Harvard Science

Science & Tech What do you know about the Nobels?  Illustrations by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer September 30, 2026 1 min read Harvard’s history with the prestigious prize may surprise you Since 1901, committees in Sweden and Norway have awarded Nobel Prizes annually to recognize achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace, and (from

Alex Pascal (left), Avijit Ghosh, Jeff Dunn, and Amit Goldenberg. Veasey Conway/Harvard Staff Photographer Science & Tech Who’s in charge here? Scholars, industry leaders debate how to reduce risks of AI, ensure humans remain in charge of development Clea Simon Harvard Correspondent September 29, 2026 4 min read What do we want from AI? That was the question posed by Alex Pascal, exec

Marc Vidal (left) and David Walt. Photos by Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer Science & Tech How Harvard scientists built genomics outpost on Gloucester harbor Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer September 25, 2026 8 min read It started with idea to help beleaguered fishermen. Now marine science lab promotes healthy fisheries, trains local workforce, seeks clues to longevity The year wa

David Malan.Photo by Arturo Real Science & Tech Taming the Duck, for starters David Malan says CS50’s AI tutor is a net positive — and getting better Max Larkin Harvard Staff Writer September 25, 2026 long read By now David Malan may be one of Harvard’s most recognizable (human) faces. Since 2007, Malan — a Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science — h

Illustration by Andy Huang/Ikon Images Science & Tech ‘Lately, my algorithm is trash’ Are we shaping our feeds or are they shaping us? Liz Mineo Harvard Staff Writer September 23, 2026 long read Recommendation algorithms promise social media users a personalized experience, but some experts worry they promote doomscrolling, brain rot, and myriad mental health problems. Australia recently

Science & Tech Curios and curiouser Polar bear from 1878. Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer Anna Lamb Harvard Staff Writer September 23, 2026 5 min read With exhibits including a dodo, fish mummified in pearl, and a ‘King Kong’-connected Komodo, ‘discovering the stories is one of the best jobs’ You’ve probably already marveled at the astonishingly realistic glass flowers on display

Science & Tech One effort to safeguard humanity: AI ‘constitutions’ Neerav Kingsland (left), Jordi Weinstock, Jack Cushman, and Mahzarin Banaji. Photo by Grace DuVal Max Larkin Harvard Staff Writer September 21, 2026 8 min read Berkman Klein Center heard calls to keep models ‘honest, helpful, harmless.’ It’s a work in progress. In one formulation, any human constitution is just a set of guardrai

Julian De Freitas. Photo by Grace DuVal Science & Tech Chatbot attachment issues When AI companions get a personality update, some users respond with grief, study finds Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer September 18, 2026 4 min read Mourning the loss of somebody you care about is common after a breakup, divorce, or death. But in an era of growing reliance on AI for companionship, loss comes

Host Moira Weigel (from left) with panelists Jackson Kernion of Anthropic and Ken Archer of Microsoft.Niles Singer/Harvard Staff Photographer Science & Tech Is there a philosopher in the house? Tech insiders call for humanist-scientist discourse amid ‘Copernican moment’ of AI age Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer September 15, 2026 5 min read Artificial intelligence advances daily. Right now

Illustrations by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Science & Tech Can you tell an amorphophallus from an aspergillus?  Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer September 15, 2026 1 min read Word nerds, classicists, and botanists, it’s your time to shine in etymology quiz inspired by Div School book  Can plants see? Can they pray? If trees could make music, what would it sound like?  Those questio

Aaron Landesman. Veasey Conway/Harvard Staff Photographer Science & Tech What it takes to solve math’s toughest problems Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer September 9, 2026 6 min read Logic skills, yes, but also two seemingly incompatible traits: Confidence and humility This is a story about keeping the faith in a discipline not exactly known for its religiosity: mathematics. The field o

Science & Tech When the sea steals homes and jobs Makoko, a fishing community and informal settlement on a lagoon in Lagos, Nigeria, is built on stilts, allowing residents to live with the rising and falling water.Photos and video by David Trilling David Trilling Salata Institute Communications September 8, 2026 9 min read Along West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, Salata Institute research is helping communitie

AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File Science & Tech Will Meta settlement reduce physical, mental health risks for young users? Christina Pazzanese Harvard Staff Writer August 28, 2026 long read Experts say many of its terms may help limit use, negative social comparisons, but regulation may still be necessary Now we’ll see whether it works, specialists on technology law say. Meta decided on Au

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