2004
DECEMBER
December 29, 2004
Science Review
Correspondent Jeffrey Brown discusses the major scientific developments of 2004 with Donald Kennedy, former president of Stanford University and now editor-in-chief of Science magazine.

December 29, 2004
Health Risks
Health officials have warned that just as many people may die from diseases caused by the tsunamis as did in the initial disaster. Margaret Warner speaks with Dr. David Nabarro, Head of Crisis Operations for the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, about the risks of waterborne diseases spreading to survivors of the tsunamis.

December 29, 2004
Sri Lanka's Suffering
Devinda Subasinghe, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the United States, discusses the devastation from the tsunamis and the efforts to aid those survivors with Margaret Warner.

December 28, 2004
Disaster Relief
With South Asia tsunami death tolls exceeding 50,000, international relief agencies struggle to reach survivors. Kwame Holman gives an update on the disaster. Independent Television News reports on the latest relief efforts in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Then, Margaret Warner then speaks with Paul Watson of the Los Angeles Times, who is in Madras, India.

December 28, 2004
Sending Aid
Margaret Warner leads a discussion on the best way to get emergency relief to the countries hit by the massive waves with Ray Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America, and Ken Hackett, president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services.

December 27, 2004
Killer Waves
Paul Davies of Independent Television News gives an overview of the devastating earthquake and tsunamis that hit southern Asia on Sunday. Then, Jim Devine, a senior science advisor to the director of the U.S. Geological Survey, and Gail Neudorf, the deputy emergency director at CARE, a global humanitarian group, discuss how the disaster came to be and what is being done in its wake. Adrian Britton of Independent Television News discusses the tsunami experience in Thailand. Gwen Ifill then speaks with Jan Egeland, emergency relief coordinator and undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs at the United Nations.

December 16, 2004
Missile Defense
Correspondent Jeffrey Kaye of KCET-Los Angeles looks at the latest attempt, and failure, to defend the United States from missile attacks.

December 2, 2004
Election Science
Spencer Michels reports on the science of voting in this year's election.

NOVEMBER
November 25, 2004
Saving Everglades
Tom Bearden from the NewsHour's Science Unit explores the massive effort to bring the Florida Everglades back to health.

November 17, 2004
Drug Failure
Health correspondent Susan Dentzer reports on the investigation surrounding the failure of the arthritis drug, Vioxx.

November 8, 2004
Polar Warming
In a Science Unit report, Tom Bearden looks at research underway on global warming in the Arctic.

OCTOBER
October 27, 2004
Stem Cell Initiative
A group of California citizens have placed a proposition on the Nov. 2 state ballot that, if passed, would create a state-sponsored stem cell research program. Spencer Michels reports on the stem cell initiative on the California ballot.

October 13, 2004
The Teen Brain
Betty Ann Bowser looks at the recent scientific studies into whether teenage brains are physically different than adults' in light of the Supreme Court's pending decision on executing juveniles who commit serious crimes.

October 11, 2004
Political Science
Gwen Ifill leads a discussion about the debate over stem cell research with Daniel Perry, president of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research, and Richard Doerflinger, deputy director for pro-life activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

SEPTEMBER
September 16, 2004
Ivan the Terrible
Hurricane Ivan made landfall early this morning in Gulf Shores, Ala., with winds at 130 mph. The hurricane and associated tornadoes killed at least 11 people in the Southeast. Ray Suarez discusses the impact of Hurricane Ivan with Alabama Homeland Security Director James Walker in Montgomery, Ala., and New York Times national correspondent James Dao in Pensacola, Fla.

September 15, 2004
Ivan the Terrible
Hurricane Ivan began lashing the U.S. Gulf Coast with the eye of the storm expected to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday. Gwen Ifill gets an update on the track of Ivan from AccuWeather meteorologist Joe Bastardi.

September 10, 2004
Ivan the Terrible
Hurricane Ivan began battering Jamaica with winds of 145 mph. The center of the storm is forecast to hit the island nation Friday night or early Saturday and then strike South Florida as early as Sunday. Ray Suarez gets an update on Hurricane Ivan, its path and its expected impact from AccuWeather meteorologist Joe Bastardi and New York Times reporter Felicity Barringer in Miami.

AUGUST
August 18, 2004
Forum: Predicting Earthquakes
In recent years, scientists have been moving ever closer to one day being able to predict when and where a major earthquake could occur. A leading scientist in earthquake prediction answers your questions about the latest developments in the field.

