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A visit with David Quammen, who confronted in COVID a story that refused to stay at a safe distance

Global emissions of methane from existing gas infrastructure may be up to five times higher than had been believed, a new study has found. Existing measures to burn off the powerful greenhouse gas — which is dozens of times more potent than carbon dioxide — allow far more to slip by than had been believed,...

"Climate science, materials science, robotics, are going to be some of the sexiest fields in science to go work on."

Under future climate change, atmospheric rivers hitting the West Coast are likely to “shift from being ‘mostly or primarily beneficial’ to ‘mostly or primarily hazardous,’” according to a study published in 2020 in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Seven professors join the departments of Biology; Chemistry; Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences; Mathematics; and Physics.

Editor's note: This essay originally published San Francisco Marin Medicine journal. After Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski and I published Our Stolen Future in 1996, we got "slapped" by one of the most prominent science journalists of the day, Gina Kolata writing for the New York Times. Among her criticisms was that one chemical can't cause a plethora of diseases. It was one chemical, one disease, like asbestos and mesothelioma. Talk about progress. That "paradigm" is so broken now it's hard to imagine how any science editor who has been following advances in the environmental health sciences, including endocrine disruption, would allow an argument like that to pass the editorial laugh test. Yes, there are examples other than asbestos that do follow that pattern, but especially in endocrine disruption, they are the exception, not the rule. As Thomas Kuhn wrote in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962), current scientific paradigms have enormous inertia. This is still true. And that's even without the active dissembling focused on resisting change funded purposefully and heavily by vested interests, a fact of life in work on the environmental health consequences of chemical exposures. Despite strong and wily opposition, the environmental health science community using science and communication over the past two decades has shattered multiple paradigms that for decades if not centuries medicine had held dear, preventing its practitioners from embracing the opportunities to prevent diseases by reducing exposures, instead of merely treating them (usually with pharmaceutical chemicals). Some of my favorite broken paradigms? "The dose makes the poison." (We now know that high dose exposures do not predict low dose impacts.)"Nature vs. Nurture" becomes "Nature and Nurture." "Those statistically significant adverse effects are not toxicologically relevant because they aren't the same in both sexes." Actually, for endocrine-disrupting compounds, the default expectation now is that there will be differences between how the sexes respond to exposure. And then there's the still ubiquitous practice among regulatory agencies of testing chemicals one at a time, instead of in the mixtures in which they always occur.The Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) community has played a pivotal role over the last two decades in breaking down these outdated paradigms. How? It has created, purposefully and steadfastly, multiple real and virtual safe spaces where new ideas and results can be examined, discussed and debated, not just by people throwing bricks at the old paradigms, but by thoughtful scientists willing to listen to new ideas, new data, new hypotheses that challenge some of their most cherished notions.More, these spaces by design have welcomed advocates with serious commitments to carry the discussions into the real world, to share this ongoing thunder of scientific understandings with the media, policy advocates, and even, provocateurs. Those safe spaces have been immeasurably valuable for progress. They might not be the flashiest new shiny objects on the block, but they have helped us get beyond old, outdated and sometimes even harmful ideas.CHE has done all that as waves of new scientific results have been published and as the media landscape has changed enormously. The CHE community has embraced the new results and adapted to sweeping revolutions in communication challenges and opportunities. And that's what the next two decades of environmental health science and communication needs more of, turbocharged.Pete Myers is the founder and chief scientist of Environmental Health Sciences, publisher of EHN.org and DailyClimate.org.This essay originally published San Francisco Marin Medicine journal.

A newly discovered type of transferrable DNA structure with a sci-fi name appears to play a role in balancing atmospheric methane. In Star Trek, the...

Bolsonaro "derided Indigenous people, environmentalists and science" while weakening environmental protections

Valued mentor was known for research in intensity perception, hearing-impairment characterization, and aids for the deaf.

Fourteen faculty members have been granted tenure in five departments across the MIT School of Engineering.

