Harvard Magazine

01/02/2026

Did the ancestors of humans walk upright or on four legs? As reported in The Washington Post this morning, a new analysis of fossil remains from Sahelanthropus tchadensis—a 7-million-year-old hominid discovered in Central Africa—suggests that Sahelanthropus may have been the earliest known human ancestor to walk habitually on two feet.

Terence Capellini, a professor in the department of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University has spent the past several years analyzing human pelvic evolution to explain why bipedalism may have evolved.

Research highlights our evolutionary ancestors’ unique pelvis.

12/31/2025

Today is the final day of our end of fiscal year campaign! This is your LAST opportunity to help us reach our goal. Please show your support for our independent, high-quality writing and reporting by making a gift - even a small gift makes a HUGE difference to the magazine. Thank you! https://bit.ly/3zbjJqL

12/30/2025

Tomorrow is the last opportunity to help us reach our calendar year goal! Harvard Magazine is an alumni publication like no other. Whether it’s coverage of the latest research and teaching, objective reporting on University news and policies, or stories by our undergraduate fellows, our editorial independence allows us to serve YOUR interests first and to keep you connected to the University and the people who make Harvard such a fascinating place. But we can’t produce a publication of this quality without your help. Support your magazine's independent, award-winning writing and reporting. Even a small gift makes a HUGE difference. https://bit.ly/3zbjJqL

12/24/2025

Imagine that astronauts make it safely to Mars in the next decade. Once there, they will need safe, long-lasting places to live. These should be habitats that can endure the planet’s extreme cold, radiation, and isolation.

Recently, researchers from Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have been asking a radical question: what if we could grow organic colonies on the Red Planet?

Humans have been dreaming of living on the Red Planet for decades. Harvard researchers are on the case.

12/23/2025

With the holiday season in full swing, deciding what to put on your plate takes on new significance—not only for your health, but for the health of the planet.

Does your holiday dinner make any difference in the vast and complicated context of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change? No, really: does it? That’s the question at the heart of “sustainable eating”—a movement including experts from the fields of nutrition, culinary arts, and environmental science.

“Sustainable eating,” and healthy recipes you can prepare for the holidays.

12/23/2025

Adam Cohen ’84, J.D. ’87, is a journalist and lawyer who recently wrote the cover story for our January-February 2026 issue, entitled “Law in a Lifeboat” (in print).

The case, The Queen v. Dudley and Stephens is, as Cohen likes to say, “Harvard’s favorite cannibalism case.” And it’s as relevant today as ever.

Watch to learn more, and head to www.harvardmagazine.com to read the full piece FREE online — or search "The 1884 Cannibalism-at-Sea Case That Still Has Harvard Talking."

Cohen is also the author of the book "Captain’s Dinner: A Shipwreck, an Act of Cannibalism, and a Murder Trial That Changed Legal History."

📸 Video courtesy of Adam Cohen / Harvard Magazine; cover illustration by Adam Gustavson.

12/22/2025

If you're looking for some last-minute gifts around the New England area, we've got you covered. Check out our 2025 New England Gift Guide here.

“How we spend our money is a reflection of our values,” says Deb Dormody, an alumni and family relations officer at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). “Supporting independent artists and makers is a way of demonstrating what you believe and helps the local economy.”

Ways to support regional artists, designers, and manufacturers

12/20/2025

Whether it’s coverage of the latest research and teaching, objective reporting on University news and policies, or stories by our undergraduate fellows, our editorial independence allows us to serve YOUR interests first and to keep you connected to the University and each other. But we can’t produce a publication of this quality without your help. Show your support for independent, high-quality writing and reporting by 12/31. Even a small gift makes a HUGE difference at the magazine.https://bit.ly/3zbjJqL

12/19/2025

The Trump administration filed an appeal this week of the U.S. District Court ruling that had restored $2.7 billion to Harvard University in federal grants and contracts to fund the government’s research priorities.

Thursday’s long-anticipated filing came two days before the government’s deadline to file an appeal after a final judgment was entered in the court record. During the appeal window, Harvard received most of the funding it was owed for work performed on those grants and contracts.

The appeal, which had been expected, came two days before the deadline to file.

12/18/2025

The Queen v. Dudley and Stephens is Harvard University’s favorite cannibalism case.

And it’s as relevant today as ever. It raises one of the greatest moral quandaries of all time: is it acceptable to sacrifice one life to save more lives?

The Queen v. Dudley and Stephens changed the course of legal history. Here’s why it’s been fodder for countless classroom debates.