This is a drawing of Maria Temming a white female with blue eyes and smiling. Behind her is a space-themed background.

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 American, Sky & Telescope and NOVA Next. She’s also a former staff writer at Science News.

All Stories by Maria Temming

  1. Tech

    This teen engineer’s device sniffs out common food allergens

    Inspired by his own severe food allergies, Thermo Fisher JIC finalist Samvith Mahadevan built a device to protect people from allergen exposure.

  2. Chemistry

    Let’s learn about chocolate

    Humans have been making chocolate for millennia. Now scientists are investigating how to make this tasty treat more abundant and nutritious.

  3. Archaeology

    Let’s learn about radiocarbon dating

    Through the power of radioactivity, carbon dating can reveal the age of many fossils and artifacts.

  4. Materials Science

    This teen materials scientist wants to save the Great Salt Lake

    Thermo Fisher JIC finalist Sophia Zhang investigated hydrogels that might conserve water in farming — a big stressor of the lake’s water supply.

  5. Space

    Let’s learn about the International Space Station

    Astronauts on the space station have gathered data on everything from climate change to dark matter.

  6. Animals

    Let’s learn about octopuses

    These clever, color-changing cephalopods live all over the world.

  7. Microbes

    Under the microscope, this biologist sees a tiny jungle

    Sally Warring has long been captivated by the beauty of mostly single-celled life forms called protists.

  8. Space

    Let’s learn about supernovas

    Supernovas are spectacular stellar explosions that sprinkle heavy elements throughout the universe.

  9. Chemistry

    Teen chemist uncovers potentially harmful preservatives in pet food

    Thermo Fisher JIC finalist Mackensey Wilson measured levels of a chemical called BHT in three pet food brands.

  10. Chemistry

    Scientists Say: Rocket propellants

    Rockets need more than fuel to get where they need to go — they also need oxidizers to burn that fuel. Together, these chemical combos are known as rocket propellants.

  11. Archaeology

    Let’s learn about ancient pyramids

    You may have heard of pyramids built in ancient Egypt — but what about ones built elsewhere in Africa, Europe and the Americas?

  12. Materials Science

    Scientists Say: Quantum dot

    Quantum dots are nanosized specks whose properties are governed by the strange rules of quantum physics.