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.
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
From the first moments of the universe to the formation of atoms ...
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?
Partly in order to understand its amazing complexity, and partly in order to advance medical therapies. So, how do you create a viable cell?
09/12/23 The breaching of most of the Earth system boundaries (ESBs) is destroying the planet and the crisis must be addressed immediately. Solutions must include justice for those who suffer displacement, health and economic impacts of the crisis. Diana Liverman
09/26/23 Clouds protect the planet and play an essential role in climate dynamics. How will the rapidly heating planet affect that relationship? Daniel Cziczo
02/09/24 GBH Forum Network webinar (noon ET) The extreme level of atmospheric CO2 is well beyond a “capture and storage/sequestration” solution, yet the hype persists that some clever extraction innovation will resolve the problem. Charles Harvey
If Nations Won't Fight Global Warming, Cities Can and Will
World’s Largest Bleaching Event on Record Has Harmed 84 Percent of Coral Reefs
Nearly Half of Americans Are Breathing Unhealthy Air as Pollution Exposure Numbers Reach Decade High
EPA Deletes Pollution Tracking Tools as It Offers Exemptions to Polluters
11/07/19 Science for the Public mini-series : They Didn't Believe It! Brief stories about science discoveries that were very slow to be accepted
11/13/18 Structures and motions are governed by geometric rules. Ileana Streinu and Ciprian S. Borcea
03/19/24 A prominent biologist explains the crucial importance of biodiversity for life on Earth, and how the sixth mass extinction fractures that stability. Michael Reed.
04/26/21 The evolution of the human language apparatus, comparison of human language and animal communication, and explanation of the Neanderthal language controversy. Philip Lieberman
02/14/17 Ancient diatom fossils provide clues to the adaptability of these vital organisms in the deep past, and can help predict plankton survival in the present climate change. Christopher Bowler
04/12/16 How ocean earthquakes generate tsunamis --and where tsunamis can occur. John Ebel
03/22/21 Designing a wearable device to study brain function and dysfunction, with a goal of precise therapeutic interventions to treat neurodegenerative diseases Shawn Kelly
07/23/13 Determining the relationship between environmental contaminants and the global increase in autism. Marc Weisskopf
12/05/23 GBH Forum Network webinar (noon). By 2050, some 75 percent of the world population will live in cities. Future urban design will emphasize not only innovative architecture and engineering, but optimal environmental and social aspects of city dwelling also. The urban future might also include settlements beyond Earth. Justin Hollander
06/25/13 The cooling systems of power plants use an enormous percentage of our diminishing freshwater supply. What's the solution? John Rogers
A world authority on how environmental toxins affect brain development brings the evidence to the general public in this book.
A leading researcher on stellar disk formation discusses what astronomers now know --and don't know-- about the formation of solar systems