Alison Pearce Stevens

Freelance Writer

Alison Pearce Stevens is a former duck wrangler, beekeeper and forever science geek who specializes in writing about science and nature for kids. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, their kids and a small menagerie of cuddly (and not-so cuddly) critters. She writes for Science News Explores, Highlights for Children, ASK (Arts and Sciences for Kids) magazine and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She is the author of several award-winning books, including Rhinos in Nebraska, Animal Climate Heroes and Detective Dogs.

All Stories by Alison Pearce Stevens

  1. Psychology

    Spending time in green spaces can provide big health benefits

    Walking through a park or playing in a yard can make you feel better, both mentally and physically. Here’s how — and evidence it works for people at any age.

  2. Environment

    Making yards more diverse can reap big environmental benefits

    Replacing grass with native plants uses less water and fewer chemicals while providing additional benefits to people and wildlife.

  3. Brain

    Ingredients in popular snack foods can make them addictive

    Researchers find that highly processed foods rich in sugar and added fat may be as addictive as tobacco.

  4. Environment

    Protecting forests may help head off future pandemics

    Hungry bats are more likely to shed harmful viruses to people or livestock when they spread out to hunt food. Conserving forests may limit this risk.

  5. Animals

    Bumblebees go out of their way to play

    Young bumblebees roll wooden balls and go out of their way to do so. This suggests they play like other animals do.

  6. Humans

    When it comes to dance, it’s all about the bass

    During a concert, people danced more when they were bathed in sounds that were too low for their ears to hear.

  7. Microbes

    Mouth-crawling superbugs cause severe cavities in kids

    In kids with severe tooth decay, fungi and bacteria team up to create superorganisms that can crawl across teeth.

  8. Archaeology

    Neandertals were a lot like our human ancestors

    From toolmaking to healthcare, new research finds that Neandertals shared many cultural and social similarities with our human ancestors.

  9. Brain

    Playing video games may improve your memory and attention

    The biggest research study of its kind finds that video gamers perform better on some mental tasks than nongamers do.

  10. Chemistry

    Forensic scientists are gaining an edge on crime

    Advances in forensic science are helping to recover invisible fingerprints and identify missing people from bits of tissue or bone.

  11. Psychology

    Persuasion can be used to change hearts and minds

    Persuasion can be used for good — or ill — to change how people feel. To protect yourself against undue persuasion, pay attention.

  12. Science & Society

    Good at reading? That’s no sign girls won’t also cut it in STEM

    U.S. parents read to their daughters, but few coach them on math. This may explain why girls excel at English but aren’t sure STEM is for them.