PBS News Hour - Science

From takeout containers to water bottles, plastic seems unavoidable in our daily lives. Now, two new studies have found that we're eating and drinking more plastic than we might have realized. George Leonard, a co-author of one of the studies and chief scientist at Ocean Conservancy, joins John Yang to discuss the findings. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Sunday, Secretary of State Blinken continued his urgent mission to the Middle East as the Israel-Hamas war enters its fourth month, Defense Secretary Austin took responsibility for delays in disclosing his hospitalization, major winter storms dropped snow in the Northeast and the West, and a rocket launch Monday aims to land the first U.S. craft on the moon in more than 50 years. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

When President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law 50 years ago, one of the first on the endangered list was the black-footed ferret, North America's rarest animal. Once thought to be extinct, they are making their way back thanks to the work of dedicated conservationists. John Yang reports on some of that work for our ongoing series, "Saving Species." PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

When arctic ground squirrels hibernate for the winter, they can lower their body temperatures to freezing levels and stay dormant for up to eight months. Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks are studying how these animals survive on the edge of life and the clues they may hold to treating injuries and disease in humans. Alaska Public Media's Kavitha George reports. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Saturday, Vice President Harris pledged $3 billion at COP28 to a global fund to help poorer nations adapt to climate change, a protestor is in critical condition after setting themself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, and record amounts of snow has dropped on much of Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

At COP28 on Saturday, 50 oil and gas companies -- including industry giants ExxonMobil, Shell and BP -- pledged to reduce methane emissions to "near zero" by 2030. At the same time, the Biden administration announced new rules to enforce major elements of the agreement in the U.S. Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, joins John Yang to discuss the importance of this deal. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In our news wrap Saturday, a pair of explosions destroyed the booster rocket and spacecraft of SpaceX's biggest rocket during a test launch in Texas, and Comcast joined the list of advertisers stepping away from Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, over concerns about antisemetic content. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The Mississippi River is a superhighway for American agricultural products, but a warm fall and extreme drought conditions have contributed to its water levels dropping to record lows. Special correspondent Megan Thompson reports from Missouri on what conditions along this vital commercial route mean for farmers who rely on it to get their crops to market. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

For Native American Heritage Month, as part of our "Hidden Histories" series, we bring you the story of John Herrington, a decorated naval officer and trailblazing astronaut. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

This week's Nobel Prize announcements are highlighting groundbreaking work once again in the sciences and medicine. William Brangham has a conversation with one of the year's winners in medicine, whose work led to a profound change in tackling the pandemic. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders