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. Planets

    Scientists Say: Exoplanet

    Eight planets orbit our sun. We give a slightly different name to the millions of similar bodies orbiting other stars.

  2. Climate

    Scientists Say: Hurricane or typhoon?

    Sometimes you read about hurricanes, and sometimes about typhoons. The difference? Location, location, location.

  3. Cookie Science 17: Posters — the good and the bad

    Scientists often initially report results of their experiments in a poster. It may seem easy, but here are some common mistakes to avoid.

  4. Planets

    Scientists Say: Satellite

    When we think of satellites, we often think of objects we send into space from Earth. But most satellites are actually all natural.

  5. The accidental experiment at your bird feeder

    Bird feeders might seem harmless, if not good for the environment. But the birds native to your area might view things differently, new data show.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Scientists Say: Zoonosis

    Sometimes diseases in people come from animals. These diseases have a special name.

  7. Chemistry

    Taking chicken off the grill and into the lab

    Grilling meat can produce carcinogens. A teen studied how to grill chicken to produce the fewest of these cancer-causing chemicals.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Scientists Say: Carcinogen

    We have all heard that some things — such as ultraviolent rays from the sun or dangerous chemicals — can cause cancer. These agents have a special name.

  9. This “sun” dress mixes fashion and science

    Allison Clausius, 18, combined her love for fashion and science in a dress that incorporates solar panels to charge portable electronics.

  10. Science & Society

    Scientists Say: Forensics

    When there’s blood, bones and fingerprints on a crime scene, it’s time to bring in the scientists. Their research is called forensics.

  11. Physics

    Scientists Say: Photovoltaic

    This effect allows us to convert sunlight into electricity and is a popular renewable energy source.

  12. Environment

    Scientists Say: Eutrophication

    When a body of water is filled with nutrients, algae and plants may take advantage. And their presence isn’t always a good thing.