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

    Dino-bite!

    Study suggests dinosaur's teeth packed poison.

  2. Environment

    Watching out for vultures

    Farmers giving medicine to cows are accidentally poisoning vultures, again.

  3. Physics

    Small but WISE

    A new telescope will scan the entire sky and see (infra)red.

  4. Health & Medicine

    Drugs and zzzzzz’s

    People who take the drug ecstasy are more likely to suffer from a sleeping disorder.

  5. Physics

    Scientists explain mystery of triangular snowflakes

    A snowflake's fall helps determine its shape.

  6. Health & Medicine

    The (kids’) eyes have it

    A visual trick opens a window on brain development.

  7. Environment

    Deck the halls with DCA

    A plastic ornament was caught giving off poisonous vapors.

  8. Plants

    Flower family knows its roots

    Impatiens wildflowers seem to know who's sharing their soil.

  9. Space

    Moon crash, splash

    NASA scientists smash a rocket into the moon and discover water vapor and ice in a lunar crater.

  10. Health & Medicine

    New twists for phantom limbs

    An experiment explores the connections between brain and body.

  11. Fossils

    The paleontologist and the three dinosaurs

    Skulls thought to be from three different dinosaurs may actually be from the same dino type at three different ages.

  12. Planets

    One ring around them all

    Introducing the solar system's largest known ring around a planet.