Olivia Farrar

Olivia Farrar is the digital content specialist at Harvard Magazine. A graduate of Harvard College and the University of Oxford, she writes about technology, medicine, the natural sciences, and the humanities. Before joining the magazine in 2023, she worked at Audible in content strategy, script editing, and production, helping to produce titles including David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and The Signalman by Charles Dickens (directed by Sam Mendes), a modern reimagining of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid, and numerous other audiobooks, short stories, and podcasts. 

Olivia adheres to the highest ethical standards across writing and reporting, including in interviews with subjects and throughout researching and fact-checking stories.

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Mark Carney on the Limits of Soft Power

At the 2026 Davos summit, the Canadian prime minister echoes Harvard’s Joseph Nye.

Are Creators the Future of Democracy?

A Harvard panel considers how “parasocial relationships” might drive democratic engagement.

Harvard Scholars Discuss Venezuela After Maduro

A Harvard Kennedy School panel unpacks the nation’s oil sector, economy, and democratic hopes.

Five Questions with Willy Shih

A Harvard Business School professor unpacks the economics of semiconductors.

At A.R.T., the Musical “Wonder” Explores Bullying and Friendship

Auggie Pullman’s story comes to life through an inventive space metaphor 

Eating for the Holidays, the Planet, and Your Heart

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

At Harvard, AI Meets “Post-Neoliberalism”

Experts debate whether markets alone should govern tech in the U.S.

Getting to Mars (for Real)

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

Five Questions with Michèle Duguay

A Harvard scholar of music theory on how streaming services have changed the experience of music

Harvard Symposium Tackles 400 Years of Homelessness in America

Professors explore the history of homelessness in the U.S., from colonial poor laws to today’s housing crisis

The Secrets Glaciers Tell

A Harvard class explores the glacial legacy of pollution emitted by the Roman Empire

From Jellyfish to Digital Hearts

How Harvard researchers are helping to build a virtual model of the human heart