Emily Conover
Physics, Senior Writer, Science News
Physics writer Emily Conover loves physics for its ability to reveal the secret rules about how stuff works, from tiny atoms to the vast cosmos. Before becoming a science journalist, she studied physics at the University of Chicago. There, she investigated the weird ways of tiny particles called neutrinos. She has previously written for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Science Magazine and the American Physical Society. She is a two-time winner of the D.C. Science Writers’ Association Newsbrief award.
All Stories by Emily Conover
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Tech
A robot made with a Venus flytrap can grab fragile objects
Scientists have “borrowed” the hair-trigger leaves of Venus flytraps to make a gentle grabber that can be controlled by a cellphone app.
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Physics
2020 Physics Nobel goes for delving into black holes
Although Einstein’s general theory of relative suggested black holes might exist, this year’s winner’s helped show they actually are out there.
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Physics
The exotic ‘atom’ positronium surprises scientists
New measurements of a weird but simple atom, one without a nucleus, suggest it may have unexpected properties. Scientists find this troubling.
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Physics
Could ripples in spacetime point to wormholes?
A new calculation reveals that strange gravitational waves detected by LIGO and Virgo could see if a black hole were falling into a hypothetical tunnel in spacetime.
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Physics
Flying snakes wriggle their way through the air
Flying snakes go tens of meters (yards) without wings. They do it by undulating back and forth and up and down, a new study shows.
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Space
Spotted: Milky Way’s giant gas bubbles in visible light
The bubbles have different colors, based on how the gas inside them moves. That could give clues to how the bubbles developed.
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Physics
Physicists foil classic oobleck science trick
Cornstarch and water — best known as oobleck — solidifies upon impact. Researchers used a new technique to make it stay liquid.
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Physics
Soap bubbles’ ‘pop’ reveals the physics of the bursts
A bubble’s pop is a quiet, high-pitched noise. This can reveal the forces that occur during the bubble’s demise.
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Physics
There’s science to making great fried rice
Scientists report finding the physics that seems to explain how chefs can quickly fry rice over a hot flame without burning the food.
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Animals
Drones might one day capture a dolphin’s breath in midair
High-speed footage of dolphin spray reveals that droplets blast upward at speeds close to 100 kilometers per hour.
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Math
Color-changing fibers help unravel a knotty problem
Experiments with colorful fibers helped scientists discover a few simple rules on why the strength of various types of knots differs.
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Materials Science
Here’s how to hide some objects from heat-sensing cameras
A special coating that conceals temperature information from heat-detecting cameras might someday be used as a privacy shield.