Stephen Ornes

Freelance Writer

Stephen Ornes has been writing for Science News Explores since 2008, and his 2014 story "Where Will Lightning Strike?" won an AAAS/Kavli Gold Award. He lives in Nashville, Tenn., and he has three children, who are inventing their own language. His family has a cat, six chickens, and two rabbits, but he secretly thinks hagfish are the most fascinating animals. Stephen has written two books. One is a biography of mathematician Sophie Germain, who was born during the French Revolution. The other, which was published in 2019, features art inspired by math. Visit him online at stephenornes.com.

All Stories by Stephen Ornes

  1. Fossils

    Four-winged dinosaur

    Hind wings helped a small dino make tight turns in midair.

  2. Earth

    Groundwater removal linked to quake

    Pumping water from the ground in southeastern Spain may have triggered a deadly 2011 earthquake there.

  3. Planets

    New planetary neighbor

    Nearest star system has a world that's Earthly in size, but too hot for human visitors.

  4. Physics

    Helium: Not so super after all

    An exciting discovery in physics turns out to be merely a case of mistaken identity.

  5. Health & Medicine

    Magnets that kill cancer cells

    Researchers devise a way to use magnets to make cells self-destruct.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Of fish and brain health

    Moms-to-be who eat a diet rich in the right fish may pass along benefits to their children

  7. Microbes

    A slime with memory

    Even without a brain, this slime mold knows where it’s been.

  8. Health & Medicine

    The 2012 Nobel Prizes

    Annual awards go to research on cells, atoms and light.

  9. Planets

    Curiosity’s watery find

    Mars rover finds rocks that show where water once flowed.

  10. Earth

    Earth’s big breakup

    Powerful motions beneath the Indian Ocean unleashed a series of earthquakes near Sumatra.

  11. Tech

    Color-changing robot

    Tiny tunnels within the “skin” of a robot allow it to blend in with or stand out from its surroundings.

  12. Microbes

    Bacteria learn new trick

    Scientists show evolution in action in decades-long E. coli study.