Clea Simon

Somerville

Freelance Journalist and Author at Freelance

Crime fiction and, often, cats. Most recently feline cozy TO CONJURE A KILLER and psychological suspense HOLD ME DOWN https://t.co/R42YW5HwdE she/her/hers

Articles

‘We have a way of steering a fly like you would a car’ — Harvard Gazette

2 weeks ago | news.harvard.edu | Clea Simon

4 min read Fruit flies, one of the most studied organisms in science, are efficient little creatures, able to navigate their environment with agility. They were also one of the first animals to be manipulated by geneticists. A new study, published last month by PNAS, exploited these qualities by turning fruit flies into what the co-authors call “living micro-robots,” whose movements can be controlled by sensory clues.
Macfarlane's 'Is a River Alive' ponders waterways.

2 weeks ago | bostonglobe.com | Clea Simon

Should a natural feature — a function of the earth — have the same rights as a human, or, really, any sentient creature? That is the question at the heart of “Is a River Alive?,” Robert Macfarlane’s exhaustive — and at times exhausting — new book. Considering the author’s background as a nature writer, it is clear the answer he expects is “yes,” and after reading this multifaceted argument, it is hard to disagree.
Talking about music doesn’t have to be difficult — Harvard Gazette

3 weeks ago | news.harvard.edu | Clea Simon

4 min read Music can be difficult to talk about. But WordSong, which styles itself “Boston’s premier interactive concert organization,” confronts the fraught relationship between music and words directly.
Weighing cure for sick kids against troubling ethical questions — Harvard Gazette

1 month ago | news.harvard.edu | Clea Simon

If our differences are part of what make us human, do we have the right — or the responsibility — to change them? That question was at the crux of “The Promise and Peril of CRISPR,” a talk given by Neal Baer, Ed.M. ’79, M.D. ’96, co-director of Harvard Medical School’s master’s degree program in Media, Medicine, and Health.
Turns out, bonobos ‘talk’ a lot like humans — Harvard Gazette

1 month ago | news.harvard.edu | Clea Simon

How old is language? A new study from researchers at the University of Zurich and Harvard University reveals that bonobos, our closest living relatives alongside chimpanzees, use the equivalent of word compounds and phrasings, suggesting that the roots of language predate humans.
When making positive change, sometimes you ‘break things’ — Harvard Gazette

1 month ago | news.harvard.edu | Clea Simon

If you want to make things better, says Gina Raimondo, that means things are going to have to change — and sometimes that means you “break things.”For example, the former U.S. Commerce secretary and Rhode Island governor said that when she was leading the Ocean State, she cut taxes every year, raised the state minimum wage, and made community college tuition free. She also cut 30 percent of the state’s regulations.
How to manage stress during an apocalypse — Harvard Gazette

2 months ago | news.harvard.edu | Clea Simon

5 min read Cooperation, community, and a sense of adventure may be the keys to our survival, even in these violently divided times. That was the theme of Athena Aktipis’ address last week.
NASA laser tech reveals climate impact on tropical forest canopies

2 months ago | phys.org | Clea Simon

With their ability to store carbon, forests are often considered the lungs of the Earth, but they are vulnerable to the world's ills, too. A new study, using NASA laser technology from the International Space Station, reveals the impact of climate change on global tropical forests with greater depth and breadth than ever before.
Lower canopies show struggle for tropical forests — Harvard Gazette

2 months ago | news.harvard.edu | Clea Simon

4 min read With their ability to store carbon, forests are often considered the lungs of the Earth, but they are vulnerable to the world’s ills, too. A new study, using NASA laser technology from the International Space Station, reveals the impact of climate change on global tropical forests with greater depth and breadth than ever before.
Former Greek PM outlines strategies to strengthen EU — Harvard Gazette

2 months ago | news.harvard.edu | Clea Simon

Stressing the need for European reform and unity in the face of multiple challenges, Aléxis Tsípras, the former prime minister of Greece, addressed a standing-room-only crowd at the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies on March 25, which marked Independence Day in Greece. Tsípras presented proposals for Europe to counter looming financial and trans-Atlantic turbulence, strengthen its cohesion, and elevate its geopolitical and economic position. The presentation was moderated by Peter A.