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Science for the Public

Science for the Public is a grassroots nonprofit organization committed to the promotion of adult science literacy. The organization hosts public presentations by scientists at Boston Public Library, a community science TV series, and online science resources. Citizen participation is actively encouraged in the development of our programs and resources. Today, many of the most pressing issues of modern life require the expertise of scientists. Citizens must therefore have a reasonable understanding of science in order to function as responsible members of society. Further, as the pace of scientific discovery accelerates, modern citizens must be able to grasp new concepts and information that are reshaping our perspectives. Although the issue of science literacy is now being addressed at the K-12 level, there is no science curriculum for the adult population. And it is the adult population that votes, pays taxes and raises children.

http://www.scienceforthepublic.org/

Vital Ocean-Atmosphere Dynamics

Tue, Jan 10, 2023

The relationship between atmosphere and oceans is a major factor in the dynamics of Earth’s climate. One of the most important regions for this interaction is the Bay of Bengal. Dr. Mahadevan, a leading researcher on this area, emphasizes that the Bay of Bengal impacts more of humanity than any other ocean area in the world. She explains how ocean-atmosphere dynamics create the monsoons that deliver freshwater to more than a third of the human population on this planet, and how, in turn, the freshwater deposited by the monsoons impacts the ocean’s structure and circulation

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Reconstructing the Inaccessible Cosmic Dawn

Tue, Dec 6, 2022

About 400,000 years after the Big Bang, the dark universe cooled enough that particles were able to form the first atoms (hydrogen, helium), and then light. This is known as the “reionization” era. It is the most important period to astrophysicists because features and conditions in the reionization, including dark matter, determined the evolution of the universe. But this early epoch is inaccessible to telescopes. Astrophysicists devise very complex models to test their theories of the reionization and formation of the earliest galaxies. Dr. Vogelsberger, known for some of the most accurate simulations of the earliest galaxy formations, describes the Thesan project he developed with other scientists at MIT, Harvard University, and the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics. This is of particular interest now that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will eventually be able to site these earliest formations. Dr. Vogelsberger will also discuss other related simulation projects.

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Nutrition for a Healthy Aging Brain

Tue, Nov 8, 2022

Dr. Susan B. Roberts is well known for her research on the relationship between nutrition and cognitive development. She is currently expanding that work to evaluate how nutrition affects the aging brain. in this discussion she explains the brain-nutrition relationship in general, and how these two studies underscore the need to provide a healthy diet for all ages. She is particularly interested in how specific dietary adjustments improve child cognitive development and, for the aging, prevent cognitive decline.

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Harnassing Geothermal Energy

Tue, Oct 11, 2022

One of the most abundant sources of renewable energy is the heat deep in the earth. This geothermal energy could provide clean heat and energy to whole cities, and in some parts of the world, such as Iceland, it does. But accessing this resource can be difficult. Dr. Woskov is developing a way to convert coal and gas electric power plants by drilling deep geothermal wells to replace the fossil fuels. He discusses the abundance of geothermal energy, the challenges of accessing it, and the geothermal project using a microwave-emitting mechanism called a gyrotron.

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The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): A New Era for Astrophysics

Tue, Oct 4, 2022

The JWST, launched far from Earth in December 2021, is the most sophisticated telescope ever created. It will reveal stars, galaxies and other objects in the very early universe. Scientists are still amazed that such a complex project –25 years in the making– succeeded. Astronomer Silas Laycock describes the technical achievement and the incredible images the telescope has produced so far. The JWST reveals features of the early universe, the birth and death of galaxies, planets that may support life, and much more.

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Why Are We Spending Billions on Carbon Capture and Storage?

Tue, Sep 20, 2022

Despite the hype, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is not a solution to the CO2 problem that has caused global warming. Taxpayers continue to pay for the federal investment of billions of dollars that are subsidizing fossil-fuel industry’s CCS projects. And those projects have consistently failed to reduce CO2. Dr. Harvey discusses how these ineffective CCS projects continue to be promoted and he explains the necessity of shifting to renewable energy, which can be done now and with much less expense.

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Weighing In On Metabolism

Tue, Sep 13, 2022

Dr. Susan B. Roberts is a leader in the science of metabolism. She has concentrated a great deal of her research on the rise of obesity, especially in Western nations. In this program, she discusses how metabolism works under normal conditions, the relationship between metabolism and obesity, and the impact of certain diets on the metabolic system.

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What Ails American Health Care?

Tue, Aug 30, 2022

Although America’s healthcare system is the most expensive among the top world economies, it ranks at the bottom for quality. We have excellent medical research, medical facilities, and medical professionals. But the healthcare “system” is, for many people, inaccessible because of expense and other factors. Dr. Garrido explains what good healthcare systems look like, the problems with American healthcare, and the potential solution to our healthcare system.

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Run 3 at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC): What's the Excitement?

Tue, Aug 23, 2022

Markus Klute’s research team played a major role in the 2012 identification of the Higgs boson and its unique properties. In this discussion, he explains how understanding the origins of our universe depends on the discovery and analysis of sub-atomic particles. The LHC collides particles at the highest possible speed in an attempt to resemble the force of the Big Bang that produced the earliest particles. This investigation is advanced by the much-anticipated 3rd Run of the LHC, which will collide particles at the highest speed yet. Run 3 will attempt to reveal unknown particles, possibly even dark matter particles, and will help to explain the nature of mass and numerous other mysteries about the origin of matter.

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The Bionic Leaf: Clean Energy for All

Tue, Aug 2, 2022

Daniel Nocera, famous for the invention of the first viable “artificial leaf,” explains how this silicon-based catalytic device separates hydrogen and oxygen from water to create clean energy and fuel. The system can be distributed for localized use --each household could have its own power supply. Goodbye grid. The bionic leaf uses sunlight, ordinary water and readily available materials for the device. Dr. Nocera describes the numerous updates of the bionic leaf, the particular challenge of hydrogen, and the present status of this promising innovation –including a process for creating a nitrogen fertilizer that delivers directly to crops -no waste.

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