Nikk Ogasa is a staff writer who focuses on the physical sciences for Science News, based in Brooklyn, New York. He has a master's degree in geology from McGill University, where he studied how ancient earthquakes helped form large gold deposits. He earned another master's degree in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His stories have been published in ScienceScientific American, Mongabay and the Mercury News, and he was the summer 2021 science writing intern at Science News.

All Stories by Nikk Ogasa

  1. Earth

    Meet the sneaky and surprisingly dangerous squall-line tornado

    These destructive, radar-dodging twisters often form at night. Emerging data from the U.S. Southeast might soon make forecasting the tornadoes possible.

  2. Earth

    Analyze This: Where are U.S. earthquakes most likely?

    A model used data on historical quakes and measurements from active faults to forecast risks of damaging earthquakes in the next 100 years.

  3. Health & Medicine

    New tool maps where U.S. heat can pose threats to your health

    The daily updated HeatRisk maps use color coding to show where the health threat from heat is highest. The website also offers tips for staying safe.

  4. Oceans

    The seas’ record-breaking hot streak may bring unwelcome changes

    Off-the-charts warming could fire up more hurricanes, intensify coral bleaching and accelerate the melting of Antarctic sea ice.

  5. Space

    Comets may be the source of sandy dunes on Saturn’s largest moon

    In an early reshuffling of the solar system, comet collisions and other space rocks could have sent dusty bits falling to Titan’s surface.

  6. Environment

    Pumping cold water into rivers could help fish chill out

    Hundreds of salmon, trout and other fish sought shelter from summer heat in the human-made cool zones. These areas may help fish adapt to river warming.

  7. Climate

    Some tree leaves are finding it too hot for photosynthesis

    Earth’s ongoing fever threatens to push entire forests toward this heat limit — and possible death.

  8. Earth

    To get diamonds perfect for Barbie, make and break a supercontinent

    Most pink diamonds may have formed billions of years ago during the tectonics that led to formation and breakup of Nuna, Earth’s first supercontinent.

  9. Animals

    Adult corals have been frozen and revived for the first time

    Living corals could be frozen for safekeeping. Scientists could later revive them to restore reef ecosystems that are withering in warming seas.

  10. Ecosystems

    The Amazon is in trouble. Here’s why — and why it matters

    Challenges from human-caused climate change, deforestation and degradation leave the fate of this vast forest uncertain.

  11. Tech

    Nanobots can now enter brain cells to spy on what they’re doing

    Fleets of advanced versions may one day be able to detect disease and then go about surgically treating it — without ever opening the skull.

  12. Climate

    Let’s learn about why summer 2023 was so hot

    Human-caused climate change has played a big role in this summer’s historic heat.