Miles O’Brien reports on a contest created by actor Alan Alda, which challenges scientists to flex their communication muscles by answering the seemingly simple question, “What is a flame?” Thousands of 11-year-olds serve as judges.
Category Archives: News
One Mississippi community is using stimulus money to bring mass transit to rural areas. Special correspondent Miles O’Brien of Blueprint America has the report.
Science correspondent Miles O’Brien examines the threat that radioactive “dirty bombs”could pose to cities in the U.S., and what’s being done to prevent a radiological attack from happening.
Scientists are creating a new generation of artificial body parts to help people with disabilities see, walk, swim, grip and run among other things. Miles O’Brien reports on the latest advances in prosthetics.
A new research breakthrough has enabled scientists to grow human tissue to repair or replace organs, and someday, maybe even limbs. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports.
While it seems like everything can be done online these days, that’s not actually the case when it comes to elections. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien explores the security, logistical and secrecy challenges of Internet voting.
Medical experiments on chimpanzees can be invasive, involving injections, blood samples and liver biopsies. But some say it’s the only way to advance medicine. Miles O’Brien reports explores whether there are ever instances in which the scientific value of research should offset the moral cost of working with chimps.
As part of our Blueprint America series of reports on American infrastructure needs, special correspondent Miles O’Brien reports on the city of Dubuque, Iowa, and the steps they’ve taken toward a green future.
Science correspondent Miles O’Brien goes head-to-circuit board with IBM’s computer Watson on the game show “Jeopardy!” to explore the limits of language and artificial intelligence for machines. PBS NewsHour Original Story
In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, how should government regulators here set the safety bar for nuclear power plants in the U.S.? PBS NewsHour Original Story
Miles O’Brien examines power grid reliability in a neighborhood near Austin, Texas that uses “smart grid” technology to track – and control – its energy consumption. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/july-dec12/smartgrid_07-13.html
Voter ID Laws: Who Doesn’t Have Photo ID? from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo. Now, meet two Philadelphia women at serious risk of losing their rights to vote due to Pennsylvania’s strict new voter ID laws: Laila Stones, a retired nurse working towards a culinary degree; and Ana Gonzalez, a community organizer, […]
In partnership with Blueprint America, Need to Know’s Alison Stewart reports from New York, where they’ll make a park out of just about anything: a garbage dump, a parking lot — even an old elevated rail line.
Science correspondent Miles O’Brien looks at what could be happening to teenagers’ brains as they develop in a rapid-fire, multitasking world of technology and gadgets.
