Science Jul 17 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…
Science Jul 10 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…
Science Jun 12 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 Miles O’Brien reports, the accelerating speed of computers…
Science May 15 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…
Science May 08 How scientists are trying to predict wildfire movement It’s been six months since the most deadly and destructive wildfire in California history, the Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and burned 19,000 structures in November 2018. But even at the peak of the inferno, some scientists moved toward…
Science May 01 How NASA is preparing to launch another mission to the moon The Trump administration wants NASA to get back to the moon by 2024, using any means necessary. But will the money and the commitment be there to support the effort? Science correspondent Miles O’Brien talks to NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine…
Science Mar 27 As planet warms, scientists explore ‘far out’ ways to reduce atmospheric CO2 The U.S. government estimates that the consequences of climate change are already costing the country hundreds of billions of dollars. But even if we stopped using fossil fuels immediately, the globe would continue to warm due to an existing buildup…
Nation Mar 24 Social Networks In The Headlines Science correspondent Miles O'Brien reports on Facebook’s battle against misinformation that began after the 2016 presidential election.
Science Mar 13 The stunning truth about asbestos use in the U.S. Asbestos is no longer ubiquitous in building materials, and since it's proven to cause cancer, many Americans likely assumed the substance had been banned entirely. But not only is asbestos a naturally occurring mineral, it is also still used to…
Science Feb 06 How cutting-edge engineering borrows nature’s innovations In the never-ending hunt for new designs that jump, pump, or run faster and better, scientists are finding inspiration in nature. The field of biomimicry blurs boundaries between living things -- like the butterfly’s proboscis or the flea's powerful legs…