Bethany Brookshire

Bethany Brookshire was a longtime staff writer at Science News Explores and is the author of the book Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains. She has a B.S. in biology and a B.A. in philosophy from The College of William and Mary, and a Ph.D. in physiology and pharmacology from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She was a 2019-2020 Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT, the winner of the Society for Neuroscience Next Generation Award and the Three Quarks Daily Science Writing Award, among others.

All Stories by Bethany Brookshire

  1. Health & Medicine

    Here’s why Rapunzel’s hair makes a great rope ladder

    The fairy tale ‘Rapunzel’ features a princess with a lifesaving head of hair. Could someone really use their hair as a ladder? Sort of.

  2. Chemistry

    Big rock candy science

    Instructions for making your own rock candy say to dip your stick or string in sugar before putting it in your sugar solution. Does that matter?

  3. Climate

    Scientists Say: Waterspout

    A whirlwind over land is just a whirlwind. But over water, a whirlwind becomes a waterspout.

  4. Chemistry

    Shell shocked: Emerging impacts of our acidifying seas

    As Earth’s climate changes, the oceans are becoming more acidic. Here’s how oysters and reefs are responding to their acidifying bath.

  5. Animals

    Ocean acidification may ground swimming skates

    Fish might seem immune to acidic waters, but check their skeletons. They can be vulnerable and eventually alter how fish behave.

  6. Scientists Say: Gyroscope

    Gyroscopes are devices that measure the three-dimensional orientation of an object. They can be found in objects as varied as smartphones and space telescopes.

  7. Health & Medicine

    For coughing up phlegm, water is key

    Patients with diseases like cystic fibrosis get lungs filled with sticky mucus. Adding water could be the key to getting that phlegm out.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Explainer: The benefits of phlegm, mucus and snot

    There are many types of mucus in the body. They might seem gross, but these gloppy goos are the first line of defense against infection.

  9. Health & Medicine

    Friendly adults help teens stand up against bullies

    In the movies, kid heroes often intervene to stop bullies. What makes that happen in reality? A good family life and trustworthy teachers can help.

  10. Scientists Say: Petrichor

    There is no smell quite like that of fresh soil after a rainstorm. That smell has a name — petrichor — and scientists even know how it’s made.

  11. Ecosystems

    Scientists Say: Niche

    An organism’s niche is the role it fills in the community it lives in.

  12. Health & Medicine

    These researchers swallowed Legos for science

    Parents rush to the hospital every day after their kids swallow toys. To calm their fears, six brave doctors swallowed Legos for science.