Research
Brain Nodes Predict Alzheimer’s
The sizes of nine critical regions in the brain may serve as predictors for Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new ...
Federal Budget Cuts Research, Education Funding
The federal budget for the last six months of fiscal year 2011 calls for significant cuts in research and education, which may impact Harvard’s ability to fund its programs.
Progress Made on AIDS Vaccine
A medical breakthrough in HIV prevention could eventually lead to the development of an AIDS vaccine, due to a recent discovery by researchers at the Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Teaching Disrespect
Graduate students are taught that teaching is not important. The reason graduate students aren’t required to teach more is that faculty want them in the lab or the library doing research. Research is what earns you a job, tenure, and worldwide renown; teaching is a distraction.
Expert Analyzes Water Supply in São Paulo
A Brazilian hydrology expert called for a holistic approach in solving São Paulo’s water supply vulnerability in a lecture at the Center for Government and International Studies yesterday.
Electrical Fields Might Fight Fires, Researchers Say
Harvard researchers have recently discovered a novel method for fire suppression using electrical fields—a finding that may have implications for firefighting because it does not rely on the rapid delivery of physical suppressants such as water, powder, or carbon dioxide to the site of a flame.
After Quake, Geology Research at Harvard Assumes New Urgency
Professors leading research initiatives in earthquake science at Harvard say there were prior indications of the earthquake that hit Japan two weeks ago, but that they were taken aback by its 9.0 magnitude
Mercury Not A Risk For Heart
Exposure to mercury does not increase the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, or total cardiovascular disease, according to a ...
Study Finds No Anti-Conservative Discrimination in Graduate School
Conservatives are less likely to pursue a Ph.D. than liberals not because of discriminatory hiring practices, but because they perceive academia as a liberal bastion, according to two studies released by Harvard Sociology graduate student Ethan A. Fosse and University of British Columbia associate Sociology professor Neil Gross.
Caffeine and Alcohol Spark Discussion
The debate surrounding the effects of caffeinated alcoholic beverages on the human body still continues, although it has been three months since the Food and Drug Administration ordered the drinks—including the well-known Four Loko—pulled from the shelves.
Panel Discusses Genome Research
Scientists discussed the importance and impact of the Human Genome Project yesterday at a panel moderated by University President Drew ...
Placebos Found to Have Positive Effects
Placebos may have beneficial effects even if the patient is completely aware of the medicine’s inert nature, according to a recent Harvard-affiliated report.
Report Finds Flaw in Health Care Legislation
Millions of Americans could temporarily be left without insurance coverage under the recent health care reform legislation, according to a study co-authored by Benjamin D. Sommers, an assistant professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Kudzu Does Not Heighten Intoxication
A recent study by Harvard-affiliated researchers revealed that kudzu—an herb found to reduce alcohol consumption—does not work by increasing the intoxicating effects of alcohol so that individuals get drunk faster.
Study Finds New Stem Cells Effective
Two new studies by Harvard stem cell labs have shown that human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are the equivalent of human embryonic stem cells for the purpose of reconstructing certain key types of cells, including neurons.
Clay Structures Form Part of Cell
A team of researchers recently demonstrated the ability of clay to assemble itself into semi-permeable membranes, the first time that such membranes—which are an important building block in cells—have been formed out of an inorganic material.
Obama's Budget Boosts Science Funding
In welcome news for universities, President Barack Obama’s 2012 budget proposal released on Monday focuses on promoting and investing in innovation and includes funding increases for science research and continued support for student financial aid.
Harvard Biologist Receives BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award
Entomology Professor Edward O. Wilson, a ground-breaking biologist who coined the terms “biodiversity” and “sociobiology,” has received the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Ecology and Conservation Biology category, in recognition of his long and varied career in the field.
A Monkey, a Banana, and a Bit of Violence
The Graduate School of Education might want to consider adding animal self-defense to the course catalog. When Anjali Adukia traveled to India to retrieve data for her dissertation at the GSE, she never expected to have her intellectual property (physically) stolen by a furry animal, or by a cute kid in a costume, for that matter. Her escapade was reenacted by the GSE's magazine here.
Harvard Prof. Dislikes Term 'Low-Fat'
Before you sit down to eat a low-fat muffin, hold the cheese on your salad at lunch, or indulge in a bowl of low-fat frozen yogurt, you might want to think again.
New Summer Programs Focus on Research
For the first time this summer, two new pilot programs modeled after the six-year-old Program for Research in Science and Engineering (PRISE) will offer undergraduates an opportunity to conduct research in business and the social sciences.
Ed School Report Calls for Job Preparation
A Harvard Graduate School of Education report released today calls for an increase in vocational training in high schools, suggesting that attending college may not be the best choice for all secondary school students.
Study: Creative Minds May Be Cheaters
Due to their increased capacity for innovative rationalization, creative people are more likely to engage in unethical behavior, according to a Harvard Business School study.
Harvard Debates Life on Other Planets
Harvard Astronomy Lecturer Howard A. Smith recently declared that life beyond Earth is impossible, after examining some 500 planets and finding that they were all hostile to life, but not all members of the Harvard community are convinced.