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.
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
05/27/25 (rescheduled) 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
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
03/11/25 Due mainly to climate change and wasteful agricultural practices, the supply of freshwater is rapidly diminishing across the globe. To provide water for the world’s huge population, governments must quickly develop advanced conservation and sustainability policies. Jay Famiglietti
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
Stellar death explosions produce massive gas and dust clouds, and some of that detritus becomes solar systems ...
The evidence for a 4-billion-years-old Earth was a serious contradiction of the widely held Biblical view
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) ....
05/14/24 WGBH Forum Network Webinar. The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), specifically designed to measure the universe's expansion, has now produced the largest and most precise 3D map for the expansion analysis. And the first results of the survey are amazing. Paul Martini
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
10/04/22 The most sophisticated telescope ever created is now producing its first deep-space images, revealing an astonishing universe. Silas Laycock
04/30/13 One of our foremost physicists discusses two projects: the cyclic universe and quasicrystals
10/08/19 A cell's size and the proportions of its components are strictly determined, but where do the rules come from? Scientists are still trying to figure that out. Jané Kondev
12/09/09 Genetic material in ancient fossils yields an amazing profile of extinct organisms. Chris Organ
12/22/15 Can the great Himalaya ecosystem adapt to the dual assault of rapid development and climate change? Maharaj Pandit
12/09/21 A distinguished geologist compares the human impact on our planet with the impacts of natural catastrophes over billions of years. Based on his book, A Brief History of Earth, this discussion is a sequel to an earlier conversation. Andrew Knoll
09/23/14 The scientist who led the sequencing of the Y chromosome explains its evolution, its survival, and possible relationship to conditions and diseases that affect mostly males. David Page
12/10/13 TB cells do not all respond to antibiotics. Discovering why is the key to effective treatment. Bree Aldridge
06/28/12 A co-author of the new book from the Union of Concerned Scientists describes how individuals can substantially reduce their carbon footprints while creating a healthy lifestyle...Jeff Deyette
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
A major researcher in epidemiology studies on autism and other cognitive disorders
