Science & Tech

In a quest to find mismatched star pairs known as extreme mass-ratio binaries, Harvard astronomers have discovered a new class of binary stars, in which one star is fully formed while the other is still in its infancy. The discovery of these stellar twins could provide invaluable insight into the formation and evolution of massive stars, close binaries, and star nurseries.

Harvard and Brazilian students spent 10 days visiting sustainability-related sites around São Paulo as part of a field course sponsored by Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, and the University of São Paulo.

Seven research projects aimed at confronting the challenge of climate change using the levers of law, policy, and economics, as well as public health and science, have been awarded grants in the inaugural year of President Drew Faust’s Climate Change Solutions Fund.

For a handful of Harvard undergraduate and graduate students, the January semester break included a rare treat — a visit to the Harvard Forest in Petersham, Mass.

A team of researchers has developed a novel class of materials that enable a safer, cheaper, and more energy-efficient process for removing greenhouse gas from power-plant emissions.

For doctoral student Sarah Rugheimer, the study of atmosphere holds deep promise in the search for extrasolar life.

A southpaw science writer comes to terms with research on handedness by the Kennedy School’s Joshua Goodman.

A Harvard-led study reveals that an aging natural-gas distribution system short-changes Boston-area customers and contributes to greenhouse-gas buildup. Depending on the season, natural gas leaking from the local distribution system accounts for 60 percent to 100 percent of the region’s emissions of methane.

The Global Network of Internet and Society Research Centers and the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University have released a report on “multistakeholder governance groups” to better inform the discussion over Internet governance models and mechanisms.

A new study shows that sea levels have increased over the last two decades at a greater rate than previously understood.

In Harvard’s high-tech cleanroom, applied physicists produce vivid optical effects — on paper.

Astronomers announced Tuesday that they have found eight new planets in the Goldilocks Zone of their stars, orbiting at a distance where liquid water can exist on the planet’s surface. The discoveries double the number of small planets believed to be in the habitable zone of their parent stars.

Harvard researchers have found that stars slow down as they age, and their ages are well-kept secrets. But astronomers are taking advantage of the first fact to tackle the second and tease out stellar ages.

For life as we know it to develop on other planets, those planets would need liquid water, or oceans. Geologic evidence suggests that Earth’s oceans have existed for nearly the entire history of our world.

Harvard researchers are pushing for a closer look at links between green spaces and health in cities.

Naomi Klein, author and syndicated columnist, says she hopes that once people understand the enormity of climate change, it will spark conversation on how they can chart a path to deal with it.

Despite a malfunction that ended its primary mission in May 2013, the Kepler spacecraft is alive and working. The evidence comes from the discovery of a new super-Earth using data collected during Kepler’s “second life.”

Harvard physicists look toward new frontiers as they anticipate the restart of the Large Hadron Collider and their ATLAS experiment in spring 2015.

At the annual CS50 Fair, students of history, literature, music, and more create tools to share knowledge across fields.

Researchers have assembled the first high-resolution, 3-D maps of entire folded genomes and found a structural basis for gene regulation, a kind of “genomic origami” that allows the same genome to produce different types of cells.

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics scientist Jonathan McDowell answers questions on the Orion test run and prospects for getting to Mars.

Journalist Walter Isaacson and College students talk about the achievements and challenges for women in the field of computer science, including pioneer Grace Hopper.

Nobel winner Steven Weinberg brought his thoughts on a “theory of everything” to the Physics Department’s Lee Historical Lecture.

Geneticists David Reich and Nick Patterson detailed recent work on human migrations that led to the populations of today’s Europe.

Author Walter Isaacson’s new book is “The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution.” Here is an excerpt about computing pioneer Grace Hopper from his book.

On Friday, leaders in the field of navigation converged on Radcliffe’s annual science symposium to discuss findings in everything from brain science to animal navigation to the psychology of how a lost person behaves — which can give rescuers important cues about where to look.

A Harvard Divinity School conference focused on climate change reduction efforts as moral choices.

Steve Ballmer was joined by President Drew Faust and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) Dean Cherry Murray at an iLab event to formally announce that the University will increase its computer science faculty by 50 percent over the next few years, to 36 from 24.

The Digital Lab for the Social Sciences is designed to serve as an online clearinghouse where social scientists can find study participants.

New research illuminates the mixing with Neanderthals in early human prehistory, narrowing the window of time when they crossbred to between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago.