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.
05/14/24 WGBH Forum Network Webinar. Our universe is expanding because of dark energy --one of the greatest mysteries in science. The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), specifically designed to measure that 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
06/18/24 WGBH Forum Network webinar. Particle physics research is unravelling the mysteries of matter. CERN’s Large Hadron Collider has made very significant discoveries (including the Higgs boson), but physicists now need to expand the probe. Tulika Bose
05/06/24 WGBH Forum Network webinar. All sorts of animals engage in imaginative types of play. Is this behavior just creature-entertainment, or is it important for development and bonding? David Toomey
04/23/24 Promoted for years as a means to strengthen bones and lower risk of multiple diseases, improved studies by JoAnn Manson and others revealed that Vitamin D supplements were not very effective at all. Natural sources, including sunshine, are much better. It’s important to understand why. JoAnn Manson
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.
Most of the mass of the universe is invisible and undetectable and is known only by its effects....
The correct interpretation of light spectra from stars was presented by a young researcher whose evidence was initially rejected.
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...
06/01/23 Although all life depends on microbial ecosystems, there are many unknowns about the mechanisms by which these ecosystems develop and evolve in diverse environments. Otto Cordero
05/16/23 Microbial ecosystems sustain all ocean life. That vital foundation will be disrupted by deep-sea mining and the impact may be extensive. Julie Huber and Beth Orcutt
05/10/21 Healthy soil depends on healthy microbial ecosystems. These invisible communities have a very complex relationship. Kristen DeAngelis
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09/14/21 Today scientific information is available to all, yet misinformation and denialism abound. Galileo's famous struggle for truth centuries ago is highly relevant today. Mario Livio
06/11/19 Author and philosopher Lee McIntyre discusses his newest book, The Scientific Attitude, and some of his earlier works. A timely subject!
05/10/23 Although technologies such as ChatBots are not conscious, their sophisticated communications can seem human enough to fool people. That raises concerns. Nir Eisikovits
07/10/12 In probably the most extreme environmment on Earth, organisms are thriving. Peter Girguis explains how.....
05/16/23 Microbial ecosystems sustain all ocean life. That vital foundation will be disrupted by deep-sea mining and the impact may be extensive. Julie Huber and Beth Orcutt
06/14/16 Arctic caves contain precise geological records of ancient ice-ages and subsequent melts that help scientists predict the effects of the present permafrost thaw. Jeremy Shakun
10/08/21 The typical American diet, heavy on processed food and excess sugar, is associated with high levels of diabetes 2, heart disease and other conditions. What is a genuinely good diet and how does it promote health? Walter Willett
02/03/20 Despite great medical accomplishments in ancient civilizations, then medical advances from the 17th century on, the connection between germs and disease was unknown.
10/16/12 How university educational outreach programs encourage high school students' interest in science. Irene Porro
05/23/17 The great potential of ordinary plants in the development of "green" batteries. Alán Aspuru-Guzik
Biologist and Environmental Planner; co-author with David R. Montgomery of two excellent books on soil health, regeneration --and the relationship to healthy food.
Important contributions to the analysis of cosmic acceleration, quasars and galaxy formation, and to design of instruments for these investigations, especially the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI).