News - Miles O'Brien

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

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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April 23, 2020

Watch our PBS FRONTLINE documentary: Coronavirus Pandemic

How did the U.S. become the country with the worst known coronavirus outbreak in the world? FRONTLINE investigates the American response to COVID-19 — from Washington state to Washington, D.C. — and examines what happens when politics and science collide. Written, directed, and produced by Miles O’Brien – with help from the Miles O’Brien Productions crew…
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April 23, 2020

We need a vaccine to vanquish COVID-19. Here’s how scientists are trying to find it

PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O’Brien has spent the past few weeks in Seattle, reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic and producing a film for FRONTLINE about how things unfolded in the city where the disease made its U.S. debut. He joins William Brangham to discuss the global push to find an effective vaccine and therapeutic…
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February 20, 2020

A risky expedition to study the ‘doomsday glacier’

The Thwaites Glacier is the largest, most menacing source of rising sea levels all over the world, and it is melting at an alarming rate. For years, scientists have warily watched it from afar, but in November, a team set out on a perilous journey to investigate what is happening below. PBS NewsHour science correspondent…
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February 10, 2020

Australian bushfires prompt conversation about land management practices

Bushfires are still burning in parts of Australia. So far this season, they have claimed the lives of more than 30 people and destroyed tens of millions of acres of land. The ensuing toll on forest and wildlife has prompted new conversations about how Australian land should be managed — and whether a return to…
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January 30, 2020

Wildlife experts rush to rescue Australian animals after bushfire crisis

Australia’s bushfires have devastated the country’s wildlife and habitats. Experts say the very existence of some species whose populations were already at vulnerable levels may now hang in the balance. PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports from Australia on the country’s efforts to rescue animals, why it will take so long for their ecosystems…
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January 21, 2020

Could Australia’s bushfire disaster alter the conversation on climate change?

Australia has been suffering a summer of extreme weather and dire consequences. Thunderstorms and hail have been pelting eastern sections of the country, while strong winds have produced dust storms. Plus, drought conditions and devastating bushfires remain a major problem. PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports from Australia on why this fire season and…
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January 9, 2020

How a growing trove of genetic data is informing medical breakthroughs

Individualized medicine, in which treatments are customized based on a patient’s unique DNA, is a rising field. Along with an ever-expanding genetic database, it offers tantalizing promise for solving some of medicine’s most daunting challenges. But individualized medicine also carries with it questions and risks — both moral and medical. PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles…
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January 2, 2020

Despite extreme weather and surging activism, 2019 saw political paralysis on climate

By almost any measure, 2019 was a year of especially sobering news on climate change, with grim warnings about what could happen in the future along with extreme weather events occurring now. The year also saw a global protest movement, initiated by young people, arise to try to tackle the problem. But as PBS NewsHour…
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