science | Harbingers' Magazine

November 24, 2023

Since 1960, the contraceptive pill has revolutionized women's lives. One woman financed the research

The invention of the pill not only gave women the opportunity to plan parenthood, it revolutionized Western societies in gender equality. The pill allowed women to stay in education longer, and pursue professional careers

17 year-old Flora Lodd on the history and future of hormonal contraception

November 03, 2023

The Thalidomide scandal. A history of greed and neglect that shaped contemporary clinical trials

Thalidomide was a tragedy that is often forgotten and a clear violation of human rights, but it shaped the strenuous clinical trials that take place today. Without the toll of Thalidomide, drug production may not be as safe as it is today

16 year-old Ananya Prasanna on the lesson from pharmaceutical scandal

October 27, 2023

2023 set another record in temperatures. How will the climate crisis impact the economy?

Climate change does not only affect the economy when disasters occur – it impacts the economic wellbeing of people around the world through hard-to-perceive destruction of infrastructure, disruption of global supply chains, and the effect on agriculture

17 year-old Nadia Diakowska on the cost of the warmest September on record

October 13, 2023

Brains grown in a petri dish. On the potential of organoid intelligence

The human brain is the ultimate supercomputer. OI can unlock the mysteries behind cognitive maturation, neurological, and psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia

17 year-old Inika Singh wins the Harbinger Prize in Science

October 06, 2023

Disappearing in the Pacific. Their islands are sinking, yet we can barely hear calls for help

In the heart of the Pacific Islands, a chorus of student voices resonates together to paint a vivid picture of hopes, concerns, and aspirations despite the nuanced, complex threat that they face

18 year-old Chenxi Zhang wins the Harbinger Prize in Reporting

September 29, 2023

My 50th birthday: A world without food

A future where real food doesn’t exist anymore may sound like quite a bleak and dystopian future. But this is far closer than we think with the 26-year timer we find ourselves on

17 year-old Christian Yeung wins the Harbinger prize in Humanities

September 24, 2023

Bugs are friends, not foes. Historical neglect of US government to human-insect symbiosis

It is no exaggeration to say “insects make the world go round”. From pollination to nutrient recycling, to biological pest management, and even genetic research — without them, our ecosystem would not function. Insects provide the United States with over $57 billion yearly of ecological service, in terms of dung burial, pest prevention, and pollination.

17 year-old Anna Lovat won The Harbinger Prize 2023

September 22, 2023

Mass destruction of Ukrainian nature will have a huge impact on the future

The consequences of war have not only ruined lives and negatively impacted the mental health of Ukrainian civilians, but it will also result in long-term ecosphere damage

17 year-old Sofia Radysh interviews UAnimals on the environmental crisis

August 11, 2023

Titanic sub highlights need for more ocean exploration, not less

While many set their sights on the vast expanses of the Milky Way, we ignore our own precious little blue-green marble. Over 80% of the ocean has never been explored, mapped, or even seen

16 year-old Justin Sau on the untapped potential of our seas

August 08, 2023

NASA restores full contact with the lost Voyager 2

One of the objectives of both Voyager 1 and 2 is to ‘help scientists understand the very nature of energy and radiation in space’. With the continued close up study of space, it will help NASA and scientists to lower the risk factors in the future exploration in space

16 year-old Jefferson He reports on space exploration

August 07, 2023

IFSC weighs in on athlete eating disorder concerns following criticism

As a sport where you have to fight gravity, climbing has a high percentage of eating disorders. The IFSC has responded to climbers and former members of its medical committee speaking out about outdated health standards in competitive climbing

17 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko on the response from athletes and the medical community

June 30, 2023

What would happen if Russia tried to sabotage the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant?

The plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, has been under Russian control since last year. According to Zelenskiy, Russian sabotage would result in a massive leakage of radioactive material that could reach neighbouring European countries

16 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko on the probability of nuclear disaster

June 30, 2023

Auto-tune overload. Aren’t we sacrificing musicality for so-called perfection?

Excessive use of auto-tune technology, especially when employed to distort the voice during a live performance, sparks debates about authenticity and emotional connection with the audience

14 year-old Sofia Vorobei takes the side of human imperfection

June 30, 2023

Do we prefer AI to shape future generations than to invest in human teachers?

While the global market, however, is leaning towards AI to shape the worldviews of our next generation over human teachers, this does not mean it is the right direction to be headed in

17 year-old Megan Lee follows the money in education

June 23, 2023

Animal testing made its way onto the big screen. It may be a sign of change

Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 is more than a great movie - it also offers insight into cruelty disguised as animal testing

17 year-old Sofia Radysh on animal testing

June 23, 2023

7 ways AI could benefit healthcare

The development of AI leads to lots of new and exciting possibilities of its applications in the modern world, including within healthcare. This article will outline 7 ways in which AI can benefit healthcare and the challenges associated with adopting it

18 year-old Grace Whitehouse outlines the practical uses of the technology

April 28, 2023

When the atmosphere fails. Is our civilisation at risk of being destroyed by an asteroid?

