Science by the Pint presents “Rooting Around!” Come meet Professor Benton Taylor and his lab from the Arnold Arboretum, and learn how roots breathe, how trees respond to climate change, and much much more! Food and drinks will be provided, first come first served, so come hungry and full of questions! WHEN: Tuesday, July 30th, 6:30-8:00 PM WHERE: The Burren, 247 Elm St, Somerville WHO: … Continue reading Rooting Around! – Free SBTP Event
by Shreya Johri Machine learning (ML) influences nearly every aspect of our lives. Whether it’s receiving personalized recommendations on your favorite shopping site, interacting with ChatGPT, or even navigating through your city with real-time traffic updates, these ML models adapt and learn from vast amounts of data. In fact, ML models are even starting to be adopted in complex settings such as healthcare. But how … Continue reading Self-Taught AI: The Secret to Learning Without Supervision
by Jessica Dixonfigures by MacKenzie Mauger Do you have difficulty hearing conversations in noisy spaces? Turns out, you’re not alone! According to the World Health Organization, almost 20% of the global population has hearing loss, with this number increasing to 30% in people over the age of 60. Hearing loss can lead to social isolation and difficulty with daily tasks. Even mild hearing loss can … Continue reading Bringing Hidden Hearing Loss into the Open
Come chat with Professor Matthew Harris and learn about how your body shapes and ages the way it does, and the funky fish that make this research possible! Food and drinks will be provided, first come first served, so come hungry and full of questions! WHEN: Tuesday, June 25th, 6:30-8:00 PM WHERE: Aeronaut Brewery, 14 Tyler Street, Somerville WHO: You! Continue reading [June 25th] SBTP Presents “How Does Your Evolution Shape You?”
by Sophia Renauldfigures by Salvador Balkus Our understanding of the genetic material, or DNA, that makes up organisms has exploded over the last several decades. We have discovered that DNA is made up of multiple genes, and that different genes have different functions. We have also found that there is inherent variability in genes, meaning that the DNA of one organism is not identical to … Continue reading Gene Editing to Treat Disease: A success story in sickle cell disease
by Vicki Xufigures by Corena Loeb Suppose someone wants to move their arm. How might they accomplish this task? Every action starts with a thought — for instance, “move my arm” — that is essentially an electrical signal in the brain. The brain will send this message to the muscles in the arm, and the muscles in the arm will move. Now imagine that the … Continue reading Our Cyborg Future: Brain-computer interfaces and their unique privacy challenges
Come meet Professor Flaminia Catteruccia, and her lab, from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and find out about their research on malaria, and the mosquitoes that transmit the pathogen that causes it! Join us at The Seahag, 49 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138 on Tuesday, April 30th, between 6:30 and 8:00 PM. Drinks and snacks will be provided, and we … Continue reading Science by the Pint presents: “Blood, drugs, and bugs!”
The Harvard Quantum Initiative Blog is running a contest for students who are interested in quantum science! See below for more information and potentially win a trip to tour Harvard’s research facilities. HQI Blog: HQI Blog is a website run by graduate students in the Harvard Quantum Initiative (HQI). We are passionate about sharing our interest and knowledge in quantum science to the broader public … Continue reading Quantum Shorts Contest
by Brittany Linnfigures by Swathy Karamchedu To escape the oppressive summer heat, many of us seek the cool retreat of air-conditioned shopping centers, movie theaters, and public buildings; however, traditional air-conditioning systems are not without environmental consequences. Climate change awareness has inspired numerous laws and regulations to phase out chemicals produced by air-conditioning systems that contribute to climate change. Liquid refrigerants, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) … Continue reading A New Way to Beat the Heat: Scientists Develop an ‘Elastocaloric’ Cooling Device
by Ya’el Courtneyfigures by Gracyn Mose COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has killed over 1 million Americans from 2020 to 2024. This number is startling, especially considering that the harm of COVID-19 extends beyond loss of life and even beyond the symptoms of acute infection. While most people recover fully from SARS-CoV-2 infection within a week or two, in February 2024, 6.8% … Continue reading Long COVID: The latest in a series of unexplained post-acute infectious syndromes?