Katie Grace Carpenter

Katie Grace Carpenter is a science writer and curriculum developer, with degrees in biology and biogeochemistry. She also writes science fiction and creates science videos. Katie lives in the U.S. but also spends time in Sweden with her husband, who’s a chef.

All Stories by Katie Grace Carpenter

  1. Chemistry

    Explainer: What is a hydrogel?

    These unusual materials have a host of unusual properties. You can even make a starch-infused version in your kitchen.

  2. Animals

    Sea creatures’ fishy scent protects them from deep-sea high pressures  

    TMAO’s water-wrangling ability protects a critter’s critical proteins — including muscle — from crushing under deep ocean pressures.

  3. Tech

    No trees were harmed to 3-D print this piece of wood

    How clever! Scientists used print-speed adjustments to control how flat, 3-D printed shapes morph into complex wooden objects.

  4. Plants

    No sun? No prob! A new process might soon grow plants in the dark

    Teamwork makes green-work! Collaborating scientists came up with an electrifying farming trick that could make sunlight optional.

  5. Tech

    Patches and robotic pills may one day replace injections

    Instead of a shot in the arm, a light-activated patch or robotic pill may one day deliver your medicine.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Like bloodhounds, worms are sniffing out human cancers

    Scents emitted by diseased cells may usher in a new era of safe, low-cost screening tests for cancer and other illnesses.

  7. Materials Science

    New cloth cools you when you’re hot, warms you when you’re cold

    Scientists 3-D printed the new fabric, which has even more tricks up its sleeve — such as conducting electricity and resisting radio waves.

  8. Environment

    Widely used pesticides may threaten Earth’s ozone layer

    Data show a major class of long-used “eco-friendly” copper chemicals unexpectedly react with soil, making gases harmful to Earth’s protective ozone layer.

  9. Environment

    Clothes dryers may be a major source of airborne microplastics

    Scientists thought washing machines were a leading contributor of microplastics. Now it appears dryers may be an even bigger problem.

  10. Chemistry

    Explainer: What are fats?

    A fat molecule's three long chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms repel water, stash energy and keep living things warm — even in the bitter cold.

  11. Chemistry

    Snail slime + gold could boost the power of sunscreens and more

    These two strange ingredients could make skin-care products that are better for both our skin and the environment.

  12. Chemistry

    Explainer: What is a metal?

    Metals can bend and pull without snapping, and conduct electricity. The reason: Their atoms tend to lose electrons to neighboring atoms.