The SciencesNovember 14, 2007
Super NOVA: The Dover Scopes Trial
The latest episode of NOVA is a two-hour examination of the 2005 Dover, PA, intelligent design-evolution trial. Steve Mirsky reports. See pbs.org/nova/id
Creationism
The SciencesNovember 1, 2007
Higher Power
Earth's heat keeps continents afloat and land above sea level
New Issue: Science’s Impossible Questions. Read Now
EnvironmentSeptember 26, 2007
Nuclear Power Reborn
New Jersey-based NRG Energy applies to build the first new nuclear power plant in the U.S. in more than 30 years
TechnologyAugust 28, 2007
The Dark Horse in the Race to Power Hybrid Cars
Are ultracapacitors the key to making hybrids king of the auto market?
The SciencesJune 27, 2007
Privacy Isn't Dead, or At Least It Shouldn't Be: A Q&A with Latanya Sweeney
In a post-9/11 world, where security demands are high, personal privacy does not have to be sacrificed, says computer scientist Latanya Sweeney, who discusses a few ways to save it.
EnvironmentMarch 14, 2007
Future of "Clean Coal" Power Tied to (Uncertain) Success of Carbon Capture and Storage
A new report confirms that coal has a large role to play in meeting the world's energy demands, but to avoid runaway climate change, technologies to sequester its carbon need to advance quickly
The SciencesDecember 4, 2006
What is Bayes's theorem, and how can it be used to assign probabilities to questions such as the existence of God? What scientific value does it have?
TechnologySeptember 1, 2006
High Hopes for Hydrogen
Using hydrogen to fuel cars may eventually slash oil consumption and carbon emissions, but it will take some time
The SciencesJuly 17, 2006
How do fast breeder reactors differ from regular nuclear power plants?
TechnologyJuly 1, 2006
A Power Grid for the Hydrogen Economy
Cryogenic, superconducting conduits could be connected into a "SuperGrid" that would simultaneously deliver electrical power and hydrogen fuel
The SciencesJune 1, 2006
Favored by the Gods
Happiness, according to current scientific thinking, depends less on our circumstances than on our genetic endowment
Space & PhysicsApril 26, 2006
Early Universe, Benjamin Franklin Science, Evolution Education.
In this episode, physicist William Zajc talks about how the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at the Brookhaven National Laboratory is giving scientists a glimpse into what the universe was like in its first microseconds of existence; historian Joyce Chaplin discusses Benjamin Franklin the scientist and her book The First Scientific American: Benjamin Franklin and the Pursuit of Genius; and Steve Mirsky talks about the recent "Teaching Evolution and the Nature of Science" conference in New York City, where he interviewed Jennifer Miller, biology teacher involved in the Dover intelligent design trial. Plus, test your knowledge about some recent science in the news.