In 2020, I unintentionally started a tradition of celebrating the holiday by thanking American environmental journalists and fellow travelers who deserve to be thanked. Last year, I did a dozen more.So here are the third annual Clean Dozen of men and women who do (or did) their jobs extraordinarily well.Cynthia BarnettAuthor of remarkable books about water in its most indelible forms: Rain, seashells, and water crises in the U.S., especially in her home state, Florida.Rebecca Byerly A Force of Nature you’ve probably never heard of. A “backpack journalist” and ultramarathoner who’s traipsed through Libya and the Himalayas in search of stories about shrinking glaciers and the growing empowerment of women. This story about Kashmiri glaciers is a dozen years old, but you get the picture.​Tom Henry Henry started warning about Lake Erie’s impending toxic algae crisis in 1993. It hit home for Henry’s Toledo Blade readership in 2014 when half a million people temporarily lost their drinking water source. I profiled him and several other prophets of eco-doom for Ensia in 2017.Yasir KhanSo I cheated a little to include Khan, a Canadian national and Editor-in-Chief of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. They’re the charitable arm of a major news organization devoted to diversity in both staffing and content. Not bad for a former CNN intern of mine.​Jay Letto Letto is the final third of a leadership triumvirate who guided the Society of Environmental Journalists through its successful first quarter century. If Beth Parke and Chris Bruggers, both now in well-deserved retirement, were interchangeably SEJ’s heroic Kirk and Spock, Letto continues to be its irascible Dr. Leonard McCoy, staging valuable annual conferences. May he continue to live long and (non-financially) prosper.Michael Mann and Katharine HayhoeOk, maybe not journalists, but these two have destroyed the myth that scientists working in politically contentious realms like climate science must not only avoid any discussion of the real world but be deadly dull about it. These two have led an overhaul of public science discussions, from social media and lecture halls to talkshows and courtrooms to book tours.Miles O’BrienThe inevitable full disclosure is that O’Brien and I worked together on many a CNN project over the years and despite it all, remain good friends. His extraordinary talents in space, aviation, science, climate and environment reporting are on full display on marquee programs like Nova, Frontline, and NewsHour.John PlattEditor of The Revelator, a prolific news arm of the Center for Biological Diversity.Sammy Roth and Ian JamesI’m not sure which one is Batman and which one is Robin, but Roth and James have worked their way up the Western media food chain to superheroes on the water crisis. At the L.A. Times, they’ve reached ninja status on the I-Told-You-So scale.Charles Seabrook Seabrook served for years as beat reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He wrote a Saturday column on Georgia wildlife for years more. His crowning achievement may have been a mostly-forgotten 1995 book, Red Clay, White Gold and Pink Cadillacs. Kaolin is the “white gold” at the heart of a ruthless billion-dollar mining industry in central Georgia.I’m not just thankful for these people for their work and work ethic. They make my list because they’re people I admire.What journalists or science communicators are YOU thankful for? Let Peter know at pdykstra@ehn.org or @pdykstra.Peter Dykstra is our weekend editor and columnist. His views do not necessarily represent those of Environmental Health News, The Daily Climate, or publisher Environmental Health Sciences.

The University of Florida is hosting a Hackathon in collaboration with IBM that began Sep. 13 until Nov. 29. Teams will present technology solutions to address one of six environmental challenges, including power consumption and agriculture.

Past Presentation | In the tendency to assume that science-based conclusions are objective and reliable, public health tragedies are allowed to occur repeatedly.

Past Presentation | Coral bleaching from rising sea temperatures has grown from isolated, regional events to a global threat. Duane began documenting increasing degradation of the ocean and he brought the issue to a larger audience with the hope that science and governments could save coral reefs, like a team of scientists working in Hawaii.

Now Playing | A film to provide an awareness of climate change and the individual measures we can take to combat it. The production process of Rise and Fall began as your stereotypical documentary meant to showcase various aspects of the Earth and Ocean Sciences Department at UNCW. Still, as the interview process was underway, it was quickly decided to move in another direction. It is an essay film about the science of climate change, what we can do in our day-to-day lives to combat it, and its impacts. Without using talking heads, the images of the natural world provide a sensual look at what will be affected by climate change.

