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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An illustration of interest rates rising, with two hands holding balloons full of money

Five Questions |

‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’ for the Return of Low Interest Rates

Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff discusses the global forces driving up borrowing costs.

Two men in professional attire, one speaking at a microphone, the other gesturing while talking.

Harvard Kennedy School of Government |

Why Is Silicon Valley Turning Conservative?

At the Harvard Kennedy School, Van Jones analyzes how Democrats lost the tech industry’s vote.

An illustration depicting a group of animals in a red shopping cart that says 56 billion, representing the value of the National Park System

Five Questions |

America’s National Parks Are a $56 Billion Economic Engine

Harvard’s Linda Bilmes on measuring the economic value of public lands

A graphic of a U.S. federal buildings with

AI |

Harvard Law Professor Explains the AI Battle Between Tech and Government

Jonathan Zittrain compares today’s conflicts to tensions surrounding the early internet.

Two figures sitting against an American flag having a conversation at Harvard Kennedy School

Harvard Kennedy School of Government |

Former ICC Prosecutor Discusses Iran, Ukraine, and Venezuela

At a Harvard event, Luis Moreno-Ocampo explains why war crimes are hard to define and prosecute. 

A scientist holds up an experiment item

Science |

The Artemis II Mission Included a Harvard Space Medicine Experiment

Wyss Institute researchers are observing how human bone marrow responds to radiation and microgravity.

A globe balanced on a pair of scales against a light green background.

Climate |

What a Key EPA Repeal Means for America’s Climate Future

A Harvard alumni panel examines the impact of the “Endangerment Finding.”

A mechanical hand representing AI copies images of Disney's Mickey Mouse

Five Questions |

Is Copyright Law the Wrong Weapon Against AI?

Harvard law professor Rebecca Tushnet explains how “fair use” applies to LLMs.

Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan

Harvard Kennedy School of Government |

Paul Ryan Warns Congress Is Losing Power—and Blames Both Parties

At Harvard Kennedy School, the former House speaker reflected on executive overreach, DEI, and “wokeism.”

A graphic depiction of a stone wall, reimagining the stone wall set in Harvard Square near Winthrop Street

Harvard History |

One of Harvard’s Oldest Structures Is Hiding Behind a Beer Garden

A crumbling wall in Harvard Square holds centuries of the city’s story, if you know how to read it.

An abstract collage of a pair of people engaged in a tense conversation, depicting speech bubbles and words

Five Questions |

Can We Disagree Better? A Harvard Professor Has Tips.

Kennedy School professor of public policy Julia Minson on how to improve political conversations

An illustration of a Celtic warrior with a shield in grey

Museums & Collections |

The Celts in Art and Imagination

A new exhibition at the Harvard Art Museums traces 2,500 years of Celtic art.