Clips
I’m a science writer. Here are some stories I’ve written:
News:
Right Whale Roadkill
ScienceNOW, August 2011
Right whales are said to have been the “right whale” for whalers to hunt because they’re slow movers and they’re close to the coast. Unfortunately, they’ve turned out to be right for something else too: getting hit by ships.
Caterpillars Talk With Their Butts
ScienceNOW, April 2010
If only world leaders would give this technique a shot. Certain caterpillars of the hook-tip moth family settle their territorial disputes by dragging their butts in a threatening matter.
Features:
The Origins of Life
Smithsonian, October 2010
Mineralogist Bob Hazen believes he’s discovered how life’s early building blocks could have connected four billion years ago.
Changing Oceans: Viewing Coral Reefs Through a Cultural Lens
Science Careers, June 2010
Josh Cinner is a human geographer who studies coral reefs and the people who depend on them. “You don’t manage fish. Fish swim and they do their own thing. You manage people. Managing ecosystems is really about managing people and understanding what motivates them and their behaviors.”
Invasion of the Snakeheads
Smithsonian, February 2005
The voracious “Frankenfish” has turned up in the Potomac River, Lake Michigan and a California lake, sparking fears of an ecological Armageddon. But is the Asian import a monster or the victim of monster hype?
Big Projects:
Polar Discovery Expedition 5: Bering Sea Ecosystem
April-May 2009
I spent six weeks on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy in the Bering Sea. Every day photographer Chris Linder and I posted a set of pictures and a story. I wrote about some of the many science projects going on aboard the ship – and also about topics like how you feed 122 people for six weeks without a port call.
Giant Squid Quiz
Science Channel website, January 2009
This is one of a year-long series of quizzes I wrote for Discovery.com. Giant squid are so secretive that a live one had never been photographed until a few years ago. Test your knowledge!
Possibly the Funniest Thing I Ever Wrote:
Live Fast, Die Young
Washington Post Express, April 2004
The biggest, baddest brood of cicadas is ready. But are you? This link goes to a pdf of the whole issue; scroll to page 13. That’s a lot of trouble, I know. Sorry. It’s really funny.
If You’re Seriously Obsessed:
See links to all my stories. (Well, all the stories that have appeared since I launched this website in March 2009.)