Harvard University News - SciTechDaily

CRISPR’s Hidden Treasures: 188 New Systems Unveiled by Smart Algorithm

Allessandra DiCorato, Broad Institute — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:57:38 +0000

By analyzing bacterial data, researchers have discovered thousands of rare new CRISPR systems that have a range of functions and could enable gene editing, diagnostics,...

HuGE AI Breakthrough: Using Crowdsourced Feedback in Robot Training

Adam Zewe, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 10:42:52 +0000

Human Guided Exploration (HuGE) enables AI agents to learn quickly with some help from humans, even if the humans make mistakes. To teach an AI...

Humans Have Increased the Concentration of Potentially Toxic Mercury in the Atmosphere by 7x

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 23:16:18 +0000

Research establishes a natural baseline for mercury in the atmosphere by estimating emissions from volcanic eruptions. New research from the Harvard John A. Paulson School...

Quantum Leap – Harvard Scientists Use Sound To Test Devices, Control Qubits

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 11:23:02 +0000

Using sound waves to control atomic vacancies could enhance communication technologies and provide novel control mechanisms for quantum computing. Acoustic resonators are everywhere. In fact,...

Water-Repellent Plastrons Keep Surfaces Dry for Months Underwater

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 02:19:57 +0000

A species of spider lives its entire life underwater, despite having lungs that can only breathe atmospheric oxygen. How does it do it? This spider,...

Harvard Scientists Find That Eating Red Meat Could Increase Your Risk of Diabetes

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — Sun, 22 Oct 2023 14:19:56 +0000

Switching from red meat to plant-derived protein sources could lower the risk of diabetes and offer environmental benefits. Consuming as few as two servings of...

Harvard Scientists Expose Alarming Cancer Threat From “Safe” Levels of Air Pollution

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 20:52:44 +0000

Prolonged exposure to fine airborne particles (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) might heighten the risk of non-lung cancers in the elderly, according to recent research...

Dark Matter and Galactic Collisions: Harvard Astronomers Explain the Milky Way’s Mysterious Warp

Harvard University — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 08:29:43 +0000

Astronomers’ results bolster the hypothesis of how our galaxy evolved. The Milky Way is often depicted as a flat, spinning disk of dust, gas, and...

Double Trouble for Cancer Tumors: The Dual-Action Immunotherapy Breakthrough

Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 15:13:54 +0000

The small molecule, now in clinical trials, increases activity of immune cells and sensitivity of tumors to immune attack. Cancer immunotherapy drugs called PD-1 inhibitors...

Astounding Fossil Discovery: The 265-Million-Year-Old Apex Predator That Ruled Brazil Before Dinosaurs

Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 06:15:50 +0000

Dinosaurs are often celebrated as the most gigantic and formidable predators in the annals of natural history. However, 40 million years before their reign, Pampaphoneus...

Harvard Study: Sticking to a Mediterranean Lifestyle Can Reduce Your Risk of Death

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 16:31:58 +0000

The study is one of few to explore the health advantages of the Mediterranean diet outside its native context and evaluate the overall health benefits...

Unraveling the Secrets to Brain Diseases – When Proteins Get Stuck at Solid

University of Sydney — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 04:09:23 +0000

Viewing proteins at the nanoscale offers insights for treating neurodegenerative diseases. Many diseases affecting the brain and nervous system are linked to the formation of...

500-Million-Year-Old Fossil Reveals Astonishing Secrets of a Strange Group of Marine Invertebrates

Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 12:42:56 +0000

Karma Nanglu says that his favorite animal is always the one he’s currently studying. However, his most recent discovery might remain at the top of...

The Hidden Pandemic Time Bomb: Zoonotic Disease Threats Uncovered in the US

New York University — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 19:21:26 +0000

A recent study by Harvard Law School and New York University highlights the potential threat of future pandemics from animal industries in the United States....

Not Just a “Disposable” Organ: Your Thymus May Be Saving Your Life

Harvard University Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology — Sun, 06 Aug 2023 03:30:08 +0000

Research indicates that a certain organ has a critical role in immune health, especially in the prevention of cancer. Many people couldn’t say where their...

Timing Tragedy: Researchers Unveil When Suicidal Thoughts Peak

University of Nottingham — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:28:03 +0000

New research has identified the month during which individuals experience the most intense suicidal thoughts, and that these occur several months prior to the surge...

Artificial Intelligence Unlocks New Possibilities in Anti-Aging Medicine

Integrated Biosciences — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 03:49:08 +0000

New platform holds the promise to drive progress in the development of senolytic anti-aging compounds and research on longevity. A recent paper published in Nature...

New Harvard Research Links Omega-3 Fatty Acid Consumption With Slower ALS Progression

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 18:14:55 +0000

According to a recent study sled by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, specifically alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), could...

Harvard Scientists Control “Points of Darkness” for Remote Sensing and Covert Detection Applications

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 11:09:27 +0000

Two studies report new methods for using metasurfaces to create and control dark areas called “optical singularities.” Optical devices and materials allow scientists and engineers...

Fighting Fire With Fire: The Power of Prescribed Burns To Curb Megafires in California, Oregon, and Washington

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences — Sun, 18 Jun 2023 14:24:52 +0000

Controlled fires in key areas could drastically reduce smoke exposure throughout the entire western U.S. Wildfire smoke is a threat to air quality, public health,...

Progress Overshadowed: Two Mercury Emissions Hotspots Persist Despite National Progress

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 22:56:20 +0000

New research reveals a notable socioeconomic gap in who breathes the most toxic air. Partisan political debates often neglect to highlight the impressive results yielded...

Harvard Scientists Reveal That Air Pollution May Increase Risk of Dementia

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — Sun, 11 Jun 2023 12:43:04 +0000

A new meta-analysis from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that exposure to fine particulate air pollutants (PM2.5) may be linked to an...

Critical Oversight in EPA’s PFAS Rules: Ignoring a Key Contaminant Source

Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 05:05:50 +0000

A recent study conducted by Harvard found that unmonitored PFAS can accumulate and last for centuries. Earlier in the year, the United States Environmental Protection...

Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain’s “Internal Compass”

McGill University — Mon, 29 May 2023 08:13:18 +0000

Recent research sheds light on how the brain processes and interprets dynamic environmental signals. New understandings have been gleaned by scientists about the region of...