Coming Soon | As fire seasons grow longer, more destructive and more deadly, it is clear that our approach to reducing wildfire risk is failing. This film brings cutting edge science and indigenous knowledge into focus. It forces us, from city dwellers to seasoned fire professionals to rural citizens , to question what we believe and offers a science based way forward to live and thrive with fire.

Past Presentation | One Degree Matters follows social and business leaders as they travel to Greenland and experience for themselves the dramatic effects of the melting of the ice cap and come to understand the planetary effects of climate change and the impacts these will have on society and the economy. The film brings to the screen the latest science from the Arctic and shows why a further rise in global temperature of one degree matters for the future of humankind.

Past Presentation | Drawing from ancient knowledge and cutting edge science, Symphony of the Soil is an artistic and intriguing exploration of the miraculous substance that is soil. We come to appreciate the complex and dynamic nature of this precious resource through illustrations of the elaborate relationships soil has with water, atmosphere, plants and animals. Filmed on four continents and featuring esteemed scientists and working farmers and ranchers, Symphony of the Soil highlights the possibility of healthy soil creating healthy plants creating healthy humans living on – and re-creating – a healthy planet.

Now Playing | One Day We Will Dance with You tells the story of two women creating a dance to celebrate water. They imagine dance moves, and argue about science and whether a celebration can still be sad. As the community around them comes together to dance, they begin to imagine a future where the Water Molecule Dance and the celebration of water becomes a part of all our lives.

Lane leaves a lasting legacy at the Institute and on tribal communities around the country.

Past Presentation | 1928, 81st parallel North, the Italia Airship, under the command of general Umberto Nobile, crashes into the North Pole icepack. Nine crew members survive. One dies on impact. Six crew members are trapped inside the airship envelope. They will never be found, and, as of today, their destiny is unknown. Paola Catapano, director of audio-visual communications at the CERN center in Geneva, begins to seek the relic of the Italia airship, and to put together an international team of scientists, explorers and science communicators to pay homage to a lost past and give hope to a future which is in serious danger because of humanity’s irresponsible behavior. In the most remote seas lies the memory of the wreck of the Italia airship, rediscovered and remembered through a voyage which is driven by the need for discovery, commemoration, and knowledge, against the backdrop of a present characterized by uncertainty and nostalgia for a lost past, an alternative present, and a future which may be lost.

The foundation says Becker was selected for "outstanding work that illuminates complicated water issues in California and the west."

Scientists of color are disrupting the rules of historically colonial institutions in Stem and academia. For Earyn McGee, that means engaging with her public through gamesFor five years now, obscure amphibians and reptiles have been scurrying on to the internet as part of a wildly popular social media science challenge, #FindThatLizard.The Twitter and Instagram campaign, created by Earyn McGee, a 27-year-old Los Angeles-based herpetologist, does more than just share McGee’s obsession with lizards and their kin; it seeks to inspire a passion for science, particularly ecology, in Black and brown communities. Continue reading...

Past Presentation | One man quits taking prednisone and takes up alternative medicine to save his mind.

