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. Physics

    Staying grounded in space requires artificial gravity

    On TV, people in space walk around like they’re on Earth. How can science give real astronauts artificial gravity? Spin right round, baby.

  2. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: Alkaline

    Alkaline chemicals are basic — substances that produce hydroxide ions in solution.

  3. Chemistry

    Level up your demonstration: Make it an experiment

    What’s the difference between a demonstration and an experiment? Questions, measurements and many, many replications.

  4. Math

    Scientists Say: Pi

    Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. But some mathematicians say life would be easier if we used a different ratio instead.

  5. Health & Medicine

    Let’s learn about exercise

    Our bodies — from our muscles to our brains — love a good workout. Scientists are always learning new things about exercise.

  6. Fossils

    Scientists Say: Dinosaur

    Dinosaurs emerged between 243 and 233 million years ago. While some died out 66 million years ago, others are still with us — birds.

  7. Physics

    Getting cozy with a science experiment

    Items you use in your home can inspire a scientific experiment.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Scientists Say: Placebo

    In clinical trials, scientists often test a drug or procedure against a placebo — a treatment that has no effect — to find out how well their new treatment works.

  9. Animals

    Science and Indigenous history team up to help spirit bears

    When scientists and Indigenous people work together, their efforts can benefit bears and people.

  10. Animals

    Explainer: Black bear or brown bear?

    If you see a bear, check size, shape and more to find out what type it is.

  11. Animals

    Changing people’s behavior can make bear life better

    Black bears don’t always live life on the wild side. More and more, they live near people. Here’s how people and bears can get along.

  12. Genetics

    Let’s learn about DNA

    DNA is made of two chemical chains twisted around each other. It stores information that allows cells to grow and function.