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. Animals

    Flower power

    Electric field around flowers may help bees find nutritious blooms.

  2. Environment

    Bad for breathing

    New study connects pollution to several common diseases that affect the lungs and airways.

  3. Tech

    Quake, quake, go away

    French engineers report success in the first test of an underground seismic shield.

  4. Animals

    Fancy feather gene

    A tweak in a single pigeon gene causes a distinct feather formation.

  5. Archaeology

    The return of a king

    The 15th century’s Richard III has returned — or at least, his bones have.

  6. Earth

    Ahead of the wave

    Scientists are working to predict — and tame — the tsunamis that can threaten some coastal communities

  7. Climate

    Explainer: El Niño and La Niña

  8. Computing

    Genetic memory

    DNA is a chemical blueprint that effectively instructs cells on how to work.

  9. Animals

    Killer cats

    Puss may pose the single biggest threat to birds.

  10. Physics

    A smarter scan

    Scientists introduce a cheap and smart new device that gathers data in a flash.

  11. Planets

    Home on the moon

    Astronomers say rocky moons orbiting distant planets might support alien life.

  12. Climate

    Climate’s troublesome kids

    The recurring climate events El Niño and La Niña trigger long-lived changes to weather around the world.