The MacArthur Foundation announced 25 "genius" grant winners Wednesday.Why it matters: The award is seen as one of the most coveted and distinguished honors in academia, arts and science, and it includes a massive cash prize.Driving the news: The 2022 list of MacArthur Fellows included an ornithologist, a computer scientist and a human rights activist, among others.The MacArthur Fellows will receive an $800,000 grant, which is a "no-strings-attached award to extraordinarily talented and creative individuals as an investment in their potential," according to the MacArthur Foundation website.The foundation did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.Below are the the 25 recipients.2022 MacArthur Fellows grant winnersJennifer Carlson is a sociologist from Tucson, Arizona, who has been investigating gun culture in the United States.Paul Chan is an artist from New York who has depicted political and social topics.Yejin Choi is a computer scientist from Seattle who has helped "develop artificial intelligence-based systems that can perform commonsense reasoning," per the foundation's website.P. Gabrielle Foreman is a historian and digital humanist from University Park, Penn., who has researched early African American activism.Danna Freedman, a chemist from Cambridge, Mass., has worked to create "novel molecular materials with unique properties directly relevant to quantum information science," the foundation said.Martha Gonzalez, a musician and artist from Claremont, California, has used art to build community and promote social justice.Sky Hopinka is a filmmaker from Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, whose films elevate Indigenous perspectives.June Huh, a mathematician from Princeton, New Jersey, has made connections between combinatorics and algebraic geometry.Moriba Jah is an astrodynamicist from Austin, Texas, who has worked to create solutions for Earth's orbital structures.Jenna Jambeck is an environmental engineer from Athens, Georgia, who has investigated the scale of plastic pollution and has worked to stop plastic waste.Monica Kim, a historian from Madison, Wisc., has researched the relationship between U.S. foreign policy and global decolonization. Robin Wall Kimmerer, a plant ecologist and writer from Syracuse, New York, who has been researching how to build a better environment through scientific and Indigenous information.Priti Krishtel, a health justice lawyer from Oakland, California, has worked to build access to affordable medications.Joseph Drew Lanham, an ornithologist and writer from Clemson, S.C., has researched the impacts of forest management on birds and wildlife.Kiese Laymon is a Houston, Texas, writer who examines Black people's experience with violence.Reuben Jonathan Miller is a sociologist from Chicago who has researched the aftermath of incarceration, primarily among communities of color.Ikue Mori, an electronic music composer from New York, has expanded the range of technical music space through her own techniques.Steven Prohira, a physicist from Lawrence, Kansas, has used new tools to research "ultra-high energy sub-atomic particles" that could help us all understand the universe.Tomeka Reid, a jazz cellist and composer from Chicago, has used a number of musical traditions to create her unique sound.Loretta J. Ross, a human rights advocate from Northampton, Mass., has worked to link social justice and human rights with reproductive justice. Steven Ruggles, a historical demographer from Minneapolis, Minnesota, has helped build the world's largest public database of population statistics (the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series).Tavares Strachan is an artist from New York and The Bahamas who has promoted "overlooked contributions of marginalized figures throughout history" by using science, history and other projects, per the foundation's site.Emily Wang is a primary care physician and researcher from New Haven, Connecticut, who has studied the health effects of incarceration and people exiting prison.Amanda Williams is an artist from Chicago whose work "uses ideas around color and architecture to explore the intersection of race and the built environment," per the foundation's website.Melanie Matchett Wood, a mathematician from Cambridge, Mass., has used number theory and algebraic geometry to provide a new understanding of the properties of numbers.

National Geographic Society leaders and National Geographic Explorers to offer a broad programme of events in week one of COP27.   National Geographic Society (NGS) leaders and National Geographic Explorers – the Society’s grantees – will offer a broad programme of events in The Nature Zone Pavilion, Blue Zone at COP27. During week one (6-12...

Past Presentation | This is a documentary thriller about how Agro-Chemical multinational corporations victimize international scientists to prevent them from publishing their scary findings.

Researchers say systemic bias at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has led to projections that perpetuate economic inequality. The post How Scientists From the “Global South” Are Sidelined at the IPCC appeared first on The Intercept.

Past Presentation | Journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. Combining real life stories of people from around the world and powerful interviews with the leading scientists in happiness research, this film explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion.

Past Presentation | From the heart of the Amazon rainforest to our European laboratories, climatologists, biologists and chemists are exploring and are starting to understand a mystery: the central role of forests in cloud formation. Spectacular images will illustrate a strong ecological message and increase awareness of the danger that deforestation represents for our planet.

Past Presentation | The docu-film exposes the cause and effect of the well-hidden evidence of mercury contamination as seen through the eyes of doctors, scientists, environmental experts and mercury-poisoned survivors. It is a gripping tale that will make you think twice before you eat your next catch-of-the-day or plan your next visit to the dentist’s office.

Now Playing | BlackWater is a documentary about protecting Florida Springs, focusing on the Ichetucknee River. The Florida Springs have been displaying a decline in quality and will continue to if we do not make a change. I encourage you to visit and experience the Florida Springs system, as it truly is a religious experience. Produced by Ethan Beckley, Annick Joseph, and Jiahui Shen.

