Science writing news

Horizontal photo of a shelf of books used by Diana P. Parsell for research on forthcoming book, "Eliza Scidmore: The Trailblazing Woman Behind Washington's Cherry Trees" Photo by Diana Parsell

Diana Parsell—Eliza Scidmore: The Trailblazing Journalist Behind Washington's Cherry Trees

From the 1890s to the 1920s, reporter/photographer Eliza Scidmore covered Alaska’s Klondike gold rush, Japan’s emergence as a modern world power, and other world events for National Geographic and other publications. She also orchestrated Japan’s 1912 gift of 3000 cherry trees to Washington, DC, Diana Parsell recounts in Eliza Scidmore: The Trailblazing Journalist Behind Washington's Cherry Trees.

Horizontal photo of a bookshelf with four compartments visible, each filled with books

Dennis Meredith—The Climate Pandemic: How Climate Disruption Threatens Human Survival

Climate disruption occurs almost too slowly to fear, Dennis Meredith asserts in The Climate Pandemic: How Climate Disruption Threatens Human Survival. The innate human “optimism bias” thwarts efforts to halt rising global temperatures, acidifying oceans, disappearing forests, and increasing wildfires. With 1700 references, “this book is not a wake-up call,” he insists. “It may well be taps.”

Horizontal photo of a bookshelf with various book spines visible, many with library catalog stickers, and a few authored by Oliver Sacks. Photo by Marc Dingman

Marc Dingman—Bizarre: The Most Peculiar Cases of Human Behavior and What They Tell Us about How the Brain Works

What could prompt a person to act like a cat, view family members as imposters, eat cigarette ashes, or hear sounds others don’t notice? What allows others to memorize dozens of books or rapidly calculate math problems? Neuroscientist and science writer Marc Dingman explores such queries in Bizarre: The Most Peculiar Cases of Human Behavior and What They Tell Us about How the Brain Works.

Horizontal photo of a bookshelf with the tops of books visible, along with books stacked atop. The titles all relate to scientific illustration.

Jen Christiansen—Building Science Graphics: An Illustrated Guide to Communicating Science through Diagrams and Visualizations

Would charts and other visuals enhance your articles, press releases, blog, social media posts, book, and talks? Learn DIY tactics from Jen Christiansen’s book, Building Science Graphics: An Illustrated Guide to Communicating Science through Diagrams and Visualizations. Christiansen includes worksheets and case studies to help journalists, editors, students, and teachers improve their messaging.

Rectangular photo of a closeup of books on a shelf, spanning titles on science, California, and microbiology. Photo by Liz Lee Heinecke

Liz Lee Heinecke—Sheet Pan Science: 25 Fun, Simple Science Experiments for the Kitchen Table

Turning a sheet pan into a science lab involves no alchemy, only the wizardry of kitchen pantry scientist Liz Lee Heinecke. In Sheet Pan Science, Heinecke provides photo-illustrated guides to 25 fun home experiments. Using baking powder, cornstarch & other kitchen staples, readers aged 7 to 10 will learn the science behind pyramid & cube-shaped bubbles, tie-dye milk, kaleidoscopic eggs, & more.

Horizontal photo of a bookshelf of Bethany Brookshire, with book titles stacked vertically and horizontally.

Bethany Brookshire—PESTS: How Humans Create Animal Villains

When we see coyotes in the street, rats in our trash can, or squirrels in the attic, we feel helpless, Bethany Brookshire writes in Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains. We want them to go away. It would be better, she suggests, to emulate Indigenous cultures and learn to coexist with—and not feed—wildlife in our midst, protecting our homes and ourselves with safe methods of biocontrol.

Rectangular photo of a close up view of books on a bookshelf, with spines facing out and many titles related to atomic science and history.

Vincent Kiernan—Atomic Bill: A Journalist’s Dangerous Ambition in the Shadow of the Bomb

William Laurence, New York Times science writer and, from 1956-’64, NYT science editor, received two Pulitzer Prizes. In 1934, he helped launch NASW. He also took money from sources to skew stories, Vincent Kiernan asserts in Atomic Bill: A Journalist’s Dangerous Ambition in the Shadow of the Bomb. Laurence focused on serving himself, Kiernan maintains, not the NYT or his readers.

Photo was taken at the home of Ryan Prior. It shows his bookshelf of works that informed and inspired him as as he wrote "The Long Haul"

Ryan Prior—The Long Haul: Solving The Puzzle of the Pandemic’s Long Haulers and How They Are Changing Healthcare Forever

Lingering, often disabling Covid symptoms have spurred attention to aftereffects of Chronic Lyme, ME/CFS, & other persistent diseases, Ryan Prior notes in The Long Haul: Solving The Puzzle of the Pandemic’s Long Haulers and How They Are Changing Healthcare Forever. “Studying why some people get sick and stay sick,” he says, “could be one of the greatest scientific opportunities of our lifetime.”

Photo of bookshelf in Bryn Nelson's office showing some of the reference books for his book, Flush.

Bryn Nelson—Flush: The Remarkable Science of an Unlikely Treasure

The study of human feces can aid disease detection in individuals and communities, help solve crimes, and inform archeological study, Bryn Nelson reports in Flush: The Remarkable Science of an Unlikely Treasure. Fecal transplants increasingly are used to treat digestive disorders. Poop even is a source of green energy. Nelson calls poop “the world’s most squandered and misplaced natural asset.”