Stephen Ornes

Freelance Writer

Stephen Ornes has been writing for Science News Explores since 2008, and his 2014 story "Where Will Lightning Strike?" won an AAAS/Kavli Gold Award. He lives in Nashville, Tenn., and he has three children, who are inventing their own language. His family has a cat, six chickens, and two rabbits, but he secretly thinks hagfish are the most fascinating animals. Stephen has written two books. One is a biography of mathematician Sophie Germain, who was born during the French Revolution. The other, which was published in 2019, features art inspired by math. Visit him online at stephenornes.com.

All Stories by Stephen Ornes

  1. Brain

    The stuff of dreams

    Computer program decodes dreams, finds similar brain activity patterns for objects seen while asleep or awake.

  2. Physics

    Sound cloak

    New device hides objects from sonar.

  3. Environment

    Fungi as carbon keepers

    A common type of fungus stores most of a forest floor’s carbon underground.

  4. Animals

    No high notes for these blind fish

    Cave dwellers that can't see are also partially deaf.

  5. Space

    New, older age for the universe

    Telescope peers back to see the first light after the Big Bang.

  6. Planets

    Out-of-this-world atmospheres

    Light from a distant, giant world offers clues to the gases in its atmosphere.

  7. Animals

    Big squid: All one family

    Genes show all giant squid belong to one, worldwide species.

  8. Animals

    Another buzz for bees

    Blooms are more memorable when their nectar contains caffeine.

  9. Space

    Martian microbes, maybe

    Billions of years ago, Mars could have been teeming with very small Martians.

  10. Health & Medicine

    The AIDS virus that vanished

    Strong medicine may have rid a newborn of deadly HIV.

  11. Brain

    Brain to brain

    Rats brains signaled each other through computers.

  12. Teens win big for their research

    2013 Intel Science Talent Search awards teens for science projects.