All Stories by Katie Grace Carpenter
- Life
Scientists Say: Mycelium
These fibrous networks are the reason plants think fungi are such "fun guys.”
- Tech
This electronic bandage sterilizes wounds with flashes of light
Dentists have sterilized medical equipment with ultraviolet-C light for years. Applying this tech to bandages had proven a challenge — until now.
- Psychology
Scientists Say: Neurodivergent
This often-misunderstood word describes someone whose brain works a little differently from most.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Valence electrons
These far-out electrons do the hard work when it comes to chemical reactions.
- Ecosystems
Scientists Say: Predator and Prey
Ecological relationships between predators and their prey drive the evolution of plants, animals and microbes.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Coral
Over 4,000 species of fish make their home among the reefs created by these colony-dwelling marine animals.
- Math
Scientists Say: Ellipse
Ellipse describes the shapes of planetary orbits around their stars and explains the wacky acoustic phenomenon of “whispering chambers.”
- Brain
Scientists Say: Addiction
Recovering from addiction is hard but possible. Encouragement of loved ones can improve a person’s chances of overcoming this disease.
- Tech
Nanocrystal ‘painted’ films may someday help relieve summer heat
The rainbow palette and cooling powers of new plant-based films comes from their microscopic surface patterns of tiny crystals.
- Ecosystems
Scientists Say: Food web
All the species in an ecosystem and the feeding relationships between them get summed up with this handy picture.
- Microbes
Scientists Say: Virus
A virus must take over a living cell's machinery to make more viruses.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: PFAS
Non-stick coatings, stain-resistant cloth and other common materials leach long-lived PFAS into soil and water.
