Bethany Brookshire

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. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: Molecule

    A molecule is a group of atoms linked with chemical bonds. It’s the smallest particle of a substance that has all of its chemical properties.

  2. Physics

    Let’s learn about gravity

    Gravity is an attraction between objects with mass. The more massive the object, the more gravity it’s got.

  3. Scientists Say: Respiration

    Breathe in and out, that’s respiration. Have a cell break down sugars for energy, and that’s respiration too.

  4. Brain

    Loneliness makes our brains crave people

    An area of the brain that lights up when hungry people see food also revs up when lonely people see social activities.

  5. Brain

    A taste map in the brain is a scattering of tiny flavor islands

    Some senses are highly organized in the brain. Taste is not. And that points to just how important it is.

  6. Math

    Scientists Say: Algebra

    Algebra is a type of mathematics that studies symbols and how they can be shifted around.

  7. Tech

    Tracking Santa with science

    Santa may be magical. But the North American Aerospace Defense Command (or NORAD) uses science to track his journey.

  8. Animals

    Scientists Say: Lachryphagy

    Some insects land on the eyeballs of larger animals. They are seeking out the salt and proteins in the animal’s tears.

  9. Animals

    Let’s learn about sharks

    This ancient group of fish can use scent and even electricity to detect their prey. And they fill an important niche in the ocean.

  10. Animals

    Scientists Say: Medullary bone

    Medullary bone is a layer that forms inside bird and dinosaur bones. It’s a source of the calcium in eggshells.

  11. Agriculture

    How to grow your own science experiment

    Does fertilizer help plants grow better? You might expect it to, but how can you know? This experiment will help you test it yourself.

  12. Psychology

    Suffering from racist acts can prompt Black teens to constructive action

    Stress from experiencing racist acts can lead Black teens to recognize and confront racism and fight for social justice.