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. Genetics

    Scientists Say: Genetic Engineering

    Genetic engineering involves adding, changing or removing certain pieces of DNA from a living thing to give it desired traits.

  2. Artificial Intelligence

    Here’s why AI like ChatGPT probably won’t reach humanlike understanding

    Unlike people, this type of artificial intelligence isn’t good at learning concepts that it can apply to new situations.

  3. Humans

    Let’s learn about fingerprints

    Researchers are still making new discoveries about how our fingerprints form — and how to use them to solve crimes.

  4. Animals

    Let’s learn about animals’ bizarre sleep schedules

    From reindeer that snooze while chewing to penguins that take thousands of naps each day, the animal kingdom has some truly weird sleep patterns.

  5. Space

    Scientists Say: Corona

    The sun’s corona can only be seen without special instruments during a total solar eclipse.

  6. Animals

    Let’s learn about Godzilla and King Kong

    These blockbuster monsters are too big to exist. But if they were real, what adaptations would each bring to battle?

  7. Animals

    Scientists Say: Megalodon

    The extinct megalodon (Otodus megalodon) was the largest shark to ever prowl the oceans.

  8. 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.

  9. 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?

  10. 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.

  11. Brain

    Scientists Say: Confirmation Bias

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

  12. 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.