news 2009

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Oct. Mark E. Richard, who specializes in the philosophy of language, philosophical logic, and metaphysics and epistemology, has been named professor of philosophy at Harvard University, effective July 1, 2010. "Professor Richard is an original, rigorous, and creative scholar who has made important, and impressive, contributions to the philosophy of language," says Diana Sorensen, dean for the arts and humanities in Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Cambridge, Mass. September 10, 2009 - A team of archaeologists and paleobiologists has discovered flax fibers that are more than 34,000 years old, making them the oldest fibers known to have been used by humans. The fibers, discovered during systematic excavations in a cave in the Republic of Georgia, are described in this week’s issue of Science.

Cambridge, Mass. April 30, 2009 - Researchers at Harvard University have found that humans aren't the only ones who can groove to a beat - some other species can dance, too. This capability was previously believed to be specific to humans. The research team found that only species that can mimic sound seem to be able to keep a beat, implying an evolutionary link between the two capacities.