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. Teen prints a device to help keep wounds dry

    A Broadcom MASTERS finalist invented a sensor that goes off when a wound is too wet. This would alert a patient it’s time to change their bandage.

  2. Environment

    Ocean of the future may make shrimp small and colorful

    Carbon dioxide released into the air can end up in the ocean, making it more acidic. A teen showed that this acidification could shrink shrimp and make them more colorful.

  3. Planets

    Scientists Say: Proxima b

    A new planet outside our solar system is only 4.2 light years away.

  4. Teen studies better cleaning through chemistry

    Why do we use hot water and soap to get things clean? To find out, a teen invented a way to measure surface tension.

  5. Health & Medicine

    4 reasons why many people don’t vote

    The United States has a terrible voter turnout. Scientists have turned up some data to explain why that is.

  6. Health & Medicine

    4 research-backed ways to get people to vote

    Millions of Americans who are eligible to vote won’t bother to go to the polls. Scientists, though, are finding ways to get more of these people into the voting booth.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Scientists Say: Saturated fat

    Saturated fats are found in meat and dairy products. Their long, straight chemical chains make them solid in your fridge and on your plate.

  8. Teen gets fired up about Christmas tree safety

    A deadly Christmas tree fire inspired one teen to study how a tree’s moisture level affects how easily it will ignite and burn.

  9. Science & Society

    Broadcom MASTERS awards honor science, invention and teamwork

    Each year, 30 middle school science fair winners work together to show off their science knowledge and innovation skills.

  10. Environment

    Fattening maggots to create a designer food

    Davia Allen wants to reduce food waste by feeding it to fly larvae — which can then serve as food for poultry, fish and people.

  11. When science blew up in my face, I learned…

    Everyone working on a science project sometimes fails. Listen to these Broadcom MASTERS finalists share what their failures taught them.

  12. Space

    Scientists Say: Proxima Centauri

    The nearest star to our sun is only 4.2 light-years away.