PBS NewsHour - Science

Every summer, the federal research vessel Tiglax travels along the chain of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, ferrying scientists to remote locations to study wildlife. The Aleutian archipelago is 1600 miles in length and constitutes an ecosystem of stunning diversity. Tiglax’s captain talks about life aboard the boat, the animals he’s seen, the passion of his passengers and why he’s ‘hopeful.’

The lionfish has always been a relentless predator. When it lived only in the Indo-Pacific, its ferocity and aggression were contained. But since the species has expanded to the Atlantic, its overpopulation is threatening fellow aquatic creatures. So scientists are developing a robot to hunt the predator, thinking that killing mass numbers of lionfish may be the only way to combat the problem.

Scientists have discovered a potentially habitable new world, a mere four light years away from Earth. They call the planet “Proxima B,” and it may feature characteristics that are just right for human life. Nonetheless, it has some major differences from Earth -- a year on the planet lasts only 11 days. Hari Sreenivasan speaks with WGBH’s science correspondent Miles O'Brien for background.

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a major contributor to global warming. But what if there were a way to turn that gas into rock and store it safely, thousands of feet underground? One power plant in Iceland is attempting to do just that, through a process called “Carbfix.” Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports, in the first of his “Breakthrough” series.

Florida's southern coast is one of the most popular dive spots in the world, home to the only tropical coral reef in the continental U.S. But hundreds of fish species here are in danger from the worst-known case of an invasive species: lionfish. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Yasmeen Qureshi has the story.

The second large-scale fire in California this week is raging through the southern part of the state, and the fatal flooding in Louisiana is worsening. Combined with the fact that this past July was the planet’s single hottest month recorded, are these events indicative of climate change? William Brangham discusses with Columbia University’s Adam Sobel and Louisiana State climatologist Barry Keim.

Hawaii’s Kilauea has been erupting for over 30 years, making it the longest-flowing volcano on earth. Because of this remarkable activity, it is also currently the most researched. Geologist Mike Garcia has studied Kilauea for decades and believes that analyzing the chemical composition of pieces of the volcano may yield clues to its future behavior. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien reports.

About 9 million tons of plastic are dumped into the world’s oceans every year -- enough to fill a football stadium 23 miles high. But a project dubbed the Ocean Cleanup aims to eliminate it with a method that researchers are testing in the North Sea. The NewsHour Weekend’s Saskia de Melker has the story.

Can artificial intelligence be emotionally intelligent? In Boston, researchers have programed BB-8, the little droid from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” to detect expressions and determine how people are feeling. And that technology is being adapted for marketing, video games, even therapy for children diagnosed with autism. The NewsHour’s April Brown reports.

His story is a staple in psychology classes, but his identity wasn’t known for years: Henry Molaison, the man who lost his ability to form new memories after a lobotomy. In “Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets,” Luke Dittrich paints a picture of the life of the scientific legend. Dittrich discusses his book and personal connection to Molaison in a conversation with Jeffrey Brown.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999. But amid growing concern over the country’s problem with heroin and prescription opioids, a lesser-known drug in that same group is just as lethal. David Armstrong of STAT joins Hari Sreenivasan from Boston to talk more about the threat posed by fentanyl.

Climate change, overfishing and pollution would naturally seem harmful for marine life. But one group of animals appears to be thriving: jellyfish. The blob-like creatures reproduce rapidly in higher temperatures and can prosper in waters tainted by human activity, such as the Gulf of Mexico’s oxygen-depleted “dead-zone.” Plus, declining fish populations mean reduced competition for food.

It was an unprecedented meeting of the minds and it happened at Harvard Medical School. The subject of April’s confab? Medical cannabis. Researchers suspect cannabis can do so many things, from fighting cancer to easing concussions and Crohn’s disease. There are still tight restrictions but weed is increasingly coming into the scientific mainstream. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports.

Clean coal technology is key to the Obama administration’s plans for combating climate change. But a high-profile power plant, once a poster child for clean coal’s promise, has run billions over budget in construction costs, faces federal investigations and allegations of fraud. William Brangham talks with Ian Urbina, who investigated the story for The New York Times.

Lenny and Amy’s 5-year-old son has epilepsy. When conventional medications caused terrible side effects, they started giving him a daily drop of cannabis oil, with dramatic results. But it’s a calculated risk: While there is anecdotal evidence of cannabis’ effectiveness, scientists face research roadblocks because it’s a schedule 1 controlled substance. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien reports.