PBS NewsHour - Science

The demand for electric vehicles is surging in the U.S., sparked in part by the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act and the subsidies it offers. But a looming supply shortage of lithium threatens to stall the EV transition. Stephanie Sy traveled to California's Salton Sea where lithium deposits could help meet the country's energy needs and support an economically devastated region. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In one of the great environmental success stories of our time, scientists say that a 35-year-old agreement has resulted in the steady and promising recovery of the Earth's ozone layer, a critical protective shield that blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Dr. Paul Newman, chief scientist for Earth sciences at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, joins William Brangham to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In the remote village of Ambler, Alaska, temperatures can fall to minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter, so heating the community is a big job. This past September, Ambler switched to a renewable energy option in an effort to go greener -- a change that also means a path toward a more sustainable economy for Alaska Native communities. Alaska Public Media's Elyssa Loughlin reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

There's been a heated debate lately about gas stoves and potential government regulation. The fire was lit last week after a member of a federal consumer agency suggested the government might ban them in newly built homes. That was quickly shot down by the White House but there's still a new focus on the health impact and possible alternatives. Miles O'Brien reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

New research suggests that cold weather may actually affect the human body's immune response, making us more susceptible to colds, flus and other upper respiratory infections. Dr. Benjamin Bleier, a sinus specialist at Mass Eye and Ear and a senior author of the study, joins John Yang to discuss its findings. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

U.S. emissions fell during the height of the pandemic as people were stuck at home, but that changed as the pandemic eased. Many researchers, scientists and lawmakers argue that Americans need to reduce their use of fossil fuels much sooner than they may have planned. Miles O'Brien reports on an alternative for home heating that could reduce the use and costs of fossil fuels. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

With planet-warming emissions on the rise, scientists worry about melting glaciers and the onslaught of repercussions. A new study published in the Journal of Science looks at the future of hundreds of thousands of glaciers, and what we can expect. David Rounce of Carnegie Mellon University joined Amna Nawaz to discuss the study. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In recent months, new artificial intelligence tools have garnered attention, and concern, over their ability to produce original work. The creations range from college-level essays to computer code and works of art. As Stephanie Sy reports, this technology could change how we live and work in profound ways. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Artificial intelligence, robotics and gene sequencing are the stuff of headlines, science fiction and sometimes even our worst fears. It's all on view at the new MIT Museum. A place where the latest scientific advancements fill galleries, but only really work with your input. Special correspondent Jared Bowen of GBH Boston looks at this artistic frontier for our arts and culture series, "CANVAS." PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Months after historic flooding that killed more than 1,700 people, Pakistan is still struggling to recover. The UN is warning it might suspend its food support program for flood victims because it is running out of money. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from Sindh, one of the hardest-hit provinces. This story is part of the series Agents for Change and produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Franziska Trautmann is the founder and CEO of Glass Half Full, a recycling company that converts glass into sand for coastal restoration projects and disaster relief. She and her co-founder Max were students at Tulane University when they launched the initiative. Trautmann shares her Brief But Spectacular take on "glassroots" recycling. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer led the Manhattan Project to develop nuclear weapons during World War II and is perhaps best known as the "Father of the Atomic Bomb." But he was a complicated man. As William Brangham explains, there are new assessments of his role in history. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Scientists working in Greenland identified the oldest samples of DNA ever found on earth. By analyzing the two-million year old genetic material, they've revealed how northern Greenland was once a wildly different environment than the cold, polar region it is today. Project researcher Eske Willerslev joined William Brangham to discuss the discovery. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

A historic agreement was reached Monday at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Canada that aims to increase protections for the world's lands and oceans. It comes as the planet continues to experience a staggering decline in biodiversity driven in large part by human behavior. Collin O'Mara of the National Wildlife Federation joined William Brangham to discuss the agreement. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

For the first time, scientists have produced a fusion reaction that created more energy than was expended, a breakthrough to tap into the same kind of energy that powers the sun and stars. It could have huge implications for potentially creating clean and limitless energy. Science Correspondent Miles O'Brien joined Judy Woodruff to discuss what was achieved and what still needs to happen. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders