History of Science
‘Standing at the Intersection’: The Medical Humanities’ Struggle for Footing at Harvard
In the last decade, universities across the country have expanded their medical humanities programs. But at Harvard, professors and students point to a need for formalized curricula and greater cross-field faculty hiring.
HMS Study Suggests New Narratives for Pompeii Victims
New DNA analysis challenges existing hypotheses about the identities and relationships of victims found in Pompeii after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E., per a study published in Current Biology on Nov. 7.
Caroline Jean Fernald Named Director of Harvard Museums of Science and Culture
Caroline Jean Fernald was selected as the new executive director of the Harvard Museums of Science and Culture, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra announced last month. She began her tenure Wednesday.
Harvard Study Finds ExxonMobil Scientists Accurately Predicted Climate Change, Despite Denial
A Harvard-led team of researchers found in a study published earlier this month that internal ExxonMobil projections accurately predicted human-caused climate change even as the company downplayed its risks in public statements.
Fossil Fuel Companies Are ‘Talking Green but Acting Dirty,’ Harvard Researchers Find
A report published by Harvard researchers last week found that European fossil fuel, car, and airlines companies strategically rebrand themselves on social media to portray a greener narrative.
Experts Across Disciplines Tackle Racism within Health Care During Virtual Panel
The conversation — moderated by Michelle Morse, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School — was part of the Health Policy and Bioethics Consortia, a monthly series organized by the Medical School and the Law School that brings together experts from separate disciplines to discuss issues relating to biomedical innovation and healthcare delivery.
Harvard Faculty Sign Open Letter Calling for Trump’s Impeachment
Twelve Harvard faculty joined more than 300 American historians and legal scholars in signing an open letter calling for President Donald J. Trump to be impeached for the second time in his presidential term.
Harvard, University of Michigan Professors Discuss the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Effect on Prisons
Heather Ann Thompson, a Pulitzer prize-winning author and University of Michigan professor, discussed the relationship between pandemics and prisons in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic during a virtual event on Thursday.
New History of Science Course Examines Harvard's Move to Allston
As Harvard prepares for its move into Allston, a new History of Science course will allow students to document this history as it unfolds.
History of Science Department
The History of Science Department, located in Science Center Room 371, aims to study science, technology, and medicine in their historical and social contexts.
Why I Declared 2019: Humanities
To get some perspective on concentration declaration, we asked Flyby sophomores studying the humanities why they declared.
In New Letter, Harvard Divinity School Students Join Calls to Review Prof. Ragab Tenure Denial
A group of Harvard Divinity School students have joined undergraduates in criticizng the school's decision to deny Associate Professor Ahmed Ragab tenure in a letter to University President Lawrence S. Bacow, University Provost Alan M. Garber ’76, and Divinity School Dean David N. Hempton this week.
History of Science Professor Presents Research on Scientific Misinformation
She argued that large corporations appeal to notions of free market capitalism and freedom to preserve deregulated industries.
Digitizing the Sky
In the 1880s, Edward Charles Pickering, a stout Harvard astronomer whose deeply angled eyebrows recall an angry cartoon character, took on a new project: photographing the entire sky.
Professor Argues For Increased Political Involvement from Scientists
"We need to speak because facts don’t actually speak for themselves,” History of Science professor Naomi Oreskes said during a lecture Wednesday in Science Center B.
On Harvard Time: When Harvard Sold the Time
The year was 1839. William Cranch Bond was a clockmaker and astronomer living in Dorchester, Mass. Bond had been commissioned by the United States government under Captain Charles Wilkes to conduct measurements of longitude and “other scientific purposes” for the Navy’s Exploring Expedition of the Pacific Ocean.
Evolutionary Biologist Puts Agassiz’s Views on Race Under Microscope
Evolutionary biologist Joseph L. Graves examined the controversial history of former Harvard professor Louis Agassiz’s views on race and human evolution.
Knife-fighting and Cardboard Bazookas: A Conversation with Matthew Hersch
On the first day of class Hersch demonstrated how one might load a musket while riding a horse.
Peter L. Galison
Galison’s teaching, like his many projects, focuses on the historical, philosophical, and ethical implications of science.
Black Hole Initiative Receives $7.2 Million in Funding
Harvard’s newly formed Black Hole Initiative received funding two weeks after world-renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking spoke about the initiative to a packed Sanders Theatre on April 19.
Retrospection: Agassiz's Expeditions in Brazil
But for Agassiz, the trip to Brazil was about more than science. Not only was evolution—a process not immediately observable to the human eye—deeply antithetical to Agassiz’s staunch empiricism, evolution was profoundly at odds with his perceived world order.
At Black Hole Talk, Stephen Hawking Draws Massive Audience
World-famous theoretical cosmologist Stephen W. Hawking discussed the history of and recent breakthroughs in research on black holes at the inauguration of Harvard's Black Hole Initiative.
Putnam Gallery
Radio Contact: Tuning in to Politics, Technology and Culture will open March 11 at Harvard's Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments.
Professors Discuss Rage at Interdisciplinary Symposium
Harvard professors from four different departments discussed the phenomenon of rage in human behavior.