Carolyn Wilke

Contributing Editor, Science News Explores

Carolyn Wilke earned her Ph.D. in environmental engineering at Northwestern University, where her research drew on the fields of environmental chemistry, materials science and toxicology. She got her start in science writing by blogging for HELIX, Northwestern’s science magazine and wrote as a AAAS Mass Media Fellow at The Sacramento Bee. Now a freelance science writer. Carolyn worked as a staff writer at Science News Explores and interned at Science News and The Scientist. When not delving into a new scientific discovery, you might find Carolyn behind her sewing machine or trying to amuse her cat. 

All Stories by Carolyn Wilke

  1. Animals

    Scientists Say: Papillae

    These small nubs stick out from a body part. They include things such as tongue bumps with taste buds and the structures under the skin that help grow hair.

  2. Animals

    Piranhas and plant-eating kin replace half their teeth at once

    Piranhas and pacus shed and replace half of their teeth at a time. New teeth lock together as they push up from the jaw.

  3. Life

    A new spin on lab-grown meat

    A technique inspired by how cotton candy is spun could help produce lab-grown meat at a lower cost and on a bigger scale.

  4. Scientists Say: Octopod

    These marine animals have soft bodies and eight sucker-lined arms. Some are known for their smarts or ability to quickly change colors.

  5. Physics

    Scientists Say: Power

    This word describes the rate at which energy is delivered or used to do work, along with related ideas, such as ways of making electricity.

  6. Physics

    Frozen’s ice queen commands ice and snow — maybe we can too

    In the Frozen movies, Elsa magically manipulates snow and ice. But scientists, too, make snowflakes. If they reinforce it, architects can build with ice and snow.

  7. Animals

    Congolese toads may avoid predators by copycatting deadly vipers

    If Congolese giant toads are mimicking venomous Gaboon vipers, this would be the first reported case of a frog imitating a snake.

  8. Animals

    Scientists Say: Species

    This word describes organisms grouped by their similarities in genetics and physical traits. But defining species can be tricky.

  9. Animals

    Newly discovered eel sets a jolting record for animal voltage

    Scientists have found two new electric eel species. One now holds the animal kingdom’s record for highest delivered voltage.

  10. Space

    A black hole slashed a star apart — and was caught in the act

    Scientists have gotten their earliest look yet at a black hole ripping up a star.

  11. Space

    Scientists Say: Black hole

    This is an object in space with such a strong gravitational pull that nothing, not even light, can escape

  12. Scientists Say: Hypothesis

    A hypothesis is an idea that scientists propose, then study and explore, to explain phenomena in the natural world.