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. Environment

    Climate coolers

    Reducing methane, soot in the atmosphere could curb climate change.

  2. Brain

    The brain behind the game

    Top athletes watch and learn from their teams, coaches and opponents.

  3. Animals

    Eyes from ions

    Scientists use charged molecules to grow eyes in tadpole guts.

  4. Computing

    Electronic skin

    Tiny, nearly invisible devices stick to skin, ‘talk’ to computers.

  5. Chemistry

    Self-cleaning clothes

    A few hours of sunshine cleans specially treated cotton fabrics.

  6. Earth

    Water, water, not everywhere

    Satellites show a drop in Earth’s groundwater levels.

  7. Microbes

    Glowing, gutsy hitchhikers

    Bacteria glow to get across the ocean inside animals’ guts.

  8. Animals

    Fins as early legs

    “Walking” fish may help scientists understand how ancient animals learned to move on land.

  9. Science & Society

    New dangers from bird flu

    U.S. government asks scientists to keep some secrets about their bird flu research.

  10. Planets

    Distant ‘Goldilocks’ world

    Planet-hunters find a just-right world outside the solar system.

  11. Genetics

    Genes tell old story

    Ancient cells hold evidence of a massive die-off of Native Americans.

  12. Microbes

    Surprisingly hardy flu germs

    Flu-causing viruses may live for days or even months outside the body.