News - Miles O'Brien

Authoritative insight & opinion on technology, science, aviation, space and the environment.

November 17, 2020

How climate change ‘exacerbates’ wildfires in the American West

As large parts of California and the Pacific Northwest are beset by wildfires, the issue of climate change has taken on prominence in the national political conversation. Scientists increasingly point to rising temperatures and extreme dryness as exacerbating wildfires, but what other factors are involved? Science correspondent Miles O’Brien joins William Brangham to discuss. TRANSCRIPT…
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July 23, 2020

What we know about the search for a COVID-19 vaccine — and what we don’t

The question of when a COVID-19 vaccine might be available is perhaps the most pressing in the world. There have been a number of recent headlines on this front, including early but encouraging results from trials. And on Wednesday, the Trump administration awarded a contract to Pfizer and a German biotech firm to potentially deliver…
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July 9, 2020

Companies race to mine lithium, a battery essential

The metal lithium has become integral to our daily lives, due to its essential role as a battery material in electronic devices. Over the next several decades, the rising popularity of electric vehicles is expected to mean the demand for lithium will increase even more — so companies that mine the metal are racing to…
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July 9, 2020

How doctors are innovating to treat COVID-19

One of the reasons COVID-19 presents such a significant global medical challenge is that there are few effective therapies for it so far. As cases fill hospital beds across many parts of the country, doctors and scientists are coming up with inventive ways to treat the disease, if not to cure it. PBS NewsHour science…
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June 23, 2020

In Georgia, primary election chaos highlights a voting system deeply flawed

Georgia experienced major problems with its voting processes during a primary election earlier in June. People waited in line up to eight hours to cast ballots, and poll workers struggled with new machines on which they hadn’t been trained due to the pandemic. What do Georgia’s election issues mean for other state primaries — and…
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May 27, 2020

How Elon Musk’s SpaceX is changing American space flight

It has been nearly a decade since an American space crew last lifted off from U.S. soil in a spacecraft built here. That’s expected to change Wednesday afternoon with the relaunch of manned space flight. But the occasion will be very different from past launches, as this time, a private company is leading the way…
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May 22, 2020

New COVID-19 model shows why early action matters

A newly released analysis of coronavirus’ spread in the U.S. suggests a haunting hypothetical: that if social distancing and stay-at-home orders had been implemented only a week earlier, more than 30,000 lives might have been saved. But that alternate scenario relies upon computer-based modeling that has its limitations. PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O’Brien joins…
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May 21, 2020

What computer-based models can tell us about coronavirus — and what they can’t

For months, scientists and public officials have relied upon computer-based models to try to predict the trajectory or the coronavirus outbreak. But models are not crystal balls, and all of them involve human assumptions. PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports on how the efforts that go into making these models — and their ultimate…
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May 8, 2020

Are Americans in medical crisis avoiding the ER due to coronavirus?

Since the coronavirus pandemic gripped the United States, Americans have been told to avoid emergency rooms and hospitals if possible. But now there are reports from across the country that suggest the warning may be in fact too effective, as some patients experiencing urgent health problems are not seeking the treatment they need. PBS NewsHour…
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April 30, 2020

Why antibody tests, a crucial step toward overcoming COVID-19, are still unreliable

Testing, both for active cases of COVID-19 and for antibodies indicating prior exposure to the disease, will be critical to resuming economic activity. In addition, scientists are racing to develop therapies for people who do get infected — especially those who become seriously ill. PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O’Brien joins Judy Woodruff to discuss…
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