PBS News Hour - Science
Episodes
As misinformation spreads and mistrust deepens, can the U.S. handle another pandemic?
24 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The COVID pandemic overwhelmed our health care system and killed well over a million Americans. Fast-tracked vaccines saved millions, but missteps in ...
Cities turn streetlights red to protect nocturnal ecosystems
20 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
International Dark Sky Week is hailed as a global celebration of the night and a call for less light pollution. In some cities internationally, local ...
A look at 'super agers' and the science behind longer, sharper lives
17 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For thousands of years, humans have tried to avoid growing old. Billions are spent every year on potions and procedures to make us look younger, feel ...
Will more Americans embrace renewable energy after the latest oil price surge?
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As the impact from the war in Iran grinds on, Americans are feeling it at the gas station. Evangelists for clean energy say the oil shock is an opport...
How worried should Americans be as AI threatens jobs?
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Americans are anxious about their jobs and whether artificial intelligence is coming for them. Some prominent voices call it catastrophic, others say ...
Artemis II crew breaks distance record on mission around far side of moon
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The four-astronaut crew of NASA's Artemis II flew to the far side of the moon and set a record for the farthest distance from Earth traveled by any hu...
The alarming rise of cancer in young adults and steps that could lower the risk
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We tend to think of cancer as a disease that mainly affects older people, but an increasing number of diagnoses are happening amongst the young. What ...
Artemis II astronauts embark on voyage around the moon
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A day after liftoff, Artemis II is now well on its way. Four astronauts are on a ten-day voyage around the moon and back, traveling deeper into space ...
Artemis II launch sends 4 astronauts on mission around the moon
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time in more than 50 years, the United States is sending astronauts back toward the moon. NASA launched Artemis II from the Kennedy Spac...
How next-gen nuclear could help meet energy demands – and the risks involved
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration has rolled back support for many forms of clean energy. One exception is nuclear power. The president wants to quadruple U.S....
How climate change has powered the heat wave blanketing much of the U.S.
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A massive heat dome has been spreading across much of the United States this month, with temperatures reaching historic highs. But it's not an isolate...
How the Artemis moon missions are shaping the next era of exploration
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly 60 years after NASA sent the first humans to ever land on our moon, the U.S. is going back with a series of increasingly difficult missions. Ho...
The promise of obesity drugs and their potential risks
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Once a relatively obscure class of drugs used for people with diabetes, GLP-1s have now shown an impressive ability to treat obesity, which affects ov...
Electric grid faces political roadblocks as it struggles with data center demand
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The war in Iran has cast a spotlight again on the dependence on fossil fuels. The electric grid is under growing demand, but the Trump administration ...
On 'Settle In,' Hany Farid and Amna Nawaz discuss spotting manipulated images
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of our video podcast, "Settle In," Amna Nawaz spoke to pioneering digital forensic expert Hany Farid. They discussed why disinfo...
Exploring the power and mystery of consciousness
07 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
All of us experience consciousness. We have thoughts and feelings, and we're aware of those acting upon us. It's the hidden internal lens through whic...
Environmental justice advocate works to preserve her family's 100-year-old farm
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
PBS News Student Reporting Labs, our journalism training program, takes us to a family farm in Upper Marlborough, Maryland, to meet Cameron Oglesby. T...
How to fight AI slop, according to Hany Farid
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Pioneering digital forensic expert Hany Farid talks with Amna Nawaz about the dangers of artificial intelligence being deployed irresponsibly, why soc...
Can AI companionship cure loneliness – or deepen it?
28 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For some, artificial intelligence tools answer questions and make life more efficient. But for others, AI has become a form of companionship – a vir...
Why the Trump administration is clashing with AI firm Anthropic
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The clash between Anthropic and the U.S. government escalated with President Trump ordering every federal agency to stop using any of the AI company's...
Punch the monkey melts hearts after rejection and unlikely friendship
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a zoo outside Tokyo, one monkey has pulled heartstrings around the world after forming an unexpected friendship. Stephanie Sy reports. PBS News is ...
The science behind exercise and why it's good for our bodies
21 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This will come as a surprise to no one, but exercise is really good for us. But why it works and how it works are far less understood. Horizons modera...
Despite setback, researchers uncover new findings at Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As Trump pulls back from regulations on climate change, many scientists remain worried about the warming of the oceans, melting glaciers and sea level...
How sports betting is changing our brains and behavior
07 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Americans are expected to place a record-breaking $1.7 billion in legal bets on the Super Bowl. With a potential casino inside every phone and compute...