Past Presentation | Do the Math is based on a Rolling Stone article by Bill McKibben last year, and on a multi-city tour he took over the last few months. He states we only need to know three numbers to understand climate change. This film opens up the debate on the issue.

Past Presentation | In the 1970s the start of oil extraction in the Ecuadorian Amazon engendered expectations of a new “era of prosperity.” But now, in a David-and-Goliath struggle for environmental justice, the negative impacts of oil production are being captured through a project combining citizen science, scholarly activism, indigenous and mestizo mobilization, and the use of frugal but advanced GIScience, drones, smartphones and bespoke apps.

Coming Soon | Chicken Soup for the Soil follows the journey of the soil beneath our feet and the efforts of North Carolina farmers Suzanne Nelson and Rachel Herrick to rehabilitate it one pasture at a time. But most unique to this film is that the main cast is not entirely human; the soil and livestock are characters as well. The film depicts the purpose of regenerative farming, which is to restore organic matter and nutrient density to soil destroyed by conventional farming, enabling it to better hold carbon and sequester it from the atmosphere. Both Suzanne’s and Rachel’s missions are to inspire land stewardship and livestock management to help reverse climate change. These are grassroots farms with global impact. The film opens with a clear statement of the problem and the current state of conventional American farming such as feedlots, crop dusting, corporate agribusiness, and soil degradation. But Chicken Soup for the Soil is not another environmental film that focuses only on the problem and who’s to blame for it. Instead, it is a compassionate film about solutions and what small community farmers are doing locally to change our relationship with not only our food, but the soil in which it grows. Suzanne and Rachel teach us that animals are not commodities and insects are not pests; they are partners in stewardship. Rachel owns and operates Slow Farm in the sandhills of central North Carolina. Before Rachel bought the land in 2015, it was used for 150 years to grow tobacco, which is an intensive crop that completely destroyed the land. Having grown up on a conventional farm, Rachel witnessed first-hand how farmers were damaging the environment. Now, she prides herself on being a regenerative farming “nerd.” As a result, she shows us the science behind a no-tilling approach, the development and importance of a pollinator field for native insect species, and the compassion for raising livestock for land management rather than slaughter. Rachel explains that the purpose of Slow Farm is to create an ecosystem that mimics nature and to assemble a team of animals and insects to achieve that purpose. Suzanne owns and operates Reverence Farms about an hour northeast of Slow Farm. A former reporter from Washington, D.C., Suzanne simply wanted to eat differently and live by example for her daughter, Vivian. With her experience in journalism, she balances Rachel’s detailed science with the “big picture.” She talks to us about grazing cattle in a responsible way that imitates the bison that roamed North America before westward expansion nearly wiped them out. She also discusses providing living wages in agriculture as well as other harsh realities of farm economics, such as livestock loss and subsidies. In the end, the pressing question will be answered: Is regenerative farming the “Chicken Soup” the soil needs to heal? Is Suzanne leaving a better world to her daughter, Vivian? Regardless of the outcome, Suzanne’s and Rachel’s self-worth may lie in believing that regenerative farming is a rebirth for their farms, their communities, and for future generations.

Past Presentation | Meet Nelson Kanuk, a 17-year old who learned how climate change was affecting his community. Nelson explains that the main problem facing the northern parts of the world is winter coming later and later. This increases erosion due to permafrost melt, increases flooding due to warmer temperatures, and intensifies storms because sea ice forms too late in the season now to provide a natural barrier for our coastal communities.

Now Playing | What exactly is the connection between bats and coronavirus? And how has sheltering-in-place disrupted field research in California and beyond? State and local governments have set restrictions on bat research and rescue in an effort to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. Dr. Winifred Frick, chief scientist of Bat Conservation International, describes how the new restrictions have affected conservation efforts.

Past Presentation | A Danish weather man quits his job to travel around the globe and meet some of the people whose lives have been turned upside down due to extreme weather events. His journey begins in the Philippines right after Hayan, the worst typhoon to ever hit the islands. The journey depicts record drought and flooding and occurs during the hottest year in history–2014.

