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.
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
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
One of the best indicators that the universe began with a bang is the radiation it left behind...
The unexpected and unlikely nature of the photon was hard to believe
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?
Hibernation, dormancy, suspended animation, revival from apparent death; the line between life and death...
01/14/21 Mathematics is the foundation of everything in Nature: structures, dynamics, processes. Understanding that foundation changes our perception of Nature. Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan
11/13/18 Structures and motions are governed by geometric rules. Ileana Streinu and Ciprian S. Borcea
07/16/19 The destabilization of Earth's complex carbon cycle is associated with past mass extinctions. This mathematical model predicts a coming sixth mass extinction. Daniel Rothman
03/17/15 Was there ever life on Mars? How do scientists search for and analyze possible clues? Roger Summons
09/15/15 How stars and their planetary systems form, and what the New Horizons mission to Pluto will reveal about the "fossil record" of our own solar system. Scott J. Kenyon
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
04/29/15 At the Summons Lab at MIT, scientists probe soil and rock samples from both ancient Earth and --using remote instruments-- Mars for bio-molecules. Roger Summons
02/13/18 Important factors that influence the way people think about climate change. Brian Helmuth and John Coley
08/23/21 In his latest book for the general public, an esteemed geologist makes the dynamics of our planet and its lifeforms accessible to all. A must-read for all who care about our Earth. Andrew Knoll
07/2014 The Connor Lab at Boston University is a leader in the effort to understand how viruses infect and how cells learn how to block infection. John Connor
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
03/29/22 An innovation attracting great interest: an abundant, inexpensive clay might be used to remove the greenhouse gas methane from the atmosphere. Desiree Plata
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
A well known astrophysicist who is also gifted at making science and mathematics accessible to the general public
A research physician who brings his combined medical and legal expertise to the evaluation of regulatory agencies