When it comes to our data, can we have our cake and eat it too? On the one hand, living digital lives means leaving data crumbs in the wake of our daily lives. That can pose a risk to our privacy and even safety. Yet at the same time, much of that individual data is helping to build webs of collective “big data,” which many believe could lead to huge advances in health, transportation, climate science, ecology, and more.

This event will feature a selection of clips from Secrets in Your Data, and a moderated panel discussion with NOVA executive producers and experts from the film. We will likely host a reception after the talk in the atrium and tie in the fact that 2024 is NOVA's 50th anniversary. This deliverable is part of our CPB year 3 outreach initiative.

For total solar eclipses, everything that had to go just right for us here on Earth to enjoy the view.

"The cosmos is a constant reminder that nature is as magical as we once believed as kids," says astrophysicist Grant Tremblay.

In the town of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, everyone’s got their head in the clouds, as preparations for a tourism boom during the April 8 total solar eclipse have been underway.

The sixth mass extinction currently underway is due to a combination of climate change and destruction of natural habitats. Both crises are the result of our energy, industrial, and food production systems that have upended Nature. Biologist Michael Reed explains how the vitality of our planet depends on the health of ecosystems. Using migratory birds as an example, he describes the interdependence of different forms of life --- birds, animals, fish, insects, plants --and terrain. Dr. Reed also suggests why some species are better able to adapt to the climate and extinction crises than others. Worldwide action is urgently needed.

There is much interest today in the purpose of play. For humans, it is widely considered important for development, but for animals the role of play is less certain. In this fascinating description of the imaginative and varied play habits of many species of animals, David Toomey considers the purpose of this behavior, and he explains the major views on the subject.

"I saw it not only as a way to help me, but a way to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive,” said Richard Slayman.

Smithsonian Astrophysicist and Harvard Lecturer Matthew Holman discusses the search for undiscovered planets at the edge of the solar system.

Cement is the second most-consumed resource in the world—second only to water.

TRACTS, or the Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders, aims to develop effective treatments for veterans suffering from co-occurring disorders.