Harvard Science

Science & Tech The why behind sex Michael M. Desai.Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer August 19, 2026 5 min read Research details answer to a question that’s more complex than it seems Why is there sex — or, more precisely, sexual reproduction? If you’re an evolutionary biologist, the answer isn’t obvious. Sexual reproduction is biologically costly, requ

Joshua Conrad Jackson.Veasey Conway/Harvard Staff Photographer Science & Tech Does vitriol make you feel special? Beyond the algorithm, online negativity takes on a life of its own. Here’s why. Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer August 12, 2026 6 min read It doesn’t take a scientist to figure out that social media can trend toward the negative. But it might take one to figure out why. &

Science & Tech Do you have a guilty AI secret?  Illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer July 28, 2026 5 min read Media, legal experts discuss angst of individuals over appropriate use of powerful technology as institutions, culture scramble to set boundaries Sarah Newman is collecting secrets. Specifically, she’s collecting secrets about AI.  At conferenc

Soccer fans gather in a Los Angeles bar to watch the July 1 World Cup match between the U.S. and Bosnia.AP Photo/Andre Penner Science & Tech Bowling alone, yes. But watching sports is another thing. Max Larkin Harvard Staff Writer July 15, 2026 7 min read Kennedy School team says shared fandom has promise as undervalued social ‘medicine’ for division, isolation The state of the American

Illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Science & Tech Is that bot a Pomeranian or a wolf — and who to sue when it ‘bites’? Isabella Roden Harvard Correspondent July 10, 2026 long read Legal expert says canine law provides useful framework for leashing AI Recently there has been a remarkable advance in how artificial intelligence can directly impact the world: A layperson can vi

Science & Tech Rubies decoded: ‘Color is just one piece of the puzzle’ Photos by Grace DuVal Anna Lamb Harvard Staff Writer July 8, 2026 3 min read Rare gems shine in new Harvard exhibit Rubies — seared in the popular imagination as sparkling adornments for Dorothy’s slippers in “The Wizard of Oz” and as loot spilling out of pirates’ treasure chests — are more than just ornaments. The precious g

Science & Tech You take AI, I’ll take my iPod (if I can find it) ‘The vision of the future being pushed by tech moguls is not necessarily a vision we’ve all bought into.’ Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer June 29, 2026 6 min read A recent Pew Research report found that 40 percent of Americans expect AI to negatively impact society, compared with 16 percent who predict a positive impact. Almost two-t

Illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Science & Tech Many children like ebooks. Experts cast a wary eye. They say certain features helpful for developing comprehension skills but can also distract — particular problem in era when kids read less  Liz Mineo Harvard Staff Writer June 9, 2026 5 min read The verdict is mixed on digital books, sometimes called ebooks, when it comes to fos

Mandë Holford. Photos by Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer Science & Tech How venom kills — and can lead to cures Kermit Pattison Harvard Staff Writer  June 8, 2026 8 min read Mandë Holford uncovers the secrets of deadly marine mollusks, how their toxins work with such targeted efficiency A slow snail can be a fast killer. Mandë Holford vividly recalls when she first witn

Science & Tech High-tech for the 1700s An air pump from 1770.Photos by Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer Christy DeSmith Harvard Staff Writer June 4, 2026 3 min read Exhibit showcases tools that powered Revolutionary America Electrical conductors. Surveying tools. Mathematical instruments. Harvard College, founded in 1636, was a pioneer in teaching the applied sciences. Over the centur

Rachna Reddy.Veasey Conway/Harvard Staff Photographer Science & Tech And you thought your adolescence was hard Radcliffe fellow explores vulnerable life stage we share with chimps Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer May 21, 2026 4 min read For all the diversity of the human condition, one experience is almost universally painful: Adolescence. It’s also unusual. Most other species pass from

Science & Tech ‘Deskilling’ is bad. This is worse. Liz Mineo Harvard Staff Writer May 11, 2026 4 min read Authors of book about classroom AI say loss of foundational knowledge is biggest threat Educators should teach students how to use AI tools but with an emphasis on the ethics, social impact, and potential biases of the tech, experts said Thursday during a conversation sponsored by Harvard E

Keyring wallet senior engineer Alberto Leon demonstrates the app.Photo by Grace DuVal Science & Tech Worried about how online firms use data they get from you? Berkman Klein researchers unveil new tool to verify identity, let users limit information they share, where it is stored Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer May 1, 2026 4 min read In our increasingly online lives, convenience has come a

Science & Tech Building useful quantum computers ‘in our direct line of sight’ Researchers say creation of startups suggests game-changing tech may be developing at faster pace than expected Alvin Powell Harvard Staff Writer May 1, 2026 7 min read Mihir Bhaskar was a self-described “total nerd” in high school. He volunteered at a computer history museum and became obsessed with the hardware and ho

Jonathan Zittrain (left), Carissa Véliz, and Eric Beerbohm.Veasey Conway/Harvard Staff Photographer Science & Tech ‘If you’re boring, it’s good to know that you’re being boring.’ The perils of seeking empathy from a chatbot Christina Pazzanese Harvard Staff Writer April 30, 2026 5 min read It’s clear that artificial intelligence is changing everything, from the way we learn to the way we

Science & Tech ‘Harvard Thinking’: Why we love dogs — and they love us back Samantha Laine Perfas Harvard Staff Writer April 29, 2026 long read In podcast, experts break down evolution and biology of this special relationship Nearly half of all American households include a dog, according to Pew Research. That same survey found that most pet owners, especially dog owners, consider their pet

Science & Tech How deep is your knowledge of the ocean?  Illustrations by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer April 21, 2026 1 min read If you’ve got thalassophobia, this research-backed quiz is not for you.  Oceans cover about 70 percent of Earth’s surface area, but largely remain a mystery to us, particularly the deep sea. They are less mysterious to Jeffrey Marlow, auth

Science & Tech Time for government, business leaders to figure out AI cybersecurity regulation Cybersecurity experts Fred Heiding (from left), Josephine Wolff, James Mickens, and Robert Knake.Photos by Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer Anna Lamb Harvard Staff Writer April 17, 2026 7 min read Experts say capabilities of agentic AI rising, along with risk to personal data, economy, national security

Science & Tech Bone-eating worms and other deep-sea survivors ‘Dark Frontier’ author details life in one of Earth’s harshest environments and quest to carve out ‘national parks’ of the oceans Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer April 14, 2026 8 min read Home to translucent shrimp living in sulfurous vents, methane-eating microbes, and corals older than the Egyptian pyramids, the deep sea is among the Ea

Illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Science & Tech Does vinyl sound better? You don’t have to be a purist to say yes. You might just be ‘album oriented.’ April 7, 2026 3 min read Part of the Wondering series A series of random questions answered by Harvard experts. Robert Wood is the Harry Lewis and Marlyn McGrath Professor of Engineering