Air pollution and upward mobility

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

In this episode, Luca Merlo and Francesca Dominici explore whether childhood exposure to air pollution can impact economic upward mobility as an adult.

In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[01:01] Statistician Luca Merlo talks about the background of the study. •[02:15] Merlo describes measurement of upward mobility in the study. •[03:36] Statistician Francesca Dominici explains the results. •[04:15] Dominici explores the variation in results across US counties. •[07:08] Merlo talks about the caveats and limitations of the study. •[08:14] Dominici lists the implications for policymakers. •[10:20] Conclusion.

About Our Guests: Luca Merlo Researcher European University of Rome

Francesca Dominici Professor Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2401882121

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Air pollution and economic mobility