Past Presentation | Continuing the story of an adventurous journey around the world, this film is inspiring humanity to change the world and save our planet. Along with world renowned experts, the director learns that past evolutions can help solve some of our current and future environmental problems. Startling, beautiful, and provocative.

Past Presentation | Wes Skiles and Jill Heinerth produced this Karst Productions film as part of the Water’s Journey series on the great waterways of Florida and the world. The film documents the St. Johns River quite literally from all angles as scientists and the filmakers explore the river by houseboat, skim its surface by kayak, fly above it inflatable boats, and dive deep into its underwater caves.

Past Presentation | Vegucated is a feature-length documentary that follows three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. Part sociological experiment, part science class, and part adventure story, Vegucated showcases the rapid and at times comedic evolution of three people who share one journey and ultimately discover their own paths in creating a kinder, cleaner, greener world, one bite at a time.

Past Presentation | Executive Producer, Diane Mellen found a recent article about three-eyed fish and two-headed turtles in the New River which flows from the U.S. Mexico border into the Salton Sea. Runoff sewage is causing DNA mutations in the animals. As filmmakers, we found it alarming that the California Department of Parks and Recreation is advising parents it is permissible to swim and fish in the Salton Sea. We wanted to make a documentary with vivid imagery, as no words can encompass the sadness of the area.

Past Presentation | Journey to the seemingly idyllic Hawaii, where communities are surrounded by experimental test sites for genetically engineered seed corn and pesticides sprayed upwind of homes, schools, hospitals, and shorelines. Discover what’s at stake for Hawaii from local activists, scientific experts, and healthcare professionals who explain the effects of environmental injustice. Join the international debate about pesticides and the movement to hold corporations and governments accountable for poisoning planet Earth. Jane Goodall: “I hope that this film is shown around the world, that it wins every prize out there, that it wakes people up and generates anger.”

Past Presentation | Based on six years of intensive research and devoted exclusively to solutions to man-made global warming, Deep Green cuts through the clutter to bring new clarity to an increasingly-urgent situation. The best applications worldwide in energy efficiency, green building, decarbonizing transportation, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and smart grids, and forest restoration. Some profoundly personal and practical— like what one person can do to lower their carbon load in their own house, with their own Lifestyle, on their own land. Others necessarily complex, such as Southern California Edison’s quest to find the best batteries to electrify transportation.

Past Presentation | From Michel Gondry, the innovative director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep, comes this unique animated documentary on the life of controversial MIT professor, philosopher, linguist, anti-war activist and political firebrand Noam Chomsky. Through complex, lively conversations with Chomsky and brilliant illustrations by Gondry himself, the film reveals the life and work of the father of modern linguistics while also exploring his theories on the emergence of language. The result is not only a dazzling, vital portrait of one of the foremost thinkers of modern times, but also a beautifully animated work of art.

Now Playing | Blue holes scattered throughout the Gulf of Mexico inspire a team of exploration scientists and divers who set out to uncover the mysteries of what makes them ecological oases.

Past Presentation | Diana Beresford-Kroeger’s journey explores our profound biological and spiritual connection to trees. From Japan to California and Ireland to Germany, to Vancouver Island and across to the great Boreal Forest, Diana meets people who are taking the lead to replant, restore and protect the last of these great ancient species forests. As the journey progresses the film explores the science, folklore, and history of this essential, and often overlooked, eco-system. Beresford-Kroeger reminds us that when we improve our profound human connection to woodlands we can, not only, restore our health - we can restore our planet.

Past Presentation | An exploration of what happens when whole communities get exposed to toxins: Naled sprayed on Miami residents to fight Zika virus, Agent Orange sprayed on the Vietcong, and release of GMO mosquitoes in Brazil with pyriproxyfen added to drinking water to fight dengue. What are the results for nature and humanity? We meet Agent Orange survivors at Vietnamese detoxification and rehabilitation centers, parents of babies born with microcephaly from Zika virus, and Florida residents dealing with efforts to kill mosquitoes carrying Zika virus. Perspectives of doctors, scientists, and politicians are balanced with voices of ordinary citizens and victims to explore concerns about the potential impact on current and future generations.

