Science & Tech

Physicists and bioengineers have developed an optical instrument allowing them to control the behavior of a worm just by shining a tightly focused beam of light at individual neurons inside the organism.

Harvard researchers have discovered that Bacillus subtilis biofilm colonies exhibit an unmatched ability to repel a wide range of liquids — and even vapors. The finding holds promise for developing better ways to eliminate harmful biofilms that can clog pipes, contaminate food production and water supply systems, and lead to infections.

Undergraduates in Engineering Sciences 51: “Computer-Aided Machine Design” spent a semester learning to design gadgets in SolidWorks, building candy-flinging catapults, and mastering the use of the soldering iron. Then came the final assignment: Transform a cordless power screwdriver into a functional all-terrain vehicle.

Using digitized books as a “cultural genome,” a team of researchers from Harvard, Google, Encyclopaedia Britannica, and the American Heritage Dictionary, unveil a quantitative approach to centuries of trends.

Thanks to the digital revolution, Harvard is developing a legion of cyberspace fans in the world of social media.

Across the University, digitization is rapidly changing the nature of scholarship, opening doors to information and collaboration, and redefining research and education.

Through analyzing the locations of authors of academic papers, researchers have determined that physical proximity of collaborators, especially between the first and last author, correlates with how widely the paper is cited.

Small and midsize cities in poor countries will be among those that suffer most from climate change’s droughts, floods, landslides, and rising waters, an expert on the world’s urban poor said in a talk at Harvard’s Center for Population and Development Studies.

Engineers at Duke and Harvard universities have developed a “magnetic sponge” that after implantation into a patient can “squeeze” out drugs, cells, or other agents when passed over by a magnet.

More than 500 students in the introductory computer science course CS 50 descended on the Northwest Science Building for a music-thumping, popcorn-eating fair where students showed off their projects.

Harvard psychologists have found that the centuries-old “one-drop rule” assigning minority status to mixed-race individuals appears to live on in our modern-day perception and categorization of people like Barack Obama, Tiger Woods, and Halle Berry.

Illustrating the tenacious bond between science and cooking, students used physics, chemistry, and biology to manipulate recipes and create foods that stretch the imagination.

The art and technology of care giving — undervalued now — “cuts to the quick” of our humanity. Caring — for others, for ourselves, even for things and places — is at the core of our humanity. But how to cope with its demands in a medical setting was the subject of a two-panel conference, sponsored by the Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard.

We resolve to exercise more and eat healthy, and then reach for a cupcake at the office holiday party. We pledge to put money away for retirement, but end up maxing out credit cards that charge 14 percent interest. According to Professor David Laibson, the reason for these struggles is that human beings are of two minds, one patient and one impatient.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said that strong Republican gains in November’s election do not mean there is a public mandate to roll back EPA protections.

Gravity’s surprising effects when the Earth’s ice sheets melt can help to stabilize ones, such as those found in West Antarctica, that are grounded below sea level.

Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering officially opens new, expansive facilities in Boston and Cambridge to host its fast-growing enterprise.

Rosado enjoys managing museum’s massive collection of amphibians

A Harvard School of Public Health associate professor examines the link between health and neighborhoods to see whether people’s residential landscapes matter.

Harvard botanist Charles Davis is examining evolutionary relationships between species affected by climate change for clues to past and future changes.

The head of Nestlé explored ways to address a looming worldwide water crisis during a discussion at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Archaeologist Rowan Flad is seeking early traces of one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

Study of bilingual speakers suggests that language use can help to shape preferences.

Race may not be as important as previously thought in determining who befriends whom, suggests a study of Facebook habits by sociologists from Harvard and UCLA.

The air exchange system inside termite mounds provides a natural example of how to harness intermittent winds.

Study says microbes may consume far more gaseous waste from gulf oil spill than previously believed.

Harvard Physics Professor Gerald Gabrielse was named the recipient of the 2011 Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize, awarded by the American Physical Society for outstanding contributions to physics.

An executive of the Indian conglomerate Tata described how the company promotes innovation, resulting in the creation of the world’s cheapest car, a $2,500, fuel-efficient four-seater.

An interdisciplinary Harvard working group on sustainable cities is in search of some organizational details, but is already certain of its urgent mission.

With 8 million orphans living in institutions worldwide, an ongoing Harvard study highlights the devastating effect institutionalization has on children, providing support for a switch to foster care.