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
Paradoxical objects that underscore the mystery of the universe, black holes seem the ultimate destructive force, but may be essential to the stability of galaxies...
Each particle has a opposite form, its anti-particle, a discovery that has had wide-ranging effects
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 basic chemical elements of life on Earth are the most abundant elements in the universe...Are the conditions right elsewhere?
02/14/23 Viruses must appropriate the DNA/RNA of living cells in order to survive. The battle between viruses and cell defenses is a classic example of the epic struggles that characterize Nature. John Connor
10-17-23 WGBH Forum Network webinar PFAS, a group of chemicals added to many everyday products, became a concern years ago among medical researchers, but governmental agencies were slow to impose regulations. Philippe Grandjean
10/29/24 A collaborative study by HSPH epidemiologist Joel Schwartz and British colleagues has revealed a much greater impact of fossil fuel pollution on health and on worldwide mortality rates than previously thought. Joel Schwartz
08/28/20 The universe is expanding at an incredible rate, and dark energy is thought to be the cause. Astronomers observe and measure this mystery with very sophisticated equipment. Paul Martini
03/15/18 How realistic is the time-travel concept and how would time machines work? David Toomey
02/12/13 How microbes and their communities evolve and what the process means for us. Christopher Marx
04/22/15 A toxicologist explains why some organisms thrive in an environment that endangers most species. Emily Monosson
10/09/12 Changes in habitat and breeding patterns due to rapid climate change.......... Richard Primack
05/10/21 Healthy soil depends on healthy microbial ecosystems. These invisible communities have a very complex relationship. Kristen DeAngelis
11/11/20 Because of climate change, many regions are experiencing diseases introduced by unfamiliar insects, microbes, and other sources. This situation requires a new approach to training medical students. Gaurab Basu, M.D., MPH
05/04/10 Medications that are effective initially can cause very serious problems later. Robert Whitaker
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
Two textbooks by an international expert on Arctic biology and genetics
