that cities have to cope with the multiple challenges of water — of there being too much or too little.

Professor Michael McCormick will lead a project aimed at constructing the most detailed historical record yet of European climate.

After analyzing tree rings — and 400 years of history — researchers from Harvard Forest have indicated ways in which seemingly stable forests could abruptly change over the next century in the wake of climate change and drought.

A team of scientists led by Professor of Physics and of Applied Physics Amir Yacoby has developed a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system that can produce nanoscale images, and may one day allow researchers to peer into the atomic structure of individual molecules.

Faculty, staff, and students gathered from around campus for a discussion about social media at Harvard. While civil in tone, the exchange began with participants throwing Marlon Kuzmick’s softball question right back at him.

Harvard University has made significant progress in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report released by President Drew Faust, who announced the next steps that the institution will take to meet its goal of cutting emissions 30 percent by 2016.

University leaders gathered at the Science Center to celebrate an update of the Harvard Mark I exhibit.

In addition to conducting research and teaching about climate, energy, and the environment, Harvard faculty members also serve as expert advisers to policymakers, putting their science to work to improve laws and regulations and to foster understanding between the worlds of government and academics.

Experts came together at Radcliffe to peer into the future of digital library collections.

Two teams of students at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design provided a close look — part celebration, part cerebration — at two house designs that won international competitions.

Changes in design and behavior are key to making labs more energy-efficient, said experts at a Harvard symposium.

A new course on how to handle big data designed by Assistant Statistics Professor Luke Bornn immerses students in a competitive environment, driven by peer learning, to understand how to handle the massive data sets common in real-world problems.