Horizons from PBS News

Everyone wants to keep a sharp mind as they age, especially as dementia cases continue to rise. Now, a growing body of evidence suggests almost half of the key risks for cognitive decline can be prevented or delayed. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores the emerging science that can help protect against dementia with Dr. Jonathan Rosand of the Global Brain Care Coalition. PBS News is suppo...

Over 55 million people worldwide are living with the devastating reality of dementia, but researchers have now identified some individuals who share a rare genetic predisposition to developing a type of this tragic disease. Could studying these families unlock new ways to predict, treat, or even prevent Alzheimer's and dementia? Horizons moderator William Brangham explores more with Robert Kolker....

We are all being watched in ways we never imagined, including vehicle tracking, facial recognition technology and data mining. What does all this digital surveillance mean for the right to privacy? And as a backlash over this monitoring grows, what can you do to protect yourself? Horizons moderator William Brangham explores the ethics of surveillance Byron Tau and Calli Schroeder. PBS News is supp...

If we are lucky enough to live full lives and form meaningful relationships, chances are, we will also experience loss, and with it, grief. As common as grief is, it's also mysterious. Horizons guest moderator Ali Rogin explores the science of grief with Liz Gleeson and Dr. George Slavich. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

It's now believed that more people have died because of the toxic exposures they got from the 9/11 sites than were killed by the terrorists on that day. Survivors, first responders and volunteers have faced everything from cancer to respiratory disorders to PTSD. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores the long-term health impacts with Dr. Michael Crane, Dr. Benjamin Luft and John Feal. PBS N...

Putting technology into schools was sold as a revolution that would help kids learn. But as tech companies exert greater influence, many are now wondering if screen time is doing more harm than good. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores how technology is shaping education with Natasha Singer, a New York Times reporter and author of "Coding Kids: Big Tech's Battle to Remake Public Schools."...

There's a critical need for primary care physicians across America, but a shortage of doctors and rising insurance costs are forcing people to forgo preventive care altogether. Americans die of preventable, treatable diseases at far higher rates than people who live in other similar nations. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores possible solutions with Dr. Lucy McBride and Renuka Rayasam. P...

Reduce, reuse, recycle. It's the mantra heard for decades, but does it work? There's a lingering cynicism that recycling is a scam, that it doesn't really help, and it's more about making us feel good than doing something meaningful. Horizons moderator William Brangham separates fact from fiction with Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli of WATS and Judith Enck of Beyond Plastics. PBS News is supported by -...

Birds are not only wondrous creatures that live amongst us, they're also an essential part of life on Earth – helping grow food, keeping pests at bay and spreading seeds. But more than half of migratory bird populations are declining globally. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores the threats birds are facing with ornithologist Peter Marra of the Earth Commons at Georgetown University. PBS...

For millions of women, uterine fibroids not only cause painful symptoms, but the diagnosis can bring more questions than answers. Even though most women will develop them, misconceptions remain about who gets them and how they should be treated. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores fibroids and treatment with Dr. Soyini Hawkins and Sateria Venable. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pb...

Alcohol is a product so tightly woven into our society that we struggle to see what it's really doing to us. Despite documented links between alcohol and cancer, heart and liver disease, over half of all drinkers think their own consumption doesn't raise their risk for serious health problems. Horizons mo derator William Brangham explores more with Lev Facher, Marissa Esser and Priscilla Martinez....

From air pollution to wildfires, from heat waves to vector-borne diseases, climate change harms our health and causes significant stress to the healthcare system. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores what can be done to protect people from a warming world with Victor Tsao of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and Lisa Patel of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health. PBS Ne...

From the light bulb to the iPhone, American inventions have rocketed around the world thanks to their innovation and ingenuity. But some American innovators, including women and people of color, have largely been overlooked. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores why America has been such fertile ground for creative minds with Sujai Shivakumar and Eric S. Hintz. PBS News is supported by - ht...

They're in our pockets, workplaces, homes and schools — screens are everywhere. Americans are spending more than seven hours a day looking at screens. What is this doing to our well being? And does all this screen time affect different generations differently? Horizons moderator William Brangham explores what we know and don't know with researchers Kostadin Kushlev and Courtney K. Blackwell. PBS N...

While most scientific research has focused on men, when it comes to parenthood, it's all about mothers. But new research shows that men undergo profound changes biologically and psychologically when they become fathers. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores the surprising science of "Dad Brain" with Darby Saxbe. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted o...

Artificial intelligence data centers are popping up across America, spurring fierce backlash because of their need for huge amounts of water and power. Is the AI revolution worth the price communities are paying? Horizons moderator William Brangham explores the impact of data centers with Michael Webber, author of "Power Trip: The Story of Energy," which was also made into a series on PBS. PBS New...

Unexplained sightings have appeared in our skies for years, and now the U.S. government has started releasing declassified files about what we used to call UFOs. What explains these phenomena, and what do we know about life beyond Earth? Horizons moderator William Brangham explores what we do know, and what we don't, with Leslie Kean and Garrett Graff, two authors who've studied this topic deeply....

Roughly one in ten Americans gets their water from the Colorado River. But a worsening drought, driven in part by climate change, is drying up the river, and states are fighting over water rights. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores what that means for communities and industries that depend on that water with Luke Runyon, Wade Crowfoot and Joel Ferry. PBS News is supported by - https://ww...

More than 1 million women in the U.S. start menopause every year, yet this biological certainty is too often shrouded in secrecy or ignored by many mainstream researchers. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores what we do and don't know about menopause with Dr. Sharon Malone and Dr. Lauren Streicher. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See...

Technology has changed the way students study and learn. Now, as artificial intelligence enters the classroom, proponents argue it will be a welcome revolution for schools — but with limited guardrails, could it do more harm than good? Horizons moderator William Brangham explores the future of AI and education with Khan Academy founder Salman Khan, who has launched a new AI assistant for teachers....

The COVID pandemic overwhelmed our health care system and killed well over a million Americans. Fast-tracked vaccines saved millions, but missteps in the response and misinformation online have damaged trust. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores the state of America's public health system and whether it's prepared for the next pandemic with Dr. Josh Sharfstein and Elizabeth Cameron. PBS Ne...

For thousands of years, humans have tried to avoid growing old. Billions are spent every year on potions and procedures to make us look younger, feel younger and think younger. It's a hugely profitable, but ultimately fruitless hunt. But science has started to zero in on some proven techniques. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores that with Dr. Eric Topol and Dr. Sandra Weintraub. PBS News...

As the impact from the war in Iran grinds on, Americans are feeling it at the gas station. Evangelists for clean energy say the oil shock is an opportunity to embrace the transition to renewable power like wind and solar. With energy prices on the rise, Horizons moderator William Brangham explores if Americans are open to a new way of powering our world with Bill McKibben and Jigar Shah. PBS News...

We tend to think of cancer as a disease that mainly affects older people, but an increasing number of diagnoses are happening amongst the young. What is behind this alarming rise? And can anything be done to prevent it? Horizons moderator William Brangham explores those questions and more with Laura Behnke, Dr. Veda Giri and Dr. Shanthi Sivendran. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/new...

Nearly 60 years after NASA sent the first humans to ever land on our moon, the U.S. is going back with a series of increasingly difficult missions. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores the Artemis program and what new discoveries NASA is hoping to find with PBS News science correspondent Miles O'Brien, Casey Dreier of The Planetary Society and retired astronaut and engineer Leroy Chiao. PB...