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. 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.

  2. Ecosystems

    Scientists Say: Food web

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

  3. Microbes

    Scientists Say: Virus

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

  4. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: PFAS

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

  5. 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.

  6. Space

    Scientists Say: Accretion Disk

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

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. 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.