Harvard study: Industrial research labs powered the golden age of U.S. innovation
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 19-Jun-2026 11:15 ET (19-Jun-2026 15:15 GMT/UTC)
Countries with stronger and better-targeted climate policies are cutting carbon emissions significantly faster, a major new study finds. Analysing more than 3,900 policies across 43 economies, researchers show that climate policies have already avoided over 3 billion tonnes of CO₂ in a single year, with the biggest gains coming from policies focused on high-emitting sectors such as energy, industry and transport.
It is not easy to bring new technologies from the laboratory to market. Researchers and companies face very different demands for new developments and do not always find common ground. Scientists at Empa and other institutions have analyzed two emerging solar cell technologies to identify the greatest risks. Their conclusion: Research and industry must start collaborating much earlier.
It's a small number of research labs inside tech giants that are driving the rapid rise of AI today. But this is not the first time such labs have taken center stage, a new study shows: The United States' rise as a technological superpower was fueled not just by inventions, but by the emergence of industrial research labs in the 1920s – which reshaped who invented, where innovation happened, and how breakthroughs were made.
When lawmakers name bills after victims of tragedy – such as Megan’s Law or the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 – public support surges, but this emotional boost may come at the expense of sound policymaking, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.