Humanity has many issues to worry about - climate change, nuclear escalation, scarce resources, and overpopulation, to list just a few. An asteroid attack is another worry, arguably the most abrupt and outside our control

16 year-old Riana Banga on planetary defence

April 21, 2023

Chameleons are the most remarkable and amazing creatures. Here’s why

Chameleons are one of the most diverse and complex animals, with over 200 species and a range of adaptations

13 year-old Lidya Gaspar outlines the incredible traits of chameleons

April 07, 2023

ChatGPT: 7 things students need to know

The launch of ChatGPT has sparked numerous controversies, especially relating to its role in education. This article will explain all the details that students are curious about

17 year-old Grace Whitehouse outlines the AI technology

March 03, 2023

The maths of the COVID-19 era. The pandemic told in four equations

A difference of R, as little as one, has dramatic effects on the number of those infected within a population which without intervention would continue to increase at a rapid rate thus resulting in increased numbers of deaths

17 year-old Grace Whitehouse uses her own calculations to explain COVID-19 with maths

March 03, 2023

‘Know your DNA’ databases could fall into the wrong hands. Policymakers should regulate it

Even with all precautions employed, there is always a chance of getting hacked. Nothing indicates that ancestry DNA databases store personal data in any different place than the information about one’s DNA

18 year-old Gleb Mishin explains the cybersecurity dangers behind DNA testing

January 19, 2023

The secret price of the war in Ukraine

As a Ukrainian and representative of the young generation, I am worried about the price my country pays for the current war not only in the matter of sacred lives but also nature. Ecology might seem insignificant in comparison to the scale of human tragedies that are happening right now, but isn’t ecology also a matter of saving lives?

Maria Rybak speaks to experts on the ecological situation in Ukraine during war

October 17, 2022

Volunteering at KL Plaszow Museum gave me a chance to fight the Nazi dehumanisation

To many, the concentration camp in Plaszow remains an unknown piece of history. A mere nine-person team at the KL Plaszow Museum and Memorial Site are working to change that. While I had the privilege of being the museum’s first volunteer, the KL Plaszow team hopes to recruit more as they continue working towards their opening in 2025

17 year-old Jonathan Wong on the meaning of voluntary work

October 15, 2022

Zambia’s efforts to prevent famine and poverty with organic farming

Those at the Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre (KATC) recognised the long list of problems arising from chemical farming, so the organisation changed to organic farming in the mid-1980s to promote a healthier, more sustainable way of living. The main focus of KATC’s work is to train farmers and government agents in the basics of organic farming.

17 year-old Maksymilian Sinczak on the efforts to promote sustainable agriculture in Zambia

September 10, 2022

A Plague Constant: Disease and Conspiracy in the Early Modern Period and Today

Today, as during the Great Plague of London, some of those holding office have put forward questionable remedies said to be more effective than mainstream treatments

Zachary Górka considers the similarities in public reaction and conspiracy between COVID-19 and the Great Plague of London, almost 400 years apart

August 12, 2022

‘Transforming healthcare’ - How AI is helping save lives

AI is able to not only speed up the process of diagnoses, but also procure the healthcare system with higher quality and more precise results

16 year-old Sofiya Suleimenova interviews the AI specialists behind comprehensive stroke imaging solution

June 23, 2022

Invest in good mathematicians. Weapons of Math Destruction review

Ill-conceived algorithms are strengthening injustice, inequality and prejudice across law enforcement, education, labour, banking and housing.

Natasha Banga reviews Cathy O’Neil’s book

February 16, 2022

With Mosquirix approved by WHO, hopes are high for a breakthrough in fight against Malaria

Despite its efficacy at just below 46%, Masquirix may prevent 4.3 million cases of malaria and 22,000 deaths in children younger than five annually

Noor Bejjani explains the difficulties and rewards behind the new vaccine against malaria

November 11, 2021

It was research on light that enabled us to comprehend that time is elastic

Thanks to Albert Einstein, time and space began to be considered non-invariables - but to prove his theory, the famous scientist needed something that moved really fast.

Aleksy Chwedczuk explains how the whole idea of inevitability took a sudden turn.

November 01, 2021

What ‘is’ dark energy and matter, the 95 percent of the Universe we know nothing about?

In 1929, when Edwin Hubble proved that the universe is expanding, an important question arose: o what will the Apocalypse look like then?

Aleksy Chwedczuk on the opening chapter of the neWhat ‘is’ dark energy and matter, the 95 percent of the Universe we know nothing about?xt great discovery in the history of Physics.

October 18, 2021

What would it mean if there was life on Venus?

It only makes sense for some life to exist somewhere out there. A recent research paper has shifted the spotlight to our sister planet.

Aleksy Chwedczuk reports on what may be hidden in the atmosphere of Venus.

August 19, 2021

COVID-19 boosted research in mRNA vaccines

With enough funding and brainpower, MRNA technology is capable of shortening the amount of time needed for vaccine development and manufacturing so significantly that it may be close to real-time vaccination.

Noor Bejjani explores the implications of the coronavirus-related leap in vaccination science