Tag: astrobiology

How climate change ‘exacerbates’ wildfires in the American West

11.17.20.

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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Genetics, climate change and space highlight the year in science

12.20.18.

The year has been a major one for scientific milestones and research. As it comes to a close, PBS NewsHour takes a look back at some of the biggest science stories, for our weekly series the Leading Edge. Miles O’Brien and William Brangham discuss developments in the genetic engineering of humans, the realization of climate…
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Successful Mars landing, OSIRIS-Rex arrives at asteroid, gene editing scandal: science roundup

12.07.18.

Here’s a look at the most interesting happenings in science, with stories you don’t want to miss. Landing on the Red Planet to study marsquakes Mars is hard. The odds of a safe landing on the surface are less than 50-50. But last Monday, the team at NASA/CalTech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory once again made it…
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How and why we’re sampling asteroid Bennu – with NASA’s OSIRIS-REx team

12.05.18.

Help us improve this podcast: take our short survey. How did our early solar system form? What are the origins of life? How likely are we to get hit by a dangerous asteroid? A daring NASA mission called OSIRIS-REx hopes to find the answers to these big questions at an asteroid named Bennu. This week,…
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How this spacecraft will sample an asteroid’s rocks, without even landing on it

11.29.18.

More than two years after it launched, a spacecraft called OSIRIS-REx is approaching its target, an asteroid named Bennu. Scientists hope that rock samples from Bennu will provide insight into the likelihood of life on other planets, as well as the risk the asteroid poses to earth. PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O’Brien explains the…
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Why Europa is the most likely spot we’ll find aliens – with NASA’s Kevin Peter Hand

11.26.18.

Jupiter has many moons, but none are quite like Europa: it has a thick crust of ice and a huge amount of liquid saltwater underneath its surface. In fact, many believe it’s the best place in the Solar System that we could find other lifeforms. To dive deeper into the mysteries of this icy world–and…
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