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. Science & Society

    Scientists Say: Social

    Social is a single word used in many ways. But whether it’s social media or social order, social describes how we interact.

  2. Genetics

    Scientists Say: Loci

    The DNA in our bodies contains thousands of genes, all with different functions. We use a special word for their location.

  3. Some everyday objects change everything

    Refrigerators, deodorants, toasters and clothing. Often we give little thought to think these commonplace objects. A new museum exhibit shows why we should.

  4. Genetics

    Scientists Say: Allele

    What makes your eyes green or brown? Different versions of the same gene. We call these alternative forms by a separate name.

  5. Climate

    Scientists Say: Cyclone

    These strong storms have different names in different oceans. But all are cyclones.

  6. Cookie Science 18: Eating it up

    My cookie baking is at an end, but the steps in Cookie Science can be used to help you conduct any experiment in the kitchen and beyond.

  7. Fall into science with a new podcast

    There are science shows and science books and science games for kids. Now there’s also an engaging science podcast.

  8. Planets

    Scientists Say: Exoplanet

    Eight planets orbit our sun. We give a slightly different name to the millions of similar bodies orbiting other stars.

  9. Climate

    Scientists Say: Hurricane or typhoon?

    Sometimes you read about hurricanes, and sometimes about typhoons. The difference? Location, location, location.

  10. Cookie Science 17: Posters — the good and the bad

    Scientists often initially report results of their experiments in a poster. It may seem easy, but here are some common mistakes to avoid.

  11. Planets

    Scientists Say: Satellite

    When we think of satellites, we often think of objects we send into space from Earth. But most satellites are actually all natural.

  12. The accidental experiment at your bird feeder

    Bird feeders might seem harmless, if not good for the environment. But the birds native to your area might view things differently, new data show.