Bethany Brookshire

Bethany Brookshire was a longtime staff writer at Science News Explores and is the author of the book Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains. She has a B.S. in biology and a B.A. in philosophy from The College of William and Mary, and a Ph.D. in physiology and pharmacology from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She was a 2019-2020 Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT, the winner of the Society for Neuroscience Next Generation Award and the Three Quarks Daily Science Writing Award, among others.

All Stories by Bethany Brookshire

  1. Earth

    Why we should stop ignoring the life stories of minerals

    All pure diamonds are the same mineral. But they didn’t form the same way. One scientist thinks it’s time to talk about the life stories of such rocks.

  2. Animals

    Scientists Say: Okapi

    Okapis are African mammals that look a bit like horses and a bit like zebras. But they’re most closely related to giraffes.

  3. What is trendy in today’s science fair projects?

    Over the past 10 years, behavioral and social sciences have dominated submissions to the Regeneron Science Talent Search.

  4. Space

    Exoplanet hunting, HIV-fighting and math garner big prizes for teens

    Winners of the 2019 Regeneron Science Talent search hunted exoplanets in new ways, tracked how HIV likes to hide and tackled some candy jar math.

  5. Climate

    These teens have some ideas for stopping climate change

    If you could do one thing to stop climate change, what would it be? We asked some of the finalists at the 2019 Regeneron Science Talent Search.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Here’s why Rapunzel’s hair makes a great rope ladder

    The fairy tale ‘Rapunzel’ features a princess with a lifesaving head of hair. Could someone really use their hair as a ladder? Sort of.

  7. Chemistry

    Big rock candy science

    Instructions for making your own rock candy say to dip your stick or string in sugar before putting it in your sugar solution. Does that matter?

  8. Climate

    Scientists Say: Waterspout

    A whirlwind over land is just a whirlwind. But over water, a whirlwind becomes a waterspout.

  9. Chemistry

    Shell shocked: Emerging impacts of our acidifying seas

    As Earth’s climate changes, the oceans are becoming more acidic. Here’s how oysters and reefs are responding to their acidifying bath.

  10. Animals

    Ocean acidification may ground swimming skates

    Fish might seem immune to acidic waters, but check their skeletons. They can be vulnerable and eventually alter how fish behave.

  11. Scientists Say: Gyroscope

    Gyroscopes are devices that measure the three-dimensional orientation of an object. They can be found in objects as varied as smartphones and space telescopes.

  12. Health & Medicine

    For coughing up phlegm, water is key

    Patients with diseases like cystic fibrosis get lungs filled with sticky mucus. Adding water could be the key to getting that phlegm out.