Research
Government Department Offers New Research-Oriented Courses
The two courses, Government 61: Research Practice in Quantitative Methods and Government 62: Research Practice in Qualitative Methods, aim to equip students with skills necessary to better conduct research in political science.
Soft Robots Jump Higher, React Faster
New advances in soft-robotics allow these more flexible robots to react faster than ever before.
Research Begins to Explore What Makes EDAR Gene Advantageous
According to a recent study by a team of Harvard researchers from across the University, specialists in thermoregulation, dermatologists, and hair experts have one thing in common: the EDAR gene.
Researchers Measure Global Carbon Dioxide Levels
Using data generated by planes that traveled between the North and South Poles, Harvard researchers generated the first set of highly detailed measurements of greenhouse gas levels across the globe. This comprehensive data set is now available to the public.
Medical Leaders Say Federal Cuts will Hurt Research
Enumerating the developments and cures made possible by federal sponsorship, medical researchers warned that a roughly five percent cut to all non-military programs would be devastating to Boston’s hospitals and universities—including Harvard.
Faust Delivers Address on Science Research, Sequestration
University President Drew G. Faust warned that cuts to federal research funding would endanger innovation, the economy, and “intellectual life” in the United States in a speech to the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
TV May Halve Sperm Count
Watching too much television can lower a man’s sperm count by up to 44 percent, according to a recent study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health.
Startup Connects Students to Research Resources
Project Lever, a startup founded by recent Harvard grad, aims to facilitate student searches for thesis advisers and research opportunities. The project joins the growing movement to digitize Harvard’s archives and resources.
New Program Puts the Universe into View
Allston-Brighton residents gathered to watch Professor Alyssa A. Goodman exhibit the computer program, which allows users to interactively explore and learn about millions of objects in the universe through visualization.
Professors and a Student Think Outside of the Box
Speaking on topics ranging from Romans to breast milk, six faculty members and Harvard Thinks Big’s first student speaker had a packed crowd, alternatively roaring with laughter and questioning conditions of humanity.
Research Conversations
Professors and students gathered together to discuss research in the humanities, social sciences, hard sciences, and quantitative studies at the second annual National Collegiate Research Conference.
Research Conference Stresses Diversity
Speaking at the second annual National Collegiate Research Conference, MIT physics professor Walter H. G. Lewin kicked off the three-day symposium with a bang—the big bang.
HMS Professor Quashes Neanderthal Cloning Rumors
When Harvard Medical School genetics professor George M. Church was interviewed by the German magazine Der Spiegel about his new book, he had no idea that a misinterpretation of something he said would set off a worldwide media firestorm.
Richard Hackman, Pioneer in Team Psychology, Dies at 72
Over a career spanning nearly half a century, psychology professor J. Richard Hackman garnered widespread esteem and accolades for pioneering the study of team dynamics. But on the side, Hackman quietly devoted countless hours to improving one team in particular—the Harvard women's basketball squad, for which he volunteered as an honorary coach.
New Detector Puts a Twist on Fiber Optics
Applied physics professor Federico Capasso remembers the emergence of fiber optics vividly—he was working at Bell Laboratories when the research institution performed the first industrial tests of the technology forty years ago.
Harvard Braces for Decline in Federal Funding
As Washington lawmakers scramble to reach a last-minute budget deal before the end of the year, Harvard and other research universities are bracing for what would be the most dramatic cut in federal research funding in recent history.
Innovation in Kendall Square
Kendall Square has become a magnet for the global information technology, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industries. Use the interactive map to see some of the big names of Kendall.
Kendall Square: An Incubator for Allston
Once a post-industrial wasteland, the now-vibrant Kendall area could provide a model for Harvard as it reboots plans to transform the underdeveloped Allston neighborhood into the University’s research hub.
Faust Advocates for Research Funding
As the federal government’s looming fiscal cliff dominates conversations on Capitol Hill, University President Drew G. Faust visited Washington on Monday to advocate for a continuing commitment to education and research funding.
Deans Launch New Contest
The 13 Deans of Harvard University announced two University-wide innovation challenges focused on culture and health on Thursday. Student teams in both challenges will win up to $75,000 in prize money.
HSPH Researchers Analyze Election Polls for Voter Opinions on Public Health Issues
Based on analysis of polls conducted during the November elections, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have predicted tension in the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and in future budget negotiations regarding Medicare funding,
New Journal To Publish Short Student Research
Brevia, a new undergraduate research journal, is set to publish its first issue next semester. The journal gives students the opportunity to showcase their new research in under 500 words.
Myopic Misery: Protect Your Wallet This Holiday Season
This winter, you might want to save your holiday shopping for after finals period. Researchers from Harvard and other universities have found that sadness (a common condition among students trying to finish papers and projects at the end of the semester) not only leads to increased spending, it also impacts the quality of our financial decisions.
SEAS Researchers Collaborate on Developing New Device
A new device invented at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences will absorb unprecedented levels of infrared light, expanding possibilities for thermal detection and energy harvesting.