Maria Temming

Assistant Managing Editor, Science News Explores

Maria Temming is the Assistant Managing Editor at Science News Explores. Maria has undergraduate degrees in physics and English from Elon University and a master's degree in science writing from MIT. She has written for Scientific AmericanSky & Telescope and NOVA Next. She’s also a former staff writer at Science News.

All Stories by Maria Temming

  1. Earth

    Explainer: Sprites, jets, ELVES and other storm-powered lights

    Fleeting glows collectively known as “transient luminous events” flash in the skies above powerful lightning storms.

  2. Health & Medicine

    Family, friends and community inspired these high school scientists

    When looking for research ideas, listen to the people around you. What problems are they facing? What could you do to help?

  3. Microbes

    Let’s learn about useful bacteria

    Bacteria do many useful jobs almost everywhere on Earth, from the soil to the seafloor to our stomachs.

  4. Brain

    Scientists Say: Confirmation Bias

    Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out and believe information that agrees with what we already think.

  5. Animals

    Here’s why thousands of octopuses gather at the ‘Octopus Garden’

    Underwater cameras and other instruments investigated why so many pearl octopuses gather here to mate and nest.

  6. Space

    Let’s learn about meteorites

    Meteorites are bits of space rock that have crash-landed on Earth — or on another celestial body.

  7. Space

    Scientists Say: Solar Cycle

    This roughly 11-year cycle in the sun’s activity can affect space weather that messes with Earthly technology.

  8. Earth

    The weird sky glow called STEVE is really confusing scientists

    Researchers are trying to figure out the recipe of atmospheric conditions that creates this aurora-like light show.

  9. Animals

    Let’s learn about birdwatching for beginners

    One birdwatcher unpacks the personal and scientific rewards of birding, and how to get started.

  10. Materials Science

    Scientists Say: 2-D Material

    Two-dimensional materials such as graphene could improve electronics, carbon capture and more.

  11. Animals

    A newfound type of hedgehog is small, dark and adorable

    At first, this hedgehog was mistaken for a lookalike relative. But its teeth, skull shape and DNA confirmed it as a new species.

  12. Materials Science

    Let’s learn about graphene

    Scientists have been trying to understand and harness this material’s superpowers since its discovery in 2004.