PBS News Hosts Live Multi-Platform Event “Tipping Point: Turning Science into Solutions”

PBS News will host “Tipping Point: Turning Science into Solutions,” a live, interactive workshop on Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) designed to reimagine how science stories are told. The event will stream simultaneously on the PBS News’ main site, as well as its Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok handles. Co-hosted by PBS News Hour science correspondent Miles O’Brien and PBS News digital anchor and PBS News Hour correspondent Deema Zein, the live event will take place on Wednesday, December 10 from 11:00 am to 2:00 p.m. ET.

Watch the promo

Americans consistently say they care about science, climate, and the environment and increasingly want ways to translate that concern into meaningful action.

Tipping Point brings together participants, leading scientists, journalists, and digital creators for a real-time, collaborative exploration of how science communication can become more credible, more creative, and more impactful.

In a time when science misinformation spreads rapidly across social media and those same platforms serve as a primary news source for millions, this multi-platform event will allow different audiences to directly engage with the people who shape science storytelling.

The “Tipping Point: Turning Science into Solutions” workshop will include:

• Round-Robin Q&A: O’Brien, Zein, and guests will take live questions in real time — from Redditors, scientists, and social audiences. Answers will be provided verbally and in text.
• Story Workshop: Participants will collaborate live on ideas for better science storytelling — sharing their best practices, challenges, and creative breakthroughs.
• Crowd-Sourced Selection of Ideas: Participants will be challenged to come up with the best ideas, and Redditors will make the selection based on upvotes.
• Participating subreddits: r/science, r/climate, r/climatechange, r/environment, r/technology, r/sustainability, r/ZeroWaste, r/PBS_NewsHour, r/IAmA.
• After the Event: PBS News will share a series of short clips with highlights of the conversations across its social platforms.

Featured guests joining remotely will include academic experts including:

• Jeremy Gilbert, professor at Northwestern University;
• Patti Wolter, professor at Northwestern University;
• Katharine Hayhoe, atmospheric scientist and professor at Texas Tech and chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy;
• Hany Farid, professor at UC Berkeley;
• Raven Baxter, molecular biologist;
• and Hakeem Oluseyi, professor at The George Washington University.

As well as digital science communicators including:

• Joe Hanson (Be Smart);
• Rollie Williams (Climate Town);
• Miriam Nielsen (Zentouro);
• Simon Clark (@simonoxfphys);
• Dr. Peter Neff (Icy Pete);
• Morgan McSweeney (Dr. Noc);
• Phil Cook (@chemteacherphil);
• and Dr. Harini Bhat (@timscience).

“Tipping Point: Turning Science into Solutions” is a Mobias Media production for NewsHour Productions. It is made possible by the generous support of the Walton Family Foundation, with additional support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Zegar Family Foundation, and the CO2 Foundation.