Science touches so many aspects of modern life that it's hard to keep up. Through our programs and this website, Science for the Public provides up-to-date information about scientific innovations, discoveries, and issues that are shaping modern knowledge.
No events are scheduled for June or July
05/27/25 (rescheduled from April) Thousands of satellites orbit Earth. At the end of their missions, they drop into and burn up in the stratosphere, depositing ash that contains oxides and pollutants that are affecting both the ozone layer and the planet's climate. Atmospheric scientists are working to analyze the aerosols and their worrisome impact. Daniel Cziczo
05-20-25 For individuals paralyzed by injury, stroke or ALS, brain-computer-interface (BCI) devices can enable movement and even speech. However, there are concerns: specifically, that such technology could be developed for mind control. Lukas Meier
04/08/25 Numerous types of cancer are increasing today and scientists are trying to identify the causes. That's why cancer research is one of the most important concerns of modern science. We learn how the research is done and also why federal funding for this work is essential. Gerald Denis
From the first moments of the universe to the formation of atoms ...
A poison that was initially considered a solution to disease-bearing insects and harmless to humans and animals became lethal
Mounting evidence suggests a link between chemicals in consumer products and breast cancer.
What's so important about an atmosphere? Find out here.
Many of the most important advances in scientific understanding were initially rejected or ignored.
In an era of global science, other nations are increasing their science budgets. Why aren't we?
The necessary ingredients and conditions; formation of life's molecules; Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) ....
01/14/25 Dark matter accounts for some 27 percent of the universe but is invisible. One promising technique to reveal it is the analysis of gravitational lensing that very occasionally aligns galaxy clusters. Jacqueline McCleary
10/04/22 The most sophisticated telescope ever created is now producing its first deep-space images, revealing an astonishing universe. Silas Laycock
02/18/25 Is there life beyond Earth? So far, despite the discovery that there are billions of planets in our galaxy, and our increasingly sophisticated probes for life, we still don’t know. Life and the conditions for its emergence are both very complex phenomena. Mario Livio
09/19/23 WGBH Forum Network webinar 11:30 EDT There is plenty of hype about space travel and even colonizing planets like Mars. We might need to know about the effects of zero-gravity on the human body. James Lackner
09/08/15 Mathematician L. Mahadevan describes how nature, science and art intersect. It will change your entire perspective.
04/09/19 What caused Earth's five mass extinctions --and most important--are we headed for a sixth? Andrew Knoll
07/09/13 the unique "antifreeze" blood and skeletal mutations of the Antarctic Icefishes provide insights into both climate change adaptations and human disease. H. William Detrich, III
10/28/13 A major ethicist and author talks about the geoengineering issue and his new book on that topic, Earthmasters
10/06/15 Soil is essential for life on Earth, and life greatly enriches soil. How did the pedosphere evolve, what makes it dynamic, and how can we save it?,,,,,,,,,,... Andrew Kurtz
06/07/22 An increasing percentage of the Food and Drug Agency's funding comes from the pharmaceutical industry. How does this arrangement affect the agency in general and the approval of new medications in particular? Aaron Kesselheim
02/21/12 Can bioelectric signals in cells be exploited for regeneration of limbs and tissue? This is an important area of medical research. Michael Levin
08/02/22 A unique innovation based on photosynthesis, the bionic leaf can potentially produce energy and fuel inexpensively --and in a localized manner. Daniel Nocera
05/07/19 How effective are offshore wind farms in nations that have developed them, and why has the US been especially slow to adapt such an important energy resource? Andrew Myers
A very engaging discussion of the human genome project by one of the researchers involved
A seismologist whose research is on the cutting edge of investigations of the deep Earth