August 18, 2004
Forum: Nano: Where Art Meets Science
Through an interactive exhibit, professors James Gimzewski and Victoria Vesna from the University of California at Los Angeles hope to inform visitors about the basics and uses of nanotechnology. The two answer your questions on nanotechnology, and how art can help us better understand the complex field.

August 13, 2004
Charley's Charge
Hurricane Charley churned the seas off the west coast of Florida and brought torrential rain and 145-mile-per-hour winds to the Sunshine State. Terence Smith discusses the track of the Category 4 hurricane with Florida Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings and AccuWeather meteorologist Joe Bastardi.

August 1, 2004
Forum: Adult Stem Cells
Adult stem cells, which come from bone marrow, skin, brain, blood and muscle, appear to have enormous potential to help repair the body. But individual studies on stem cell therapy are showing mixed results. Experts answer your questions.

JULY
July 24, 2004
Fish Story
Lee Hochberg of Oregon Public Broadcasting reports on the debate over how to count fish -- specifically salmon -- in the Pacific Northwest.

July 1, 2004
Into the Rings
The NASA spacecraft Cassini entered the orbit of Saturn Wednesday and transmitted back to earth unprecedented images of the planet's rings. Ray Suarez discusses the mission with scientist Kevin Grazier from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

JUNE
June 3, 2004
Pigs and Politics
A group of 60 prominent American scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, recently wrote a report accusing the Bush administration of "misrepresenting and suppressing scientific knowledge for political purposes." Jeffrey Kaye looks at how this debate is taking shape on industrial hog farms.

June 2, 2004
Predicting Quakes
Earthquakes can cause death and destruction in a matter of seconds with little more than a minute's notice. Betty Ann Bowser explores some cutting-edge technology in seismology.

MAY
May 26, 2004
Magicicada
As many as 10 trillion cicadas in "Brood X" have returned to much of the American Midwest and East Coast after a 17-year absence. Jeffrey Brown looks at the biology and culture of cicadas.

May 20, 2004
Climate Change
Questions continue about whether the global-warming phenomenon is real, if it is caused by humans and whether there is anything humans can do to resolve it. Tom Bearden looks at the research of some of the leading scientists in the field.

May 5, 2004
Electronic Voting
The commission Congress created to investigate the security of electronic voting machines said the software is not reliable enough for use in the 2004 presidential election. Spencer Michels looks at the controversy in California over electronic voting methods.

APRIL
April 21, 2004
Climate Change
As Americans prepare for Earth Day Thursday, Tom Bearden explores the complicated issue of climate change in the latest report from the NewsHour Science Unit.

MARCH
March 30, 2004
Mission's End?
After a history of highs and lows, the Hubble Space Telescope may fall completely dark in a few years. Tom Bearden of The NewsHour Science Unit reports on the latest fallout from NASA's decision to end the telescope's servicing missions.

March 2, 2004
Water on Mars
NASA scientists reported that water once drenched the surface of Mars, but they stressed that they still have not found evidence that life existed on the planet. Jeffrey Brown discusses the findings with Jim Garvin, lead scientist for NASA's Mars program.

JANUARY
January 26, 2004
Rovers on Mars
The NASA rover Opportunity landed in a shallow crater on Mars over the weekend and transmitted back images of a smooth red surface punctured with bedrock outcroppings. Ray Suarez discusses the mission and its findings with Orlando Figuero, director of NASA's Mars exploration program.

January 22, 2004
Lost Contact
NASA scientists have not received any transmissions from their Martian rover Spirit in over 24 hours. Jeffrey Brown discusses this setback with Charles Elachi, director of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

January 15, 2004
Making Tracks
The NASA rover Spirit rolled off its lander last night and began to explore the Martian soil. Jeffrey Brown asks Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director Charles Elachi about its progress.

January 14, 2004
Space Initiative
President Bush called for the United States to return astronauts to the moon in the next decade and then possibly send people to Mars. After a background discussion, Ray Suarez gets perspective from former NASA Associate Administrator Lori Garver and University of Maryland physics professor Robert Park.

January 9, 2004
Mars Mission
NASA scientists are analyzing the images transmitted from the Spirit rover on Mars and trying to determine where on the Martian surface they would like it to explore. Jeffrey Brown discusses the mission with Cornell University astronomy professor Jim Bell.

January 5, 2004
Mars Mission
The NASA rover Spirit landed on Mars Saturday and sent Earth its first up-close images of the red planet since 1997. Jeffrey Kaye looks at what scientists hope to learn from this latest unmanned mission to Mars.