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. Ecosystems

    Scientists Say: Predator and Prey

    Ecological relationships between predators and their prey drive the evolution of plants, animals and microbes.

  2. Animals

    Scientists Say: Coral

    Over 4,000 species of fish make their home among the reefs created by these colony-dwelling marine animals.

  3. Math

    Scientists Say: Ellipse

    Ellipse describes the shapes of planetary orbits around their stars and explains the wacky acoustic phenomenon of “whispering chambers.”

  4. Brain

    Scientists Say: Addiction

    Recovering from addiction is hard but possible. Encouragement of loved ones can improve a person’s chances of overcoming this disease.

  5. Tech

    Nanocrystal ‘painted’ films may someday help relieve summer heat

    The rainbow palette and cooling powers of new plant-based films comes from their microscopic surface patterns of tiny crystals.

  6. Ecosystems

    Scientists Say: Food web

    All the species in an ecosystem and the feeding relationships between them get summed up with this handy picture.

  7. Microbes

    Scientists Say: Virus

    A virus must take over a living cell's machinery to make more viruses.

  8. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: PFAS

    Non-stick coatings, stain-resistant cloth and other common materials leach long-lived PFAS into soil and water.

  9. Tech

    A new solar-powered gel purifies water in a flash

    The unusual, fruit-inspired structure of this material provides quick filtration that could satisfy people's daily water needs.

  10. Space

    Scientists Say: Accretion Disk

    Cosmic swirls of gas, dust and plasma, accretion disks reveal the shadowy silhouettes of black holes and more.

  11. Environment

    Sea life may suffer as plastic bits alter metals in water

    This interplay between plastics and metals could affect how each affects the environment — and suggests opportunities for controlling their risks.

  12. Environment

    Microplastic pollution aids viruses and prolongs their infectivity

    The tiny plastic bits give these germs safe havens. That protection seems to increase as the plastic ages and breaks into ever smaller pieces.