Sid Perkins

Freelance Writer

Sid is a freelance science journalist. He lives in Crossville, Tenn., with his wife, two dogs and three cats. He specializes in earth sciences and paleontology but often tackles topics such as astronomy, planetary science, materials science and engineering. 

 

In 2009, Sid won the Award for Distinguished Science Journalism in the Atmospheric and Related Sciences from the American Meteorological Society. And in 2002, he shared the American Astronomical Society’s Solar Physics Division’s Award for Popular Writing on Solar Physics. Sid’s writing also appears in Science, Nature, Scientific American, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Science News.

All Stories by Sid Perkins

  1. Space

    Where cosmic rays are born

    New evidence links origin of these very energetic particles to massive explosions of distant stars.

  2. Fossils

    Dino-sized poop

    Ewww: Scientists use poop from living animals to estimate the size of dung dropped by T. rex and other dinos.

  3. Computing

    Your head’s battery

    Fluids in the inner ear can actually power an electronic device, such as an implant.

  4. Earth

    Surprising hot springs

    Scientists find shallow source of water for volcano’s hot springs.

  5. Chemistry

    Cool Jobs: Crime scene investigators

    These researchers don’t miss a clue.

  6. Planets

    A diamond planet?

    Distant, carbon-rich world could contain one-third its weight in gems that are relatively rare on Earth.

  7. Fossils

    A fishy mammal ID

    For more than a century, the fossilized skull of an ancient fish was misidentified as a primate.

  8. Chemistry

    Harder than diamonds?

    Researchers create new material that may be world’s hardest.

  9. Chemistry

    Making rocks into magnets

    Lab experiments show one way that certain types of stones can morph into magnets.

  10. Chemistry

    Sniffing for bad air

    Handheld carbon dioxide sensor can help identify classrooms with unhealthy ventilation rates.

  11. Chemistry

    Heat-resistant makeup

    New recipe for camouflage face paint could protect soldiers against burns from bomb blasts.

  12. Speedy cancer detector

    New technique quickly, cheaply identifies a particularly dangerous form of cancer.