Researchers face serious obstacles to measuring Antarctica's fastest-melting glacier
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you've been following Miles O'Brien's reports from Antarctica, you know he's with an international group of researchers trying to measure what's ha...
How PFAS harm our health — and why they're everywhere
31 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What do non-stick pans, firefighting foam and many of our couches, carpets and cosmetics have in common? They're all made with PFAS. The so-called for...
A Brief But Spectacular take on protecting what we love
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Freediver and ocean conservationist Hanli Prinsloo has spent her life helping others connect with the ocean and understand our responsibility to care ...
How the Challenger disaster changed space exploration
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's been 40 years since the space shuttle Challenger exploded just after takeoff. Geoff Bennett speaks with science correspondent Miles O'Brien, who ...
Why Earth's melting glaciers matter more than we think
24 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ice in the Arctic and Antarctica plays a critical role in maintaining life on Earth, and it is melting faster than previously thought. This is threate...
The stories we tell ourselves about America
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tressie McMillan Cottom says the second Trump administration has revealed uncomfortable truths about power in America. She talks with Geoff Bennett ab...
On board the voyage to Antarctica to learn why a massive glacier is melting
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists are worried about the melting of Antarctica's ice sheets and what it could mean for sea levels. There's a two-month-long journey underway t...
MAHA has a plan to clean up the American diet. Will it work?
17 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ultra-processed foods make up more than half the average American diet and they're linked to rising rates of obesity and heart disease. Health Secreta...
The science behind small wins
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
So you want to change a habit — or maybe start something new. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Charles Duhigg's book, "The Power of Habi...
Scientists use new technology to track individual monarch butterfly migrations
11 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Monarch butterflies make one of the most extraordinary migrations in the natural world, often traveling thousands of miles across North America. Now, ...
Onboard an expedition to study a massive, melting glacier in Antarctica
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Some call it the 'Doomsday Glacier,' a vast expanse of Antarctic ice roughly the size of Florida. As temperatures rise, the Thwaites Glacier is meltin...
Inside Rocket Lab's effort to outpace larger space rivals
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The private space economy is growing significantly and the year ahead could be a big one. The first private space station is expected to launch next s...
What's next for AI and has its explosive growth in 2025 created a bubble?
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This year, the development and spending around artificial intelligence has been perhaps the most significant business and economic story. AI spending ...
Scientists work to decode wolf howls in Yellowstone with AI technology
27 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In movies and literature, a wolf's haunting howl can signify danger or untamed nature. In real life, researchers in Yellowstone National Park are anal...
White House pushes to dismantle leading climate and weather research center
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration says it plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, which is the nation's premier atmospheri...
Trump halts East Coast projects in latest blow against wind power
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Trump administration announced an immediate pause on the leases for five large-scale offshore wind farms off the East Coast. The Interior Departme...
Trump’s executive order limits state regulations of artificial intelligence
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump has signed an executive order that would block states from enforcing laws they pass to regulate A.I., or artificial intelligence.The d...
Small plug-in solar panels gain traction as an affordable way to cut electricity bills
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For years, solar power at home was mostly limited to people who owned their rooftops and could afford the steep upfront costs. But now, a new generati...
1 in 10 births in the U.S. are premature. Here's how AI could help doctors predict it
06 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last year, 1 in 10 U.S. babies was born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, which is considered preterm. That's one of the highest premature birth rates amo...
Deep in the Amazon, scientists build a ‘time capsule’ to predict future of climate change
23 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hundreds of miles from the U.N. conference on climate change that wrapped this weekend in Belém, Brazil, scientists are conducting a first-of-i...
How patients are using AI to fight back against denied insurance claims
22 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As health insurers increasingly rely on artificial intelligence to process claims, denials have been on the rise. In 2023, about 73 million Americans ...
As U.S. skips climate summit, John Kerry says absence undermines global cooperation
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The United Nations climate summit, known as COP30, will wrap up later this week, and its achievements will likely be more muted this year. Delegates f...
A Brief But Spectacular take on finding a place where you belong
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes, the right learning environment can change everything. For Courtney Irwin, that place was a youth development center in Salinas, California....
Key takeaways from COP30 halfway through the UN climate summit
16 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This weekend is the halfway point for the 30th U.N. climate summit known as COP30. In a report issued days before the meeting began, the World Meteoro...
How a small community fought for justice after finding forever chemicals in drinking water
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
So-called forever chemicals are both harmful to our health and are everywhere. Studies have found them in women's breast milk and even in rain falling...
