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
The kind of matter made of atoms accounts for a tiny fraction of the mass of the universe...
Bruno was burned at the stake for asserting that the Sun was one of countless stars in an infinite universe
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 discovery of organisms thriving in extreme temperatures and conditions deep undersea, deep in the Earth, deep in the ice suggests that life, once it emerges, is extraordinarily resilient..
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
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
12/02/19 Most of the matter in the universe is invisible --and scientists still do not know what it is. This is a brief story of how the idea of dark matter was very slowly accepted.
05/06/24 WGBH Forum Network webinar. All sorts of animals engage in imaginative types of play. Is this behavior just creature-entertainment, or is it important for development and bonding? David Toomey
03/08/16 Reconstructing the relationship between biological evolution and geology, climate, environment. Andrew Knoll
07/28/17 The long struggle to commit the international community to prepare for the worldwide climate crisis. Henrik Selin
06/21/18 Harvard's Law School Environmental Clinic shows us how we can use the law to save our environment. Wendy B. Jacobs
09/27/16 Advances in nanotechnology are revolutionizing medicine. A leader in the field describes recent developments and his commitment to making them available to a wide public. Sameer Sonkusale
01/30/18 A comprehensive approach to public health: the body, the environment, the culture, the conditions. Sandro Galea
03/06/18 Irrefutable evidence for why we should --and can-- transition to renewable energy without delay. Mara Prentiss
10/24/23 Imagine a future world in which clean electricity is available anywhere you go. The generic Air-gen effect innovation means that this future world can become a reality. Jun Yao
An interdisciplinary perspective on the biogeochemical relationships of ocean cycles
