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. Planets

    Moon twinkles

    Flashes of light on the moon’s surface come from cooling, superhot liquid.

  2. Microbes

    Killing a bacterial killer

    A common, cheap element offers hope against deadly bacterial infections.

  3. Animals

    No frostbite for dogs

    Blood vessels in dog paws keep their temperature just right.

  4. Brain

    Lip-reading babies

    Before they start talking, babbling babies ‘read’ mouths.

  5. Space

    Mapping the invisible

    Astronomers don’t know what dark matter is, but they have mapped where it’s hiding.

  6. Animals

    Fish eyes go green

    Scientists find a surprise in the lens of a fish that lives in the dark.

  7. Environment

    Climate coolers

    Reducing methane, soot in the atmosphere could curb climate change.

  8. Brain

    The brain behind the game

    Top athletes watch and learn from their teams, coaches and opponents.

  9. Animals

    Eyes from ions

    Scientists use charged molecules to grow eyes in tadpole guts.

  10. Computing

    Electronic skin

    Tiny, nearly invisible devices stick to skin, ‘talk’ to computers.

  11. Chemistry

    Self-cleaning clothes

    A few hours of sunshine cleans specially treated cotton fabrics.

  12. Earth

    Water, water, not everywhere

    Satellites show a drop in Earth’s groundwater levels.