News - Miles O'Brien

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

October 21, 2019

Can ultrasound be used to fight Alzheimer’s?

At age 61, Judi Polak is five years into a bleak diagnosis: Alzheimer’s disease. But last year she made medical history in a clinical trial, when a team of scientists, engineers and practitioners deployed a novel device to take aim at a big barrier in the fight against her illness. PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles…
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October 10, 2019

After Dorian, Bahamas’ path to recovery is obscured by uncertainty

More than five weeks since Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, the complexities of the storm and the recovery are in some ways just beginning to reveal themselves. But scientists also say the long game for the Bahamas is very uncertain, just as the certainty grows linking climate change and a greater frequency of strong hurricanes.…
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September 19, 2019

What rising temperatures in the Gulf of Maine mean for the state’s lobster industry

The Gulf of Maine is known for lobsters, which form the foundation of an industry critical to the state’s economy. Due to climate change, the waters off southern New England have become too warm for the temperature-sensitive crustaceans, leaving Maine as the “sweet spot” for fishing them. But the Gulf’s own rising temperatures mean the…
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September 16, 2019

How blockchain technology could revolutionize the art market

The technology underpinning blockchain is a powerful decentralizing network architecture that could revolutionize many industries. Now, some artists are leveraging blockchain to help guarantee the authenticity of their work — and ensure that they get paid. PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports on how digital documentation is putting power back into artists’ hands, even…
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August 15, 2019

The danger of coal ash, the toxic dust the fossil fuel leaves behind

Coal ash is a particularly dangerous byproduct of our dependence on fossil fuels. In communities that have dealt with coal ash spills, the incidents sparked concerns about toxins potentially seeping into water. Utilities have been pushed to adopt tougher safety standards — but activists say the companies are resisting rules necessary for public health. PBS…
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July 18, 2019

What Apollo 11 pilot Michael Collins feared most during critical NASA mission

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, which first landed American astronauts on the moon’s surface. Of the intrepid crew, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin have tended to dominate public attention, but it was pilot Michael Collins who flew the command module to the moon — and faced his own distinct…
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July 18, 2019

Does marijuana hurt or help your brain? Scientists rush to study the drug’s impact

As national attitudes and laws around cannabis use have evolved, so have the commercially grown strains of the plant. Some marijuana varieties today contain levels of THC, the drug’s psychoactive compound, as high as 50 percent, compared to around 5 percent a generation ago. But as PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports, the effects…
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June 13, 2019

Why ‘deepfake’ videos are becoming more difficult to detect

Sophisticated and inaccurate altered videos known as “deepfakes” are causing alarm in the digital realm. The highly realistic manipulated videos are the subject of a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday. As PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports, the accelerating speed of computers and advances in machine learning make deepfakes ever more difficult to…
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May 16, 2019

Artists harness the power of fire and ice to shape attitudes on climate change

There’s no shortage of powerful images and video when it comes to natural disasters like wildfires and melting glaciers. But a pair of artists are now using those images in new ways, as part of their mission to warn people about climate change and its devastating impact on familiar landscapes. PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles…
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May 10, 2019

Inside the Megafire: watch our new PBS NOVA show

The newest hour-long offering from Miles O’Brien Productions is a detailed look at the rising issue of massive wildfires–called megafires–around the world. You can watch a preview, and catch the full stream while it’s still up, below: FULL EPISODE STREAMING FOR A LIMITED TIME ON THE PBS NOVA WEBSITE From the front line of the…
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