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
Most of the mass of the universe is invisible and undetectable and is known only by its effects....
The explanation for the geological relationship between continents was originally heresy
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 long reign of bacteria, the eventual branching and diversification, symbiogenesis, the dramatic mass extinctions and resurgence of life...
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
04/30/13 One of our foremost physicists discusses two projects: the cyclic universe and quasicrystals
07/19/16 A look at how major ideas in science are often initially resisted, and a view of the invisible cosmos. Priyamvada Natarajan
01/20/15 The decimation of honeybee colonies is also a public health warning about pesticides. Chensheng (Alex) Lu
10/10/18 The acquisition of even one language is very complicated. But there are some --called hyperpolyglotals-- who learn dozens of languages. How does the brain do this? Evelina Fedorenko
03/21/15 The Cziczo Lab at MIT investigates the particles that form clouds and the vital role of clouds in climate change. Daniel Cziczo
01/11/21 Climate change has brought ocean acidification and ocean acidification is a serious threat to shellfish. What can be done to save sealife? Louise Cameron
07/15/14 What causes cancer, and how do the current different theories influence the research? A internationally prominent research team provides a unique view. Ana Soto and Carlos Sonnenschein
04/08/14 A world authority on how environmental toxins affect brain development brings the evidence to the general public. Philippe Grandjean
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
11/01/11 An award-winning MIT lab engineers practical necessities for impoverished nations. Amy Smith
Acclaimed author of The Fourth Part of the World (2009) and Da Vinci’s Ghost (2012)
