Science News
Harvard Scientists Build Sound-Producing Artificial Muscle
The speaker, made of rubber membrane sandwiched between layers of gel, uses electrical charges carried by ions, not electrons, to produce sounds.
Mariel N. Pettee '14 (left) presents "Sightline Productions", a group of artists, scientists and educators who focus on health and genetics education through art. The ten finalists of the 2013 President's Challenge for social entrepreneurship presented their projects to the public at the Harvard innovation lab today.
Study Reveals Early Malnutrition Affects Personality Formation
In a new study published last March in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Harvard researchers reveal that even a single incident of malnutrition in early childhood can have a profound effect on an individual’s adult personality. Individuals who had suffered from severe starvation as infants tended to be more neurotic and less adventurous, sociable, curious, and organized as adults.
Under the Microscope: Life Sciences 100r
Last spring, while her peers were sitting through Life Science lectures and replicating ages-old science experiments in lab, Valentina Lyau ’15 was learning a little differently. Ten minutes down Oxford Street, Lyau swiped into the restricted-access facilities of Northwest Laboratories to construct a virtual reality as part of a research seminar called Life Sciences 100r.
Astronomers Discover Exoplanets Covered by Oceans
Harvard astronomers have discovered two exoplanets in the recently found Kepler-62 planetary system that are covered in endless oceans of water, making them viable candidates for sustaining life.
A Talk with Dr. Stephen Wolfram
Dr. Stephen Wolfram, scientist and founder of search engine WolframAlpha and computation software Mathematica, suggests at a lecture Thursday that computation will be increasingly critical to a broad range of fields.
Study: Summer Temperatures Rise
According to Harvard researchers, recent summer temperatures in certain northern regions of the world have been the hottest in more ...
Walnuts Reduce Risk of Diabetes
While nutritionists have questioned the healthiness of nuts due to their high fat content, a Harvard School of Public Health study published earlier this month correlates increased consumption of walnuts with reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes in women.
Searching for Supernovae
The trip, which is an optional part of Astronomy 100, allows undergraduate students to work with Harvard Astronomy’s Supernova Forensics group to identify and learn more about the nature of supernovae, or stellar explosions. But more than supplementing students’ academic material, the course’s unique spring break trip gives students a glimpse into the lives of professional astronomers.
Visual Art Touches Blind
Four Harvard students are working to allow the blind and visually impaired to experience visual art by using 3D printing and audio components.
Harvard Scientists Discover New Method for Creating Biological Polymers
Professor David R. Liu ’94 and coworkers have reported a new synthetic method of directly building polymers by reading the genetic code off of DNA. According to Liu, this method could eventually lead to the discovery of useful new biological compounds.
Duck Penises, Perfect Chins, and Cornell's Inferiority Complex
The quick and dirty about what's been going on around the Ancient Eight (and other schools too). While Harvard traverses the murky and scandalous waters of cheating and lying, Yale's biggest scandal of late concerns duck penises. Apparently people aren't too happy that the National Science Foundation has dropped a cool $384,949 so that Yale scientists can investigate "Sexual Conflict, Social Behaviour and the Evolution of Waterfowl Genitalia". What exactly are they going to do with all that money, you may be asking? Hopefully answer that pressing question of just how much duck penises shorten or lengthen depending on the time of year, the age of the duck, and its "social environment" (we'll leave it up to you to figure out what that means). Fascinating.
Study Shows Omega-3 Fatty Acids Extend Life
After years of swimming in suspicions that fish confer health benefits, a new study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and University of Washington found conclusive evidence that omega-3 fatty acids corresponded to a reduced risk of death in the elderly, especially from cardiovascular disease. In older adults, higher blood levels of these fatty acids may even increase lifespan.
Study Suggests Video Games Can Help the Blind Navigate
A recent study from Harvard’s Laboratory for Visual Neuroplasticity at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary suggests that audio-based video games can help blind individuals to navigate physical spaces.
Overconsumption of Salt Linked to Cardiovascular Disease
A research team at the Harvard School of Public Health has found that overconsumption of salt—and its effects on the cardiovascular system—can be linked to 2.3 million deaths worldwide, nearly 40 percent of which were premature.
Researchers Examine Effect of Timing on Mutations
Timing may play a more important role in the survival of evolutionarily beneficial mutations in bacteria than previously thought, a discovery which might have implications on cancer research, according to a study by Harvard researchers released last month.
Study: Big Tobacco Avoids Ban
According to a new study released by the Harvard School of Public Health, tobacco companies have circumvented the Federal Drug Administration’s ban on the use of words which misleadingly indicate reduced risk in the marketing of cigarettes.
Exposure to Stimuli May Slow Alzheimer's Disease
Prolonged exposure to a stimulating environment may help in delaying one of the factors associated with the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Study: Wind Farm Generative Capacity May Be Limited
Wind power and wind farms may not be capable of producing as much energy as previously believed, according to a paper co-authored by Harvard scientist David W. Keith.
Study: Extraterrestrial Life May Be Detectable Near White Dwarfs
If extraterrestrial life exists near dying stars, there may be a way to detect it within the next decade, according to a new theoretical study co-authored by Harvard astronomy professor Abraham “Avi” Loeb.
HMS Researchers Find Genetic Links to Psychiatric Disorders
In a finding that that could improve the effectiveness of treatments, Harvard Medical School researchers have found that certain genes are associated with five psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and autism.
Kennedy School Professor Suggests Cutting Fossil Fuel Subsidies
As Congressional lawmakers attempt to hammer out a compromise on federal spending before automatic budget cuts kick in on Friday, Harvard Kennedy School professor Joseph E. Aldy is proposing his own way of reducing the federal budget deficit—eliminating subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.