How China's engineering mindset has shaped its infrastructure and society
01 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, China's government has reshaped the country with dramatic displays of state power, from vast infrastructure projects that have remade ent...
Top researchers consider leaving U.S. amid funding cuts: ‘The science world is ending’
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A poll from the journal Nature found that 75% of researchers in the U.S. are considering leaving the country. That includes a man who’s been dub...
How data center power demand could help lower electricity prices
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The latest Consumer Price Index shows that the average electric bill went up more than 5% from September 2024 to September 2025. That's faster than th...
Hurricane Melissa slams into Jamaica as a Category 5 with 185 mph winds
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jamaica is suffering extensive damage from the devastating force of Hurricane Melissa. It's just the second Atlantic storm ever to make landfall with ...
Vermont town debates rebuilding on higher ground after devastating floods
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From Texas to North Carolina, from New England to the Midwest, communities are facing a growing threat from flash flooding. Many of those regions alre...
Young photographer documents disappearing salt marshes to inspire action
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Salt marshes exist on every coast of the U.S., but these important wetlands are succumbing quickly to the effects of sea level rise caused by climate ...
Permafrost thawed by climate change threatens remote villages in Alaska
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the Arctic tundra of Alaska, climate change is forcing an Alaska Native village to relocate. Rising temperatures are melting the underground permaf...
Why a billionaire mining executive is betting on green energy
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, countries may approve a carbon tax on the global shipping industry. The International Maritime Organization is poised to approve new levies...
Unlikely alliance builds cleaner geothermal energy network in Massachusetts community
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An unlikely partnership between a utility company and climate activists managed to convert a community to geothermal heating and cooling. Science corr...
Authors of ‘Science Under Siege’ warn of concerted effort to discredit science
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From its embrace of dubious research about autism, its skepticism over vaccines and its wholesale rejection of the consensus about climate change, the...
Are ‘vampire devices’ draining energy in your home? Here’s what to do
04 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many people leave electronic devices plugged in when they’re not in use without a second thought. But everyday items that drain energy even when...
Remembering Jane Goodall and how she changed the way people see animals
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the world’s most beloved and influential primatologists and conservationists has died. Jane Goodall spent more than half a century studyi...
Why the planet is drying out much faster than before, according to a new study
21 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
According to a new study, the planet is drying at an unprecedented pace, presenting a critical threat to humanity. Researchers found that “conti...
Economic fallout mounts as Trump halts near-finished wind power project
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, the Trump administration abruptly halted construction on a nearly completed $6 billion, 65-turbine wind farm off the coast of New England,...
Lisa Lawson explores the neuroscience of adolescence in ‘Thrive’
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is perhaps best known for its work helping America’s youth. Lisa Lawson, the president and CEO, has done extensive...
How researchers restored a thriving habitat for Atlantic puffins in Maine
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Atlantic puffins face an increasingly precarious foothold due in part to a loss of habitat and to troubles tied to warming ocean waters and climate ch...
News Wrap: Judge rules White House unlawfully blocked Harvard’s research grants
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In our news wrap Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully terminated Harvard's research grants, Florida is moving to ...
As rising sea levels swallow Bangladesh’s land, its climate refugees are forced to adapt
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Few countries in the world are considered more vulnerable to the impact of rising sea levels and climate change than Bangladesh, a nation of 175 milli...
Epidemiologist breaks down new restrictions on COVID shots
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many Americans who want to get the newest COVID vaccines may now have a harder time doing so. The Food and Drug Administration limited approval for th...
How medical advancements could reshape the outlook for children with Trisomy 18
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trisomy 18, also known sometimes as Edwards syndrome, is often fatal within weeks after a baby is born. But now, parents and doctors are finding ways ...
50 years after ‘Jaws,’ researcher dispels myths about sharks
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This year marks the 50th anniversary of "Jaws," the 1975 Steven Spielberg blockbuster about a ravenous great white shark. The film packed theaters and...
How coyotes are adapting to urban life and thriving in U.S. cities
30 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In cities across America, it’s become increasingly common to see coyotes in parks, golf courses and other green spaces. John Yang speaks with Ne...
California farms face pressure to boost efficiency as water supply declines
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The demand for water from the Colorado River is of paramount importance out West and the focus of some big battles. It's been especially critical for ...
As glaciers melt, scientists study potential for more violent volcanic eruptions
23 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists are flocking to Iceland to investigate an increasingly crucial question: Will melting glaciers accelerate and intensify earthquakes and vol...
Florida’s climate-focused tech sector faces uncertainty after federal cuts
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
South Florida is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Start-ups, local governments and researchers are working to make the area more resilient...