9 mins read

Fifty years since recombination debate ushered in biotech in Cambridge

This month marks 50 years since Cambridge city councillors, scientists, and residents debated the safety of DNA recombination. The fiery deliberations at city hall elevated the role of the public in scientific research, which resulted in the nation’s first local ordinance regulating genetic experimentation, and led to the biotech boom in Kendall Square. Read more […]

11 mins read

Events this week in Camberville: Wax museum, Fresh Pond Day, & soccer watch parties

Thursday, June 11 Noon to 12:45 p.m.Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., near Harvard Square. Gallery Performance: Celtic Art Across the AgesFree. Harpist and historian Nancy Hurrell will perform Irish music on an 1820s Egan harp and a modern Celtic harp. She will also share the history of the Celtic harp. Read more ‘Birds Up Close,’ […]

10 mins read

‘Birds Up Close,’ and other picks for what to read

We asked the staff at the MIT Press Bookstore for some recent book recommendations. Head over to 314 Main St., Kendall Square, to continue the conversation. Read more Ahern Field shows why community engagement matters “Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders,” by Lorna Gibson. MIT Press, 2026. How do birds fly? Why […]

3 mins read

Ahern Field shows why community engagement matters

I am grateful that the City Manager has decided that Ahern Field will remain a natural grass field with improved drainage and irrigation. This decision reflects the voices of residents from East Cambridge and across the city who took the time to attend meetings, sign petitions, ask questions, and participate in the public process. Read […]

6 mins read

Film noir & David Lynch’s America

If someone asked you to picture a film noir, you’d probably conjure a handful of visual signifiers: a sultry femme fatale, a hard-drinking gumshoe in a fedora, shadows darker than the human soul. But what would it sound like? Chances are you can already hear a low, bluesy saxophone, possibly accompanied by lightly brushed drums […]

4 mins read

City reverses course on Ahern Field

After a tense city council meeting on Monday over the issue of putting artificial turf on Ahern Field in East Cambridge, city manager Yi-An Huang issued a statement Wednesday evening reversing course. Read more The CPL’s top 10 May reads “After careful consideration of community input, City Council feedback, and the project’s overall goals, we […]