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

    Fins as early legs

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

  2. Science & Society

    New dangers from bird flu

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

  3. Planets

    Distant ‘Goldilocks’ world

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

  4. Genetics

    Genes tell old story

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

  5. Microbes

    Surprisingly hardy flu germs

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

  6. Animals

    One big animal family

    A new study takes a close look at you and your dog’s ancient relative.

  7. Planets

    Europa’s watery underworld

    Jupiter’s smooth, icy moon may hide giant lakes beneath the surface.

  8. Brain

    Rats’ caffeine brain boost

    A new experiment shows how rodent brains respond to the drug.

  9. Climate

    Dirty clouds change rainfall

    Scientists find a link between air pollution and extremes in rainfall.

  10. Planets

    A shock to the solar system

    Scientists suspect a nearby exploding star ignited the formation of the sun and planets.

  11. Brain

    What a dream looks like

    Brain scans show the brain’s activity during a dream.

  12. Animals

    The secret songs of giant beavers

    Scientists discover a noisemaking chamber in the extinct animal’s skull.