Past Presentation | They weave a tapestry that draws together scientific discoveries in astronomy, geology, biology, ecology, and biodiversity with humanistic insights concerning the nature of the universe. Using his skills as a masterful storyteller, Swimme connects such big picture issues as the birth of the cosmos 14 billion years ago – to the invisible frontiers of the human genome – as well as to our current impact on Earth’s evolutionary dynamics. From the Big Bang–to the epic impact humans have on the planet today–this film is designed to inspire a new and closer relationship with Earth in a period of growing environmental and social crisis.

Guided by mentors, students explore STEM careers and home in on college majors.

Up to one-third of the carbon consumed by Prochlorococcus may come from sources other than photosynthesis.

Past Presentation | In 2010, the United States announced the first new nuclear power plant construction in over 32 years. The 'Nuclear Renaissance' was born, and America's long-stalled expansion of nuclear energy was infused with new life. On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit Japan and caused chaos at the Fukushima Power Plant. That accident sent ripples all the way to the US and suddenly the fierce debate over the safety and viability of nuclear power was back in the public consciousness. Our documentary takes the viewer on a journey to reactor communities around the country. This film exposes the truths and myths of nuclear power, and poses the question of whether or not man can responsibly split the atom.

Coming Soon | If there is water, there is life. What are we doing to create a more sustainable future for our water? What are we doing to innovate solutions to the world’ s water problems? The answer lies in technology, people, and education. Water We Doing? address exactly how we can use science, engineering and innovation to tackle a global water crisis.If we are going to find away to help prevent that fact that every twenty seconds a child dies from lack of access to fresh drinking water, if we want to preserve this paramount resource, then we must act. Together we can not only create a new wave of stunning, innovative technologies - but we can inspire an entire new generation of scientists and engineers to champion this cause.

Now Playing | Microsculpture is a unique visual experience. A 10mm insect is shown as a 3 meter print, revealing minute detail and allowing the viewer to take in the structure of the insect in its entirety. The beautifully lit, high magnification portraiture of Levon Biss captures the microscopic form of these animals in striking high-resolution detail.

Past Presentation | Two decades of ground breaking exploration and research within the mammoth cave systems of Northern Florida stall during one of the longest periods of dark water on record. During a period of clear water conditions, explorers from GUE’s Woodville Karst Plain Project resolve to establish a physical link between two of the largest underwater cave systems in the world. Following a series of previously unimaginable dives, exploration divers push nearly 26,000 feet (7KM) into the extreme depths of the Wakulla and Leon Sinks cave systems. A range of nearly 30-hour immersions while exploring at 300 feet (90m) lead WKPP explorers to a series of breakthrough discoveries, resulting in one of the most celebrated connections in cave diving history.

Past Presentation | In October 2002, the first political party worldwide was founded which does not base its policy on human-centric thinking. The Party for the Animals represents a new political movement that values animal welfare and the environment. "The foundation of The Party for the Animals was received with much skepticism within traditional politics. However, the Party for the Animals quickly appeared to function as a pacer in the marathon", recalls Marianne Thieme - co-founder and party leader. The Pacer in the Marathon is a documentary on the first ten years of the Party for the Animals. Next to in-depth interviews with the party founders, the film provides an insight into the public reception of this pioneering political movement, within science, politics and media.

Now Playing | A personal dive into the world’s most impersonal substance: plastics. Amid the lockdown, a bereaved mother unfolds a surprising journey within and across oceans to understand the contemporary landscape of single-use synthetics. From the noble intentions behind its invention to scales of havoc it has wrought, this experimental documentary brings together art, history, science, and the everyday. Playfully crafted with hand-drawn illustrations and poetic interludes, this evocative “pause between deep time and no time” will change how you think about this ordinary “thing without thingness."

Now Playing | Plans to build the Thirty Meter Telescope on the summit of the sacred Mauna Kea sparks another battle in a decades-long struggle between Indigenous Hawaiians and astronomers.